It looked like being Anna van der Breggen‘s La Vuelta Femenina until the final 4km of the race, when the gradients of the Alto de L’Angliru bit and GC rivals Paula Blasi and Marion Bunel raced away in slow motion.
The Dutchwoman started the final day of the Spanish Grand Tour with an 18-second advantage over home favourite, second-placed Blasi, and she looked comfortable among the select group of leaders for much of the brutal closing climb.
But come the top of the Angliru, it was Blasi who was soaking in the glory, having put 36 seconds into Van der Breggen, overcoming the gap and delivering her first Grand Tour victory – indeed, her first-ever stage race win – in her second pro season.
Her SD Worx-Protime team could also look back on three stage wins courtesy of herself, Lotte Kopecky, and Mischa Bredewold, while Kopecky also won the green points jersey.
“Still, pride is the overriding feeling when I look at the whole team. With three stage wins and the green jersey, we rode a fantastic Vuelta Femenina,” Van der Breggen said.
“After my comeback, I hoped it would once again be possible to fight for the overall victory in a Grand Tour, and it’s amazing to already be this close to the top again. This gives me confidence to keep building on this path.”
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