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A thrilling finale to round out stage 1 of La Vuelta Femenina. Thank you so much for joining us for live coverage of today’s race.
Do join us again tomorrow as the peloton tackles the second of seven tricky stages in Spain. Stage 2 begins in Lobios and heads to San Cibrao das Viñas, and offers a second opportunity for the sprinters.
Will Noemi Rüegg hang onto the race lead? Will Marianne Vos be able to have her day? Join us again to follow every moment of the action live.
Noemi Rüegg now leads both the overall classification and the points classification, following her win on stage 1.
By virtue of finishing in fifth place, ahead of Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio with whom she is tied on points, UAE Team ADQ’s Maëva Squiban will wear the polka dot QOM jersey tomorrow.
Team Picnic-PostNL’s Eleonora Ciabocco was awarded the prize for the day’s most combative rider.
Teamwork makes the dream work for EF Education-Oatly on stage 1 of La Vuelta Femenina.
Stage winner Noemi Rüegg on her stage 1 victory: ‘Absolutely insane, honestly I can’t really believe it, it’s just a dream you know, to win a Grand Tour stage. The team believed in me so much, and it was a big goal to go for the win, but the girls believed in it more than I did and it’s insane to finish it off like this, I don’t know what to say.
‘I knew this finish was perfect for me, if I was to draw my dream stage it would end exactly like this, so I knew I could trust on a long sprint, so I knew from the last corner I knew I wanted to go full gas and all in, and the team put me in a great position and then I just went all out from the last corner, I didn’t want to have any regrets, and I had a gap like pretty immediately and I was like just keep going and I looked back and saw I could make it to the finish. It was a dream.
‘It gives a lot of confidence to everyone, and I really want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of my teammates, they really believed in me and they encouraged me, and we had the race under control from the beginning, we owned the race and we were always together, and this gives me a lot of confidence and I think that’s what we take into the next few days as well, that we can trust each other, and it’s so nice that we got such a reward today, with the victory.’
EF Education-Oatly’s Alice Towers spoke about the team’s need to change their plans during the race based on the way a number of riders were feeling. They delivered though, never far from the front of the race, it was a true team effort for the American team today.
That was some effort from the Swiss rider. She has proven her grit and power a number of times in the past, but this was a clear statement of her abilities on this type of finish. She held off Kopecky with confidence, her victory never in doubt. She will be the first wearer of the red leader’s jersey.
Noemi Rüegg wins stage 1
Lotte Kopecky launches her sprint in pursuit of Rüegg but the Swiss proves too powerful for the former world champion, surging towards the line and rewarding her team’s hard work with a brilliant stage victory.
Koch and Rüegg lead the charge towards the finish line.
Into the final 500 metres, SD Worx lead the charge, with Franzi Koch near the front for FDJ United SUEZ.
The road rises and the effort takes its toll on the bunch, which stretches out as the gradient increases.
Team SD Worx-ProTime are in control heading towards the final kilometre. Movistar are also in a prominent position.
A huge blow for Team Visma-Lease a Bike, who may have lost their opportunity to go for the stage win through Vos, as they make it back to the second group on the road, driving through the group with Lieke Nooijen piloting Vos.
The lead group driven by FDJ are caught.
Following a series of difficult, wet corners and bends, the race is split up, with a lead group including Juliette Berthet (FDJ United SUEZ) and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot in a lead group of five, who could really seek to take advantage of the situation.
FDJ United SUEZ, EF Education-Oatly, Team SD Worx-ProTime, UAE Team ADQ and Visma-Lease a Bike are all lined up in formation at the front of the bunch, heading toward the final ten kilometres.
Tension mounts in the bunch as the women draw closer to the finish line in Salvaterra de Miño.
An attack from a small group at the front of the bunch driven by Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek) opens up a small gap to the main peloton.
Eva van Agt leads out Franzi Koch, who powers towards the intermediate sprint line and wins the battle, ahead of Letizia Paternoster (Liv-AlUla-Jayco). Koch claims bonus seconds that will count towards the general classification.
FDJ SUEZ begin the lead-out towards the intermediate sprint point.
Kristen Faulkner is also among the riders who have been dropped from the reduced bunch.
Around 5 kilometres remain to the day’s intermediate sprint. From there, the race will be high octane to the finish.
FDJ SUEZ begin to put the pressure on at the front of the peloton, as the rain begins to fall again in Galicia.
30km to go
🏁 36 km | Etapa 1️⃣ – Stage 1️⃣👊 ¡@Movistar_Team quiere guerra y demostrar que juega en casa!⚔️ Movistar is showing the peloton who’s homerace this is!#LaVueltaFemenina pic.twitter.com/DjThVJJfBwMay 3, 2026
Megan Jastrab (UAE Team ADQ) has nearly made it back to the peloton after experiencing a mechanical issue.
45km to go
Lotte Kopecky is perhaps her primary challenger. The SD Worx-ProTime rider has returned to something like her best form this spring, with a victory at Milano-Sanremo her best result so far.
EF Education-EasyPost’s powerful all-round Noemi Rüegg can never be counted out. The Swiss rider has made a strong start to the season once again and will be in the mix.
For UAE Team ADQ, the best hope for victory is probably Karlijn Swinkels. The Dutch woman is fast at the finish and also capable of launching a late move.
Liane Lippert (Movistar) is one of the best puncheuses in the peloton, but today may not be quite hard enough for her to avoid the pure speed of the likes of Vos and Kopecky. For Liv-AlUla-Jayco, Letizia Paternoster will hope to be in amongst it; the Italian wore the red jersey last year. For FDJ SUEZ, Paris-Roubaix winner Franzi Koch can’t be excluded from consideration; like Swinkels she might be the type of rider who can go from a long way out.
