After spending the first three days of the Vuelta Femenina collecting runner-up finishes and mounting frustration, Lotte Kopecky finally got her revenge. A stubborn breakaway almost completely embarrassed the peloton on the 115-kilometer transition stage into Antas de Ulla, forcing SD Worx-Protime into a desperate, frantic chase over the rolling Galician roads that only managed to reel in the attackers with 2.5 kilometers remaining. Once the panic subsided and the catch was made, SD Worx executed a flawless tactical masterclass through a highly technical, corner-heavy finale. A recently un-retired Anna van der Breggen played the perfect domestique, delivering Kopecky right to the front so she could launch a vicious uphill sprint that absolutely nobody could match. Kopecky crossed the line to finally secure her stage victory ahead of her own teammate, snatching the overall red leader’s jersey away from Franziska Koch just in time for the race to head into the brutal Asturian mountains.
Results
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
