"All teams were ready in case something happened" - GC riders test legs but Marianne Vos emerges victorious in tricky Vuelta Femenina stage

Marianne Vos has done two days ago what only one rider in the history of women's cycling had achieved which was to wear the leader's jersey in all three Grand Tours. Despite being at the top for over a decade she remains at the top, winning for a second consecutive time this afternoon in the Vuelta Femenina.

“I think all teams were ready in case something happened. Including the climbs, all teams wanted to be at the front, including the [overall] classification riders," Vos said in a post-race interview. As Jumbo-Visma won the team time-trial and Vos won stage 3, she had taken up the lead of the race and extended it over her rivals. Battling for the red jersey may not be on her goals, but she was up for the fight for another win today.

“The first leading group got quite a big gap. Our team has taken control, the girls have done a very good job to get back at the escapees. After that it was important to stay in front and control the group. I want to thank my team for that. They did very well, they were with me in the final," she said, with the peloton bringing everyone back in time for the final ascent where attacks were expected.

As Annemiek van Vleuten, Liane Lippert and Demi Vollering attacked the final kilometers a sprint was all but assured. “When those two go, you know it's serious. But there was a lot of wind, so that probably wasn't entirely to their advantage. With Amber Kraak and Riejanne Markus I also had two teammates with me, so I had the feeling that we could get them back," she explains. 

"But of course you keep an eye on it. Reusser's attack in the final was also very strong.” However none were strong enough to leave the peloton to fight for minor places, a sprint took place between the survivors on the climb and Vos took a confident win, outsprinting Emma Norsgaard.

She sets off for a difficult stage 5 in the lead, with Chloe Dygert in second place 25 seconds back.