Preview of the 2024 Vuelta Femenina | No Van Vleuten, but spring nemesis for Vollering

After a turbulent spring classics season, where a strong returning Marianne Vos, a regal Lotte Kopecky, and a soaring Elisa Longo Borghini swept most of the victories away from the other top riders, it's time for the first major women's tour: the Vuelta! Demi Vollering, still seeking her first victory, is participating and will be especially determined to avenge her near-win in 2023. Who are the other favorites for the red jersey? And what course will the women face? IDLProCycling.com tells you everything you need to know!

Last year, the Vuelta Femenina was highly controversial. The fight for the red jersey was thrilling but was ultimately decided by a mistake from Vollering. Or was it due to unsportsmanlike riding by Annemiek van Vleuten? After a bathroom break at SD Worx, the leader of the general classification failed to catch up, and Van Vleuten took over the lead. She held it through a nail-biting battle of seconds on the legendary climb to Lagos de Covadonga and never relinquished it again. Vollering gained a lot of time back but fell just nine seconds short of clinching the red jersey.

Thus, Van Vleuten – as it now turns out – won her last grand tour. It was also her third overall victory in the women’s Tour of Spain. The race received a significant update in 2023, growing from five to seven stages, and this year it will expand to include an eighth stage. From 2015 to 2017, the Vuelta was a one-day race, known as the Madrid Challenge. It expanded to a two-day event in 2018 and 2019, before a third day was added in 2020. In 2021, there were four stages, and the following year, five.

Practical information Vuelta Femenina 2024

• Sunday, April 28 - Sunday, May 5, 2024
• Participants
• Classification: 2.WWT

In this article:

• Recent winners
• Route, climbs and times
• Favorites for the stage wins

Recent winners of the Vuelta Femenina 

2023: Annemiek van Vleuten
2022: Annemiek van Vleuten
2021: Annemiek van Vleuten
2020: Lisa Brennauer
2019: Lisa Brennauer
2018: Ellen van Dijk
2017: Jolien D'Hoore *
2016: Jolien D'Hoore *
2015: Shelley Olds *

* In these editions it was still a one-day race.

Vuelta Femenina 2024: Route, times and favorites for the stages

Stage 1, Sunday, April 28, 2024: Valencia - Valencia (Team time trial, 16 km)

The first stage of the Vuelta is a perfectly flat team time trial. Around Valencia, teams will cover sixteen kilometers without any significant obstacles. In addition to being flat, this challenge is also not very demanding in terms of corners: halfway through, the riders make a U-turn and head back towards the beautiful center of Valencia. An ideal day for the strong teams and well-oiled machines in the peloton!

Times
First team starts 3:56 PM
Last team finishes approximately 5:15 PM

Favorites
Visma | Lease a Bike
SD Worx-Protime
Lidl-Trek

Stage 2, Monday, April 29, 2024: Bunyol - Moncofa (118.3 km)

Stage two falls into the category of 'Spanish flat.' The riders start in Bunyol at an elevation of almost four hundred meters. A rolling course takes them to the finish line in Moncofa, facing only the Puerto de L'Oronet as a notable climb along the way. This climb is positioned far enough from the finish that the sprinters' teams are unlikely to want to lose the battle there. Thus, we are gearing up for a likely bunch sprint on day two, although some of the faster women might find themselves dropped...

Climbs
79.9 km: Puerto de L'Oronet (5.9 km at 4.0%)

Times
Start: 2:22 PM
Finish: approximately 5:15 PM

Favorites
Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL)
Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco)

Stage 3, Tuesday, April 30, 2024: Lucena - Teruel (130.2 km)

Stage three could go several ways. The route is tougher than the second stage, with more elevation gain. The only official climb of the day is mid-race, but the vertical challenges don’t stop there. The course continues to undulate and roll towards the finish line in Teruel. Here, the sprinters who can handle a climb may battle it out. Alternatively, this could be a good day for breakaway riders, as the stage will be difficult to control. Multiple scenarios are possible!

Climbs
68 km: Alto Fuente de Rubielos (6.0 km at 6.0%)

Times
Start: 1:45 PM
Finish: approximately 5:16 PM

Favorites
Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek)
Emma Henderson (Visma | Lease a Bike)

Stage 4, Wednesday, May 1, 2024: Molina de Aragón - Zaragoza (142.3 km)

A stage that is almost entirely downhill is not something we often see! Yet, in the fourth stage, the riders descend nearly a thousand meters, with a few small bumps along the way. With no serious climbs to contend with, this stage is an ideal opportunity for the fast riders in the peloton. There's a good chance we'll see another battle between Marianne Vos and Charlotte Kool!

