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

2026-05-07T15:07:05.953Z

Bredewold takes the win and SD Worx take a 1-2 for the second stage running, Kopecky finishing second. Paternoster took an incredibly impressive third place.

2026-05-07T15:05:57.944Z

The rest of the peloton rolls in in dribs and drabs after the crash.

2026-05-07T15:04:59.132Z

Bredewold leads out her team mate, pulls off for Kopecky, but it’s Bredewold who wins the stage.

2026-05-07T15:03:40.013Z

SD Worx are looking for Kopecky. UAE Team ADQ lead the way.

2026-05-07T15:02:52.608Z

A crash in the middle of the bunch has split the race.

2026-05-07T15:02:29.471Z

Flamme rouge now, 1,000m to go! At 500m there’s a roundabout they can pass on both sides, then another uphill sprint, the gradient in the final 200m average.

2026-05-07T15:01:56.416Z

The roads are wide, but they’re wet, the sprinters’ teams are spread across, each doing their own thing.

2026-05-07T15:01:03.912Z

LIv-Alula-Jayco dominate the road for Paternoster, she must be feeling good after that crash.

2026-05-07T15:00:26.677Z

It’s raining now and the tight, narrow roads disrupt the teams’ trains, it’s time to get them back together with 3km to go.

2026-05-07T14:59:18.310Z

Former race leader, Franziska Koch (FDJ United-SUEZ) are positioned on the back of the SD Worx train, Kochh trails Kopecky by 6 seconds on GC.

2026-05-07T14:58:18.151Z

SD Worx take their place, so do Liv-Alula-Jayco, Visma are there too.

2026-05-07T14:57:11.927Z

The leadouts are in place as the race prepares for the final. Expect some attacks.
Movistar sweep to the front, Liane Lippert was strong yesterday, today suits her better.

2026-05-07T14:54:42.875Z

The pace is very high, some riders are struggling to hold the wheel on what is a narrow road at a time when positioning is key.

2026-05-07T14:51:58.340Z

The bunch are flying now, Martín, Eraso and Van Alphen are caught.

2026-05-07T14:50:45.857Z

Martín, Eraso and Van Alphen lead by just 10 seconds.

2026-05-07T14:50:39.549Z

Into the final 10km. It’s mostly flat with the odd rise and fall and just a couple of bends. There’s a sharp right hander 3.4km from the line, then it’s left at a roundabout with 1,400m to go.

2026-05-07T14:48:44.271Z

SD Worx return to the front row again and instantly five seconds are lopped off the leaders’ advantage.

2026-05-07T14:47:41.378Z

Visma-Lease a Bike are all at the back, we’ve seen them do this before, staying out of trouble and plotting their next move.

2026-05-07T14:46:12.300Z

The bunch is spread across the road now, all the big teams represented on the front.

2026-05-07T14:44:55.188Z

With the pace in the peloton knocked off slightly, Paternoster is able to get back in, with a lot of help from team mate Josie Talbot.
Martín, Eraso and Van Alphen lead by 227 seconds.

2026-05-07T14:41:55.029Z

And breathe. The peloton back off, allowing Martín, Eraso and Van Alphen’s lead to extend to 20 seconds.

2026-05-07T14:40:46.659Z

The bunch are fighting for points, not time as Eraso crosses the line first, Van Alphen second and Martín third.
The lead is just 13 seconds after the peloton sped through the sprint.

2026-05-07T14:38:36.195Z

Looks like Martín, Eraso and Van Alphen will contest the sprint, though with a reduced advantage.

2026-05-07T14:37:52.307Z

In one kilometre it’s intermediate sprint time. Coming in Castrillo de Cepeda, it’s very slightly downhill on a straight section of road.
Paternoster was one of the riders down in the crash, a huge blow to the Italian.

2026-05-07T14:35:04.133Z

The gap is settling again at 40 seconds, it seems they want the break back, but not quite yet.

2026-05-07T14:33:19.266Z

SD Worx are back on the front, Kopecký leading the way with only 24km to go, and 5km to the sprint. the gap is down to 39 seconds.

2026-05-07T14:32:06.481Z

We’ve had a crash which has taken vital team mates from both the Liv-Alula-Jayco and AG Insurance-Soudal lead outs. They’re ok, but crashing hurts.

