The Spanish excursions proceed, and SD Worx-Protime has so far dominated the best step, nonetheless Vuelta a Burgos Féminas presents the alternative teams a remaining chance to indicate the tables sooner than the Women’s WorldTour leaves the nation for a two-race stop over in Good Britain.
The four-day race from May 16-19 follows on from La Vuelta Femenina, obtained by Demi Vollering and Itzulia Women, the place the SD Worx Protime rider did it as soon as extra. The race will ship riders once more into one different battle for stage victories and whole honours, with the El Alto de Rozavientos 15km from the last word finish line, leaving the options for the GC riders open correct until the highest.
Vollering clinched the overall lead and victory on the ultimate stage remaining yr, with Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek) and Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance coverage coverage-Soudal) ending the podium.
Confirmed start lists aren’t in however nonetheless there isn’t a doubt that, whoever else is lining up, {{that a}} returning Vollering is the clear favourite to defend for SD Worx-Protime. The Dutchwoman seems to be like laborious to beat now that she has hit her profitable sort, nonetheless hundreds will try.
Cyclingnews runs the ruler over the potential contenders ahead of Thursday’s four-stage Women’s WorldTour race.
Demi Vollering might need entered La Vuelta Femenina with none wins for the season though she really hit her stride on the Spanish Grand Tour. As quickly as she stepped into crimson on stage 5, the first summit finish of the race, victory merely saved getting wanting more and more inevitable given her assured effectivity at every important stage. What’s further, Itzulia Women didn’t current any sign that she was fading, with the rider delivering a robust effectivity on the last word stage, which moreover secured her the overall victory.
The SD Worx-Protime rider has the outcomes this yr on her side, being two for two inside the Spanish excursions this month and remaining as successfully. Vollering claimed the overall at Vuelta a Burgos remaining yr and two ranges on the way in which by which, what’s further it was a transparent sweep of the degrees for the workforce with Lorena Wiebes profitable the alternative two.
Throughout the 2022 and 2021 editions, the Dutch rider bought right here third whole, standing on the podium with Anna van der Breggen on her debut on the race in 2021. The workforce doesn’t look any a lot much less formidable this yr. Finally, Mischa Bredewold swept up the first two ranges at Itzulia Women sooner than Vollering accomplished it off on stage 3.
Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek) (Image credit score rating: Getty Photos)
Closing yr, 22-year-old Shirin van Anrooij stepped as a lot because the second spot on the podium behind Vollering, moreover claiming the youth jersey due to this. It was her first time on the overall podium of a Women’s WorldTour stage race, and this yr could present her an opportunity to go looking out her methodology once more as soon as extra.
Following a break after the Ardennes Classics, the Lidl-Trek rider has used Navarra, the place she bought right here third, and Itzulia to assemble in the direction of Burgos. The rider, who moreover races cyclocross, won’t have had the outcomes she hoped for inside the April block of Women’s WorldTour racing, nonetheless standing on the podium with profitable teammate Elisa Longo Borghini on the Tour of Flanders in March after a second at Dwars door Vlaanderen and excessive fives at every Strade Bianche and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad means it hasn’t exactly been a shabby start to the season.
Vuelta a Burgos could very nicely be merely the place it shifts up one different gear.
Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-SUEZ) (Image credit score rating: Getty Photos)
Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig has been sitting on the sidelines since Omloop Het Nieuwsblad after fracturing her sacrum in a crash nonetheless has confirmed by means of social media that she’s going to as quickly as as soon as extra be on the start line at Vuelta a Burgos Feminas.
The 28-year-old first dipped her toe in with a assist place at Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria on Tuesday sooner than taking to the start in Villagonzalo Pedernales. After virtually two months with out pinning a amount on her sort, actually, continues to be an unknown. Nonetheless, whereas she won’t have had time to work to a peak she is a rider to not be discounted.
The FDJ-SUEZ rider was eleventh whole remaining yr nonetheless fifth and sixth the sooner two editions, so hasn’t been that faraway from the podium. Her workforce has made a mark in Spain with Évita Muzic claiming a stage and ending fifth whole at La Vuelta Femenina.
Muzic has moreover confirmed excessive sort with fourth at Flèche Wallonne, eleventh whole at Itzulia Women and second on the Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria. The Frenchwoman was second whole at Vuelta a Burgos in 2022 and may undoubtedly use her experience to help the workforce earn one different whole podium.
Silvia Persico will also be coming into the Spanish stage racing fray at Vuelta a Burgos Féminas, having spent the early part of this month at a number of one-day races in France and discovering success on the Grand Prix du Morbihan Femmes.
The rider has accomplished inside the excessive ten of the race before now two editions and can merely have the perfect versatile expertise set to excel on the lumpy nonetheless not extreme climbing terrain. The workforce, too, could do with some Women’s WorldTour success, having not taken a top-tier victory however this season.
The Italian, who’s on the build-up to her residence Grand Tour, was on the podium of the last word stage of the race remaining yr. She won’t be able to drawback the pure climbers like Vollering on a tough summit finish, nonetheless the downhill run after the climb could end in a singular remaining end result.
Canyon-SRAM had coming into the Spanish block of stage racing with one of many essential formidable combos of riders, starting with La Vuelta Femenina, nonetheless sickness tore through the workforce, leaving some out and others battling through.
That has meant they’ve been on the once more foot, fielding a workforce fast on numbers at every the Grand Tour and Itzulia, nonetheless perhaps with some restoration time and some brisker legs – notably Elise Chabbey, who was firing when she joined that fray at Itzulia to say fifth whole – Vuelta a Burgos could ship a quite a bit smoother path.
Closing yr, the workforce was merely off the overall podium in fourth with Chloe Dygert, who isn’t anticipated to line up this yr, though, after Itzulia, Chabbey is wanting like a strong risk, notably as a result of it moreover follows a fourth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Then there could also be Neve Bradbury, who didn’t make it to the start line of La Vuelta Femenina resulting from illness. All early season indications, nonetheless, have been that the Australian rider was heading to a model new diploma this yr – with second whole at UAE Tour Women amongst her strong early outcomes. Vuelta a Burgos could very nicely be a chance to resume the upward trajectory.
