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Demi Vollering stamps authority on Vuelta España Femenina with queen stage win

Olivia Baril the top Canadian on the stage and in GC

May 2, 2024
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Demi Vollering has put herself in good position to win two consecutive Women’s Grand Tours, triumphing on the summit finish of Thursday’s fifth stage, what might well be the queen stage of Vuelta España Femenina. She simply rode her rivals off her wheel in the final 2 km and took over the race lead from Marianne Vos. Vollering leads Elisa Longo Borghini by 31 seconds. Olivia Baril was the top Canadian on the day and is the top Canuck in the GC.

The GC Situation Overnight

Wednesday, played out on a course that ran gradually downhill all day, turned out to be key one for the Vuelta GC. In crosswind echelons during the first third of 142 km, 19 riders pulled clear of the field and laboured for the rest of the stage to keep its gap. Monday’s winner Alison Jackson, Tuesday’s victor Vos, red jersey Kata Blanka Vas, Longo Borghini and last year’s runner-up Vollering were among the 19. American Kristin Faulkner was in there too, and she earned the day’s flowers, while Vos took over the race lead from Vas. Only 14 riders were within 2:00 of Vos on GC.

She might be out of green, but Alison Jackson is still in the top 5.

The Course

It was time for the mountains, the first of two consecutive summit finish stages. After a long, gradual Cat. 2 cresting 29 km from the finish line, the riders tackled summit finish climb Fuerte de Rapitán, 3.2 km of 8.1 percent.

Jackson was one of several riders who tried to break away in the early going. Liv-AlUla-Jayco, Movistar and Lidl-Trek drove towards Cat. 2 Alto del Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña.

Vos and Jackson were in a crash with 58 km remaining. Their bikes were momentarily tangled.

Vos and Jackson disentangle their bikes after the crash.

A soloist headed up Alto del Monasterio de San Juan de la Peña with a 30 second lead. With FDJ-Suez on the front, the fugitive was caught and Jackson faded off the back.

Jackson bids the favourites group adios.

A burst from eighth-place Marlen Reusser detached second-place SD Worx-Protime teammate Kata Blanka Vas. Queen of the mountain leader Karlijn Swinkels took maximum points. The long, technical descent split the peloton.

Swinkels decided to take a running start at Fuerte de Rapitán, but by its foot she had been swept up. Sarah Gigante’s pulling pace put riders out the back. Vos fell away. Vollering took over at the business end of the race, dropping Katarzyna Niewiadoma in the switchbacks.

Under the red kite came Vollering, Longo Borghini on her wheel and Yara Kastelijn. This trio would fight for the win. Kastelijn cracked first, then Longo Borghini. Vollering raised her arms in triumph, having checked off her first win of the season. Kastelijn recovered to claim the runner-up spot.

Friday’s Cat. 1 summit finish is the only climb of the day and comes at the end of 132 km.

2024 Vuelta España Femenina Stage 5
1) Demi Vollering (The Netherlands/SD Worx-Protime) 3:09:52
2) Yara Kastelijn (The Netherlands/Fenix-Deceuninck) +0:28
3) Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy/Lidl-Trek) s.t.
30) Olivia Baril (Canada/Movistar) +2:36

2024 Vuelta España Femenina GC
1) Demi Vollering (The Netherlands/SD Worx-Protime) 13:09:45
2) Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy/Lidl-Trek) +0:31
3) Riejanne Markus (The Netherlads/Visma-Lease a Bike +0:53
24) Olivia Baril (Canada/Movistar) +4:44