Key points:
– All is set for Torrevieja to host the start of this first edition of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es, which will be held over seven stages between May 1st and 7th. The iconic summit finish atop Lagos de Covadonga will be the race’s finale – and probably the GC decider.
– The best team in the world, SD Worx, is lining up a noteworthy squad spearheaded by star rider Demi Vollering and directed by cycling legend Anna van der Breggen.
– La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es will be broadcasted in 190 territories, spread over the five Continents.
Torrevieja is ready for a great cycling party
Located right by the Mediterranean Sea, Torrevieja is an excellent starting point for this first edition of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es. It’s only four years ago that this delightful touristic destination hosted the start of the men’s La Vuelta with a team time trial similar to the one we will enjoy on May 1st. Its 14,5 kilometres will run over a technical urban course to later finish by the beach, showcasing Torrevieja’s main attractions. As the expectation builds up, the first teams are already reaching the Alicante province and the Palacio de los Deportes de Torrevieja “Tavi y Carmona” is getting ready to host the pre-race operations. The aforementioned Palacio de los Deportes is also hosting this Sunday at 5pm the start of a mass participation bike ride that will warm matters up before the official team presentation, to be held at 7pm in Torrevieja’s Natural Swimming Pools.
A top-notch course from Torrevieja to the Lagos de Covadonga
La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es will take place over seven stages from May 1st to 7th. Its route features a wide range of opportunities for every profile of rider to shine, as the opening team time trial in Torrevieja will be followed by three relatively flat stages finishing in Pilar de la Horadada, La Roda and Guadalajara. The stages bound to define the GC, though, are scheduled in the second half of the week. An uphill finish atop the Mirador de Peñas Llanas will spice things up before a middle mountain stage in Cantabria that finishes in Laredo and includes on its route the Alto de la Fuente de las Varas on which Annemiek van Vleuten launched her race-winning attack in the last edition of the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta. However, all eyes are set on Sunday’s finale at Lagos de Covadonga. The most-featured mountaintop finish in La Vuelta’s history will open its female chapter by concluding the first edition of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es.
A fast-paced evolution
The way towards the creation of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es has been long, yet always upwards. It was in 2015 that Unipublic first organized the Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta, a one-day event held in the Paseo de la Castellana right before the final stage of the men’s La Vuelta. After three successful editions, the 2018 iteration included a second race-day in the form of a team time trial in Boadilla del Monte that was turned into an individual time trial one year later. Come 2020, the race grew by another day with the inclusion of an opening stage in Toledo.
The 2021 edition of the by-then called Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta was a landmark one. First, because it was fully held in Galicia, far away from Madrid. Second, because it included a mountain stage for the first time. Third, because it spanned over four days. The following year it would expand further, up to five stages that enabled the female peloton to ride from Cantabria down to Madrid via Castilla y León. Annemiek van Vleuten won both last two editions of the race, making good use of her climbing prowess and her endurance. La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es will be held over seven stages, completely separated from men’s La Vuelta for female riders to shine in their own right.
Anna van der Breggen: A legend at the helm of the world’s best team
After two straight years winning the UCI World Ranking, SD Worx is topping the standings again in the start of this season. The Dutch outfit is the winningest team by far in 2023, with 13 victories on the books including 8 out of the 12 one-day UCI Women’s WorldTour races that have been held to this day. Its DS Anna van der Breggen is a cycling legend herself – three-times World Champion and Olympic gold medal. Does she feel prompted to put on some bib shorts and pin a back number seeing how successful the team is being this season? “Not at all,” she answers. “I didn’t feel the motivation to be a pro rider anymore. It was a good decision to retire after the 2021 season. I enjoy being in the other side of the fence. With the girls riding like this, my motivation to improve as a DS just keeps growing.”
As for La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es, SD Worx’s star rider Demi Vollering is spearheading the team’s bid. “We want to continue on the same note that what we had in spring,” says Van der Breggen. “We have assembled a very good line-up, with some young riders and two GC leaders in Niamh Fisher-Black and Demi Vollering, who are both in good shape.” Vollering comes fresh off winning all three Ardennes Classics. “She has taken an easy week and comes to this event with no pressure. It’s good that the harder stages come at the end of the week, because she will be able to grow into the race.” Who are going to be SD Worx main rivals? “Movistar Team hasn’t had the best spring and are riding their home race, so they should be really motivated. Trek-Segafredo has been close to us in the Classics and know that we are beatable, so I’m sure they’ll be a strong contender too.”
