Vuelta Femenina: Charlotte Kool outkicks Marianne Vos to win stage two

Anna Henderson handed over the leader’s red jersey to her Jumbo-Visma teammate Marianne Vos as DSM’s Charlotte Kool won the second stage of La Vuelta Femenina in a dramatic sprint in Pilar de la Horadada.

The American Chloe Dygert (Canyon/Sram), back on the road after a 14-month hiatus, attacked solo just after the flamme rouge at the end of the 106km stage from Orihuela, but was caught by Kool and Vos with just 50 metres remaining.

The Dutch pair went on to contest the victory, with Vos seeming to be caught off guard when she looked over her right shoulder, while Kool was launching her decisive attack from the opposite side.

“It was a really long sprint,” Kool said. “I was really confident as the climbs felt really easy for me today. So I had some really, really good legs. Also, the team did what they could do so well. I just had to position myself right.

“I was first a bit boxed in but then luckily I could come to the wheel. I was also really suffering, and so when she [Vos] looked behind I was like OK, she is also suffering, otherwise she’s not going to look.”

Henderson, who took the red jersey after Monday’s opening team time trial, came home in ninth and drops to fourth in the overall standings, six seconds behind Vos who leads by a second from Dygert, and two seconds ahead of teammate Femke Markus.

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Kool leads the points classification while Jade Wiel (FDJ-Suez) is in the polka-dot jersey as queen of the mountains leader. Wednesday’s stage is a 148.2km route from Elche de la Sierra to La Roda.