La Vuelta Femenina 2023: Demi Vollering wins on Lagos de Covadonga but Annemiek van Vleuten holds on for GC win

Lagos de Covadonga delivered the thrilling finish La Vuelta Femenina organisers had craved, as Demi Vollering (SD Worx) broke Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) but the latter took the overall title by nine seconds. Van Vleuten took the red jersey in controversial circumstances on Saturday, as her Movistar team put the hammer down just as Vollering and her team had stopped for a nature break. Ad There was lots of post-race chat on Saturday evening, but the events set things up superbly for the final stage up the fabled Lagos de Covadonga.

Vuelta España FemeninaVollering 'hungry for revenge' on Van Vleuten after Vuelta crosswind controversy18 HOURS AGO Vollering said she would attack, and upped the tempo with 10km to run. The move split the lead group, and only Van Vleuten and Gaia Realini (Trek-Segafredo) were able to hold the wheel. Although she looked uncomfortable, Van Vleuten was able to keep tabs on her fellow Dutch rider.

But Vollering found an ally in Realini whose decision to up the tempo with 6klm to go saw Van Vleuten lose the wheel. The 40-year-old saw Vollering and Realini disappear up the road, and the former took up the challenge in a bid to claw back the gap of 1:11. Van Vleuten initially kept the gap at around 20 seconds, but the elastic snapped when they disappeared into the clouds.

Vollering gave it everything and gapped Realini in the final kilometre to take the stage. It was then a case of whether Van Vleuten could cling on to the red jersey, which she did by nine seconds. More to follow.