2026-05-07T14:30:55.899Z

The intermediate sprint is coming up soon, SD Worx might want the bonus seconds to go to the breakaway, Kopecky’s overall lead is only six seconds.

2026-05-07T14:24:02.038Z

Job done for Coutinho, the mountains jersey is secure in the Mayenne team and she is caught.

2026-05-07T14:20:13.469Z

The descent has taken its toll on Coutinho, the Frenchwoman a few metres of the back as Visma-Lease a Bike lead the bunch. They’re keeping their GC duo of Marion Bunel and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot safe, but they have Canadian Sarah Van Dam for the sprint.

2026-05-07T14:15:57.339Z

Much of the remaining 38km is downhill and it seems the race is descending into darkness, as rain clouds are looming large.

2026-05-07T14:13:06.794Z

The gap is really coming down now, we’re on one of the numerous short, unclassified climbs and Martín, Eraso, Van Alphen and Coutinho are shedding time, their lead only 35 seconds now.

2026-05-07T14:10:25.045Z

Martín, Eraso, Van Alphen and Coutinho lead by only 50 seconds while Garau has been caught by the peloton.

2026-05-07T14:07:17.386Z

On the descent now and SD Worx are still on the front. Despite the presence of classy sprinters like Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal) and Letizia Paternoster (LIv-Alula-Jayco), Koppecky’s squad are likely to be leant on for all the work.

2026-05-07T14:04:38.434Z

Coutinho takes first place at the top of the climb, so, if she stays with or ahead of her team mate, Allione, Coutinho will wear the mountains jersey for tomrrow’s stage.

2026-05-07T14:01:49.501Z

The climb is taking its toll on the break, but the peloton remains largely together, the gap is down to less than a minute now, though.

2026-05-07T14:00:19.978Z

Close to the top of the climb and Garau is struggling now, the Spanish rider from the Italian Vini Fantini-Bepink team is dropping off the back of the breakaway.

2026-05-07T13:57:46.850Z

We’re heading straight for the second climb now. The Alto de la Garandilla ramps up 49.3km from the line, but the gradient is only4.9% over the 3.4km.

2026-05-07T13:57:13.886Z

Julia Kopecký might be Czech, but she grew up in the Netherlands. Both her brothers, Tomas and Matyas, are professionals, riding for Unibet-Rose Rockets, and all three rode at Paris-Roubaix last month.

2026-05-07T13:50:46.912Z

Martín, Eraso, Garau, Van Alphen and Coutinho are now losing time to the SD Worx-Protime led peloton. Julia Kopecký and Valentina Cavallar are doing the damage.

2026-05-07T13:49:33.663Z

Despite the loss of some of their lead, Martín, Eraso, Garau, Van Alphen and Coutinho continue to work well together.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-05-07T13:45:35.118Z

The pace seems to be up in the peloton, SD Worx bringing the gap to the breakaway down a little bit was they descend to the base of the final classified climb.

2026-05-07T13:43:32.727Z

The bunch are racing through some really stunning countryside in north-western Spain today.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-05-07T13:37:56.124Z

We’re half way though today’s stage and Martín, Eraso, Garau, Van Alphen and Coutinho lead by 2.20.
The average speed is still above 40km/h and I wouldn’t expect it to drop much.

2026-05-07T13:35:37.272Z

Allione continues to lead the mountains classification, but if Coutinho wins the next climb the Mayenne team mates will be level on points, with Maëve Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) also on 12.
Both MAyenne riders would have won two climbs each, so the leader would dbe decided by their GC placing.
Coutinho started the day in 68th place, eahd of Allione, so she would inhert the jersey.

2026-05-07T13:22:48.751Z

Off the descent from the Collada de Olleros de Alba there’s another kicker before the race reaches the next classified climb.
Martín, Eraso, Garau, Van Alphen and Coutinho lead by 1.58.

2026-05-07T13:19:52.804Z

Coutinho takes maximum points, Martín second, Eraaso third and Van Alphen fourth.
That means it’s very highly likely the mountains classification will stay in the Mayenne-Monbana My Pie team.

2026-05-07T13:17:32.636Z

Martín and Coutinho have forged on ahead as the top of the climb approaches, they’re probably fighting for the mountains points. They lead the other three escapees by 20 seconds at the top.

