With spring Classics season in the rear-view mirror, attention in the Women’s WorldTour swiftly shifts to stage racing season and the first Grand Tour of the year, La Vuelta Femenina.
Liège-Bastogne-Liège closed out the Classics just a few days ago, but already a chunk of the peloton at the Belgian Monument – including contenders such as Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, and Anna van der Breggen – will be packing up and heading to Spain to take on the hills and mountains of Northern Spain.
The route of La Vuelta Femenina 2026 will take the riders on a challenging seven-day trek from Marín in Galicia to the fearsome Alto de l’Angliru in Asturias, with 815km and 11 classified climbs lying in their way.
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Stage 2: Lobios – San Cibrao das Viñas (109km)
Following the likely sprint finish to open the race on a hilly day one in Salvaterra de Miño, La Vuelta Femenina poses another hilly challenge on stage 2, the second-shortest of the race.
The two opening stages may be comparable in terms of elevation gain, but while the climbing in the opener is focussed earlier in the stage, the second day of the race features a sting in the tail.
Stage 2, a 109km run from Lobios to San Cibrao das Viñas, along with the third stage to the Galician capital A Coruña, is one of only two days of the race without a classified climb. But that doesn’t mean it’s a flat ride to the finish suited to the sprinters.
Instead, hills pack the route, and there could be a chance for late GC action if the contenders are up for it. A pair of uncategorised hills and a late descent fill the closing 15km of the stage, with the climb in the last few kilometres a possible launchpad for a late attack.
Last year, we saw Anna van der Breggen claim the first win of her comeback at La Vuelta Femenina, surging clear on the late descent of stage 4 to Borja. Could another hopeful look to do the same here? The terrain certainly seems suited to such a move.
Equally, the stage could conclude with a triumph for a breakaway or a reduced bunch sprint, but of…
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