Vuelta Femenina 2023: Vollering wins mountain top finish to take red

image: Cor VosDemi Vollering wins the 5th stage of La Vuelta Femenina ahead of Annemiek van Vleuten. Ricarda Bauernfeind finishes in third position. Vollering takes the red jersey ahead of Annemiek van Vleuten and Riejanne Markus. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results 5th stage 2023 Vuelta Femenina

1. Demi Vollering (nld)
2. Annemiek van Vleuten (nld) + 0.03
3. Ricarda Bauernfeind (ger) + 0.09
4. Evita Muzic (fra) 0.13
5. Gaia Realini (ita) + 0.27
6. Elisa Chabbey (swi)+ 0.30
7. Riejanne Markus (nld) s.t.
8. Jullie Labous (fra) s.t.
9. Olivia Baril (can) + 0.32
10. Mavi García (spa) + 0.50

26. Marianne Vos (nld) + 2.17

GC after stage 5
1. Demi Vollering (nld)
2. Annemiek van Vleuten (nld) + 0.05
3. Riejanne Markus (nld) + 0.12
4. Elise Chabbey (swi) + 0.27
5. Juliette Labous (fra) + 0.51
6. Marlen Reusser (swi) + 1.00
7. Olivia Baril (swi) + 1.09
8. Kasia Niewiadoma (pol) + 1.27
9. Mavi García (spa) + 1.28
10. Erica Magnaldi (spa) s.t.

Race report
Sara Poidevin, Quinty Ton, Simone Boilard, Isabel Martín, Adéle Normand and Susana Perez establish the breakaway after almost 30 kilometres of action. The six ride to a 1 minute lead.

Martín and Perez can’t follow the pace early on the Puerto de Navafría before the other four are reeled in halfway up the mountain. Leader Marianne Vos has been distanced from the remains of the peloton.

At the summit of the Navafría the first group is down to Annemiek van Vleuten, Demi Vollering, Chloé Dygert, Riejanne Markus, Niamh Fisher-Black, Marlen Reusser, Gaia Realini, Amanda Spratt, Ricarda Bauernfeind, Elise Chabbey, Loes Adegeest, Marta Cavalli, Evita Muzic, Olivia Baril, Alena Ivanchenko, Erica Magnaldi, Juliette Labous, Esmee Peperkamp, Kristen Faulkner, Ane Santesteban and Mavi García, while Kasia Niewiadoma, Silvia Persico and Elise Uijen regain contact with 50 kilometres to go before Pauliena Rooijakkers makes it across a few kilometres later.

Fisher-Black crashes and loses contact before she winds up in a chase group with among others Liane Lippert and Marianne Vos.

Riejanne Markus wins the intermediate sprint at the base of the finish climb, while Chloé Dygert crosses the line in second position.

Dygert drops from the first group inside the last 2 kilometres and Markus loses contact just before the flamme rouge. It’s Vollering who’s0 setting a brutal pace until only Van Vleuten and Bauernfeind are left in her wheel.

Van Vleuten tries to get away, but no. The Queen of hilly Classics is also the strongest rider in Spain. Vollering takes the stage win and leader’s jersey.

Another interesting read: route 5th stage 2023 Vuelta Femenina.