The peloton are riding tempo, saving their energy ahead of what will be a high-octane approach to the finish.
The tension briefly abates as teams take on fuel and the pressure at the front of the bunch calms.
50km to go
EF Education-Oatly currently ride at the head of the bunch, led by American national road race champion Kristen Faulkner. The American team will look to their Breton star Cédrine Kerbaol in the general classification race.
Moolman-Pasio takes second QOM
We have a battle on our hands for the QOM jersey – AG Insurance Soudal’s veteran climber Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio pips Maëva Squiban at the summit of the second and final categorised climb of the day – the two are tied on equal points in the QOM competition, so the decision on who will wear the polka dot jersey heading into day 2 will be decided on the finish line – whoever finishes first, will take the jersey.
1. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal), 6 pts
2. Maëva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ), 4 pts
3. Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly), 2 pts
4. Valentina Cavallar (Team SD Wrox-Protime), 1 pt
Mischa Bredewold (Team SD Worx-ProTime) pushes the pace at the front of the bunch on another uphill segment of the course – she is looking to make it tough for the faster women in the bunch, to try and thin out the group ahead for the finale for her teammate, Lotte Kopecky.
There are a range of top challengers for the GC at this year’s Vuelta Femenina, looking to succeed Demi Vollering and finish the week on the top step of the podium.
The peloton is now beginning the second categorised climb of the day – it’s a tougher challenge, with an average gradient of 5.8% and one short section at over 10% – we can expect to see Squiban on the offensive again, to consolidate her early lead in the QOM competiton. But can anyone make a breakaway stick?
Squiban wins first QOM battle
With the second of two climbs approaching, two-time Tour de France stage winner in 2025 Maëva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) has set out her stall, attacking at the summit of the Ato do Cruceiro to take the maximum available points in the QOM competition. Here are the complete standings atop the climb.
1. Maëva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) 6pts
2. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (IG Insurance-Soudal) 4pts
3. Yuliia Biriukova (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) 2pts
4. Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly) 1pt
Biriukova is caught. The top teams in the bunch are controlling the attacks at this point in the race. On a relatively short stage, and the first of the race, there is bound to be tension in the group.
The complete peloton taking on stage 1 of La Vuelta Femenina.
80km to go
👕 ¡La ropa empieza a sobrar!👕 No need for the extra layers now!@FaulknerKristen | #LaVueltaFemenina pic.twitter.com/qD0togumcXMay 3, 2026
There’s no time trial in this year’s race – the organisers opted to leave out the opening stage team time trial that has kicked off proceedings since the race began in its new extended format in 2022.
Read our in-depth route analysis to find out what lies in wait for the participants at the 2026 edition of the race.
Despite the wet conditions, riders begin to shed layers as they prepare for action.
👕 ¡La ropa empieza a sobrar!👕 No need for the extra layers now!@FaulknerKristen | #LaVueltaFemenina pic.twitter.com/qD0togumcXMay 3, 2026
The first attacker of the race is Andrea Casagranda from the Italian continental team, Vini Fantini-BePink, but she is caught by the pursuing peloton.
While there is plenty to do for the fast women at the conclusion of today’s stage, there’s also an opportunity for attacking riders to fight for the first polka dot Queen of the Mountains jersey, with two categorised climbs appearing on today’s route.
In addition to the honour of wearing the first red leader’s jersey of the race, today’s first stage will also see the fight for the green points jersey kick off in earnest, with the favourites for the stage’s punchy uphill finish last year’s green jersey winner Marianne Vos (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) and winner of Milano-Sanremo in March, Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx-ProTime).
An intermediate sprint with around 22 kilometres remaining on the stage will bring all the contenders to the fore, ahead of what’s guaranteed to be an explosive finale in Salvaterra de Miño.
The action kicks off in Spain
😊 ¡Salida lanzada de la etapa #LaVueltaFemenina!💥 And we’re off! #LaVueltaFemenina has officially started! pic.twitter.com/Jvr9F5Z1FfMay 3, 2026
Winner of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, much attention will be directed towards Visma-Lease a Bike’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. She cannot be counted out as a GC threat, despite the fact she is building towards a defence of her title in France in July.
Breakout star of the spring Classics, winning Amstel Gold Race and finishing in the top five of all three Ardennes Classics, home talent Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ) will hope to make an impression on her debut at La Vuelta Femenina.
One of the favourites for this year’s overall victory, Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM-zondacrypto, greets the crowd ahead of today’s first stage.
Bad weather, but good vibes, on the start line at La Vuelta Femenina.
Selfie del día 🤳🥹 Aunque no salga el sol, no se nos quita la sonrisa de la cara. ¡Esto empieza!Startline selfie 🤳😍 No sun? No problem! We are all good vibes here at #LaVueltaFemenina pic.twitter.com/UlReMb9PpbMay 3, 2026
It’s a wet day in Marín as the race rolls out for the neutralised start. Stage 1 will be underway shortly.
The race gets underway
📍𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈́𝐍💪 ¡Salida neutralizada de la etapa 1️⃣!🙌 Here we gooo! Neutral start of stage 1️⃣!#LaVueltaFemenina pic.twitter.com/EKjqDLiECpMay 3, 2026
Demi Vollering (FDJ SUEZ) reigned supreme at last year’s Vuelta Femenina, but the Dutchwoman does not return to defend her title this year, shifting focus instead to the Giro d’Italia Women after a strong Classics campaign.
Beginning in Marín, and heading south to Salvaterra de Miño, the race gets underway with the neutralised start at 11:20 CET.
Today’s stage features two categorised climbs, along with an uphill finish which will decide who will be the first owner of the red leader’s jersey.
Welcome to live coverage of stage 1 of La Vuelta Femenina. Grand Tour season begins with a punchy 113km in the north-west of Spain, in the region of Galicia.