After taking the crimson jersey on stage 5 of La Vuelta Femenina, Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) prolonged her lead on stage 6 however stays cautious forward of the ultimate two levels this weekend.
Vollering was solely overwhelmed by Évita Muzic (FDJ-SUEZ) on the climb to the highest of La Laguna Negra, and she or he distanced the opposite GC contenders, successful six bonus seconds and taking 19 seconds on Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) who’s second general.
Vollering is now 56 seconds forward of the Italian champion with one flat stage and one mountain stage to go.
“I felt superb at this time. The ending climb was a bit more durable due to the headwind. We can’t assume that we now have received the Vuelta already, a crash or an accident and all the things is gone. My staff and I would like to remain targeted,” Vollering stated.
“A powerful breakaway could make it troublesome, like at this time, with the headwind on massive roads. My teammates delivered a terrific efficiency to maintain the race beneath management all day. If we maintain this focus, I’m certain we are able to deliver dwelling the crimson jersey.”
Elsewhere within the race for the GC, Riejanne Markus (Visma-Lease a Bike) completed fourth on the stage however defended her third place general, one spot higher than her last putting within the 2023 Vuelta Femenina. She is now 1:14 minutes behind Vollering and has a 24-second buffer on Juliette Labous in fourth.
“My legs felt good at this time. I used to be preventing for the third place with Elisa and Yara [Kastelijn] and opened a small hole on Elisa ultimately. In the GC, I’m now a bit safer in third place, and I’m joyful about that,” Markus stated.
Already second on stage 5, Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) tried to assault on the ending climb and finally positioned third on stage 6, taking two seconds on Markus.
However, her time loss on stage 4 implies that Kastelijn continues to be a way from the GC podium, however she moved into ninth place general, 3:25 minutes behind Vollering.
“I believe that I may be happy with at this time’s stage. In the top, I confirmed myself nicely once more, that’s good. I misplaced time within the echelons a couple of days in the past, echelons simply aren’t my factor. But then again, I misplaced two minutes when it may have been 5 or eight,” Kastelijn stated, based on Wielerflits.
“There is one other arduous stage on Sunday, and I hope to get probably the most out of that. I wish to end with the very best there as a result of then I also needs to be close to the highest of the GC.”
Stage 7 from San Esteban de Gormaz to Sigüenza will likely be largely flat. The eighth and last stage begins within the Spanish capital Madrid and goes over the first-category Puerto de La Morcuera earlier than ending on the Valdesquí ski resort atop one other first-category climb.
