Vuelta Femenina: Mischa Bredewold leads Lotte Kopecky across stage 5 line as SD Worx-Protime repeats with one-two finish

Mischa Bredewold of SD Worx-Protime claimed victory on stage 5 of the Vuelta Femenina, crossing the finish line ahead of her teammate and race leader Lotte Kopecky. The stage, which concluded with a 7% uphill sprint in Astorga, saw Kopecky deliberately hold back in the final moments to secure a team one-two finish while protecting her red leader’s jersey. Letizia Paternoster of Liv AlUla Jayco narrowly edged out Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka from Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto for third place in a tightly contested sprint behind the leading duo. The 119.6-kilometre route from León to Astorga featured two third-category climbs but ultimately favoured a sprint finish due to a predominantly downhill final section. A breakaway of five riders, including Alice Coutinho and Marina Garau, was caught with under 9km remaining as SD Worx-Protime controlled the peloton to set up the sprint. The closing kilometres were chaotic, with a crash on wet roads disrupting the lead-out trains and involving SD Worx-Protime’s GC contender Anna van der Breggen, though she appeared to escape serious injury. Bredewold praised the team’s tactical approach, highlighting the freedom given to her to contest the sprint and the importance of protecting Kopecky’s overall lead. “We made an ideal plan,” Bredewold explained, describing how she led out Kopecky who then focused on controlling rival sprinters rather than contesting the win herself. Kopecky maintains a 12-second advantage over Franziska Koch of FDJ United-Suez as the race heads into two decisive mountain stages. The stage underscored SD Worx-Protime’s dominance and strategic depth, with the team expertly managing the breakaway and the final sprint to maximise their advantage. The upcoming mountain stages will be critical in shaping the general classification, but for now, Kopecky’s strong position and the team’s collective strength make them the favourites to maintain control. The race continues to offer a compelling mix of tactical racing and individual brilliance as the Vuelta Femenina progresses.