Times
Start: 1:57 PM
Finish: approximately 5:15 PM

Favorites
Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL)
Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco)

Stage 5, Thursday, May 2, 2024: Huesca - Jaca (113.9 km)

And here it is, the first mountain-top finish! We've had to wait four days for it in the women's race, but it immediately presents a significant mountain stage. The route includes two second-category climbs. Particularly, the final climb will make a difference. The ascent to Alto del Fuerte in Jaca is not long, but it is steep and will definitely create a divide in the GC. A first real opportunity for Demi Vollering? It certainly looks like it!

Climbs
After 86 km: Alto del Monasterio de San Juan de la Pena (18.4 km at 3.0%)
After 113 km: Alto del Fuerte (3.0 km at 8.0%)

Times
Start: 2:16 PM
Finish: approximately 5:15 PM

Favorites
Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime)
Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM Racing)
Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek)

Stage 6, Friday, May 3, 2024: Tarazona - La Laguna Negra (132.1 km)

The day after the first uphill finish, there's another one right away. This one is much longer, though slightly less steep. We expect to see the same women leading the pack, as an average gradient of 6.7 percent can definitely create gaps.

Climbs
132.1 km: La Laguna Negra (6.5 km at 6.7%)

Times
Start: 1:41 PM
Finish: approximately 5:15 PM

Favorites
Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime)
Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM Racing)
Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek)

Stage 7, Saturday, May 4, 2024: San Esteban de Gormaz - Sigüenza (138.6 km)

One last chance for the fast women, though we may be thinking more of the punchers here. After a hilly day, the last few hundred meters run dirty. Timing is important to be able to compete for the day's victory here!

Times
Start: 12:57 p.m.
Finish: approximately 4:15 p.m.

Favorites
Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime)
Marianne Vos (Visma | Lease a Bike)
Liane Lippert (Movistar)

Stage 8, Sunday, May 5, 2024: Distrito Telefónica - Valdesquí (89.0 km)

We wrap up the women's Vuelta with an ultra-short 89-kilometer stage, but it includes two significant climbs. The general classification could be completely overturned here. And who will take the stage win? Someone who has already lost some time? Or perhaps the most dominant rider in the pack?

Climbs
33.2 km: Puerto de la Morcuera (9.1 km at 6.8%)
89.0 km: Valdesquí (12.8 km at 4.8%)

Times
Start: 11:01 AM
Finish: approximately 1:30 PM

Favorites
Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime)
Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM Racing)
Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek)

Favorites for the General Classification of the Vuelta Femenina 2024

In contrast to the men’s races, the dynamics in women's grand tours often point more clearly towards certain contenders. The gap in performance levels is still too significant to come up with a list of ten names that can win the Vuelta. However, let's attempt to identify some. The top favorite: Demi Vollering! Despite a spring season without victories, she consistently showed she has the strength to compete for the win. With the climbs becoming longer and tougher, Vollering is expected to excel even more. She also benefits from the strong support of her team at SD Worx-Protime.

This holds true for Elisa Longo Borghini at Lidl-Trek, who was Vollering’s nemesis this spring. The Italian champion was stronger than Vollering at events like the Brabantse Pijl, and also demonstrated in races like Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège that she can match the Dutch rider on such terrains. How will she fare on longer climbs and as the tough days stack up?

Kasia Niewiadoma

Kasia Niewiadoma might be a key rival for Vollering. The Polish rider from Canyon/SRAM clinched her first victory since 2019 at the Flèche Wallonne, which must have given her a huge confidence boost heading into the grand tour season. Niewiadoma is undoubtedly one of the best climbers in the peloton. Can she compete with Vollering and Longo Borghini in the team time trial, in terms of the team?

Behind these three top names, there is a solid group of outsiders and long shots. Women who haven't yet proven they can win, but who may have the potential. Consider the young Ricarda Bauernfeind, a teammate of Niewiadoma and last year's stage winner at the Tour de France Femmes. Juliette Labous is steadily progressing at dsm-Firmenich PostNL, having achieved a second place in the 2023 Giro, for example. The French rider is definitely one to watch. Also noted are the always dangerous veteran Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance - Soudal Team) and the American climber Kristen Faulkner (EF).

Favorites for the General Classification of the Vuelta Femenina 2024, according to IDLProCycling.com

Top favorite: Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime)
Outsiders: Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon/SRAM)
Long Shots: Juliette Labous (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL), Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance - Soudal Team), Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Cannondale) and Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon/SRAM)

2024 Vuelta Femenina TV Coverage

The Women's Tour of Spain will be broadcast live daily on Eurosport! Note that the last two days will finish earlier.