2026-05-07T13:14:06.525Z

Kopecky’s SD Worx-Protime team are doing the work on the front of the peloton, not only are they defending the red jersey but they’ll probably want another sprint when they reach Astorga.

2026-05-07T13:12:43.205Z

Alice Coutinho is the best placed rider in today’s breakaway though she’s unlikely to manage to take the virtual – or real – over all lead as she began the day 8.24 behind Lotte Kopecky.

2026-05-07T13:09:50.436Z

Marina Garau is not stranger to the breakaway, she was up the road on stage 3, part of a three woman group chasing a leading duo. They never quite got there, so she has bettered that ride today.

2026-05-07T13:06:37.006Z

The race has now settled, Martín, Eraso, Garau, Van Alphen and Coutinho on the climb with a lead of 2.50 on the peloton.

2026-05-07T13:04:13.376Z

With their deficit to the breakaway now out to 2.45, the peloton begin the day’s first classified climb.

2026-05-07T13:02:18.495Z

We’re approaching the start of the day’s first classified climb, Collada de Olleros de Alba. It climbs 236m over 6.6km, and, at an average gradient of 3.6%, it’s not too tough.

The breakaway during stage 5 of the 2026 La Vuelta Femenina. (Photo by Szymon Gruchalski/Getty Images) (Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-05-07T12:55:32.339Z

2026-05-07T12:47:45.249Z

Now the gap goes out again. Maybe the peloton is happy after all.

2026-05-07T12:43:12.590Z

The gap is coming down now, it’s just 35 seconds, someone in the peloton is not happy with those up the road.

2026-05-07T12:39:56.963Z

In the breakaway, Coutinho is Allione’s team mate and the French rider is another strong climber, maybe she can defend the jersey, or even take it herself.
They’ll have to stay away from the bunch yet, they’re still chasing.

2026-05-07T12:36:42.555Z

This situation will suit the Mayenne team and Allione’s polka-dot jersey as all the points are currently up the road, though if the same woman takes maximum points on both today’s climbs they could take the jersey.

2026-05-07T12:35:00.111Z

Van Alphen and Coutinho have caught Martín, Eraso and Garau, so we have five at the front with a lead of one minute.

2026-05-07T12:32:59.164Z

Martín, Eraso and Garau are being chased by Aniek van Alphen (Fenix-Premier Tech) and Alice Coutinho (Mayenne-Monbana My Pie) who are 10 seconds behind the leaders, while the bunch are almost a minute down now.

2026-05-07T12:27:13.321Z

Martín has been joined by Idoia Eraso (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) and Marina Garau (Vini Fantini-Bepink), the three of them have a 20 second lead.

2026-05-07T12:25:29.534Z

Martín was being chased by two riders but they’re caught and the Movistar rider’s lead is out to about 15 seconds. We’re flying at the moment, the average speed is 45km/h, and yes, we are going slightly uphill.

2026-05-07T12:23:19.235Z

We have another attacks up the road, Spanish champion Sara Martín (Movistar) has around 10 second on the chasing peloton.

2026-05-07T12:19:03.664Z

The attacks keep coming, but nothing is sticking just yet.

2026-05-07T12:18:00.480Z

Each of the classified climbs have 6, 4, 2 and 1 points, so if Allione were to win just won of them she’d be safe in the jersey.

2026-05-07T12:15:42.107Z

Today might have been described as the easiest of the entire week, but there are two third category climbs through the day, as well as another late intermediate sprint, with 6, 4 and 2 bonus seconds available.

2026-05-07T12:14:23.545Z

Allione will be hoping to harvest a few more mountains points to consolidate the jersey, but she tried too soon, the pair are caught.

2026-05-07T12:13:15.665Z

Marine Allione (Mayenne-Monbana My Pie) is wearing the polka-dot jersey of the mountains classification leader, and she’s trying to get away.
With her is her team mate Justine Gegu.

2026-05-07T12:11:47.560Z

118 riders took the start and some of them are attacking from the get go.

2026-05-07T12:10:34.074Z

We’re on our way, stage 5 of the Vuelta Femenina is underway.

2026-05-07T12:09:48.986Z

No rain in the forecast today, sunshine and highs of about 17º for the stage. The wind is blowing from the south, but for now it’s only around 11km/h, so it shouldn’t affect the race, though the final 60km will be mostly headwind, making it hard for a breakaway.

2026-05-07T12:04:42.905Z