As it happened: The sprinters take the honours as a crash mars the final at stage 5 of the Vuelta Femenina

Mischa Bredewold secured victory in the fifth stage of the 2026 La Vuelta Femenina, held in Astorga, Spain, delivering a commanding performance alongside her SD Worx-Protime teammate Lotte Kopecky, who finished second. The Dutch rider, who narrowly missed out on winning last year’s edition, expressed relief and gratitude for the team’s support and strategic freedom to contest the sprint. The stage unfolded under challenging conditions, including wet roads and a crash that disrupted the peloton in the closing kilometres, but SD Worx’s dominance was clear as they controlled the pace and positioning throughout. The race was marred by a significant crash in the middle of the bunch, which notably affected SD Worx’s general classification leader Anna van der Breggen, who crossed the line in 100th place. The team will now need to assess any injuries to van der Breggen ahead of the mountainous stages, where she was expected to excel. Another rider impacted by misfortune was Letizia Paternoster of Liv-Alula-Jayco, who had been performing strongly with multiple top-ten finishes but suffered a crash that hampered her chances of victory on the day. SD Worx’s tactical execution was near flawless, with Bredewold launching an early sprint that initially appeared to be a lead-out for Kopecky, who tactically settled for second place. The team’s ability to judge the pace and timing of their efforts allowed them to maintain control despite the challenging course and adverse weather. Paternoster’s resilience was also notable, as she managed to secure an impressive third place despite her earlier crash, highlighting her consistency in fast, technical finishes. Looking ahead, the race moves into its more demanding phases with stage six featuring a brutal climb to Les Praeres, where gradients average 13.4% with sections exceeding 20%. This stage is expected to be decisive for the general classification, especially with riders like van der Breggen potentially needing to recover from the recent crash. The dynamics of the race may shift significantly as teams recalibrate their strategies in response to the evolving leaderboard and rider conditions.