Lotte Kopecky of Team SD Worx wins stage 1(Image credit: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
The peloton from the start in Pedrosa del Príncipe(Image credit: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Nina Kessler of Team BikeExchange - Jayco talks with Pauliena Rooijakkers of Team Canyon-SRAM Racing (Image credit: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Peloton on 121.9km stage 1(Image credit: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Peloton spread across the road between Pedrosa del Príncipe to Aranda de Duero (Image credit: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
American Kristabel Doebel-Hickok of EF Education-TIBCO-SVB on stage 1(Image credit: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Breakaway riders (L-R) Matilde Vitillo of Team Bepink, Lara Vieceli of Ceratizit – WNT Pro Cycling Team and Andrea Ramírez Fregoso of Massi - Tactic Women Team(Image credit: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Anna Shackley of Team SD Worx in the peloton(Image credit: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Lotte Kopecky receives the green jersey as sprint classification leader(Image credit: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Lara Vieceli ofCeratizit – WNT Pro Cycling Team celebrates winning the Red Mountain Jersey(Image credit: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Sara Martin of Movistar Team was recognised on the podium in her home city(Image credit: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Andrea Ramírez Fregoso of Massi - Tactic Women Team(Image credit: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)
Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx) won the opening stage of the Vuelta a Burgos Féminas in Aranda De Duero. Tereza Neumanová (Liv Racing Xstra) finished second and Emma Norsgaard (Movistar Team) took third on the 121.9km route.
Kopecky, the leader on the Worldtour ranking, earned her third victory of the year in convincing fashion from a group sprint.
The first stage of the Spanish stage race was mostly flat, but crosswinds in the final 30 kilometres led to splits in the peloton. On the uphill finishing straight, Kopecky launched her sprint 180 metres from the finish, quickly distancing Norsgaard. Neumanová came from behind to pass Norsgaard and secure second place.
“It was pretty much a crosswind in the final, so it was hard to stay out of the wind and save as much power as possible. I think I managed really well with Demi [Vollering] in my wheel in case something happened, so I was completely safe there. I knew the uphill sprint really suited me, so I didn’t hesitate and just sprinted, I think with 200 metres to go, and it was enough to hold it to the end,” said Kopecky after the finish.
“It was really hot. It was my first race here in Spain, I didn’t do Itzulia, so it was pretty hot. But I can handle it pretty well, so it was not a problem. Tomorrow is a possible sprint again, it would be nice to take another victory."
As there are no time bonifications in the Vuelta a Burgos Féminas, Neumanová, Norsgaard and the other riders that finished in the first peloton have the same time as Kopecky. Stage 2 on Friday could easily see a change in the overall lead.
How it unfolded
The break of the day was formed very early on the 121.9-kilometre stage from Pedrosa del Príncipe to Aranda de Duero as Andrea Ramírez (Massi Tactic), Lara Vieceli (Ceratizit-WNT), and Matilde Vitillo (BePink) attacked right after the start. Vieceli was first over only classified climb of the day, 1:45 minutes ahead of the peloton, and will wear the red mountain jersey on stage 2.
Their advantage then hovered around a minute for a long time, but 43km from the finish, Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad and, strangely, Massi Tactic and BePink sent riders to the front of the peloton to reduce the gap, with Team DSM and Trek-Segafredo also sharing in the work.
With the gap down to 19 seconds, Ramírez attacked from the front group with 38 km to go. Vitillo and Vieceli were caught 34 km from the finish while Ramírez extended her breakaway by another two kilometres.
After turning to the south-east, the wind came from the side on the last 30 kilometres, and several teams including Trek-Segafredo, FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope, and Team DSM tried hard to force echelons in the peloton. The peloton split into several groups, with Durango - Durango Emakumeen Saria winner Pauliena Rooijakkers (Canyon-SRAM), Veronica Ewers (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB), and Olivia Baril (Valcar-Travel & Service) caught behind, though Rooijakkers managed to get back into the first peloton with help from her teammate Alena Amialiusik.
A peloton of about 60 riders reached the final kilometre together, with Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) doing a long lead out for Soraya Paladin. Neumanová was the first to go out of the saddle but did not have the speed of Kopecky when the Belgian champion launched her sprint. Norsgaard tried to stay in Kopecky’s wheel but had to leave a gap on the uphill finishing straight.
While Kopecky was untouchable, Neumanová squeezed past the Danish sprinter in the final metres to take the runner-up spot.
Norsgaard will wear the white jersey of the best U23 rider on stage 2 while the green points jersey will be on the shoulders of fourth-placed Tamara Dronova (Roland Cogeas Edelweiss Squad) since Neumanová is the Czech champion and Norsgaard already wears the white jersey.
Lukas Knöfler started working in cycling communications in 2013 and has seen the inside of the scene from many angles. Having worked as press officer for teams and races and written for several online and print publications, he has been Cyclingnews’ Women’s WorldTour correspondent since 2018.
