PREVIEW | La Vuelta Femenina 2024 - Demi Vollering and Elisa Longo Borghini headline 8-day GC battle

From April 28th to May 5th, the women's peloton gears up for its first Grand Tour of the season, La Vuelta Femenina. Spanning eight stages, this race offers opportunities for various rider types and promises to be a highlight of the season. Let's preview this upcoming race.

The race starts off in Valencia. A 16-kilometer team time-trial in the coastal city will set early differences in the race and benefit the teams who have put in a strong focus on their collective.

Stage 2 of the Spanish race presents an opportunity for the sprinters. Between Bunyol and Moncofa, the women's peloton find a 119-kilometer day of racing. This will feature a slight ascent in it's second half, but it should not be enough to prevent a first bunch sprint.

A hilly day on the bike will set the tone for the third day of racing in Spain. 130 kilometers with a start in Llucena, which features some climbing early on. A day where breakaways are certainly dangerous. It doesn't feature any major climbing but lots of rolling roads all throughout. The finale in Teruel will be flat however and could lead to another sprint.

A transition stage. The 142 kilometers from Molina de Aragon to Zaragoza are almost completely straightforward within the Spanish plains, a day where the wind and the heat may play a big role. If not, a bunch sprint is inevitable. Speeds are also expected to be quite high, as the riders end the day 900 meters below the start and don't face any climb that is noteworthy.

The race enters it's tough phase. Stage 5 into Jaca is a day that overall is not too hard, but will see differences towards the end. The hilltop finish is 3.2 kilometers at 8.2% and will present the first big opportunity to create differences. 

The sixth day of racing starts uphill, although the climbing in not categorized. In Burgos, the peloton will then have a completely flat transition into the final ascent of the day. At La Laguna Negra de Vinuesa the overall classification will see another battle, with a summit finish on the climb that is 6.5 kilometers long at 6.7%.

Stage 7 is a day that follow a generally flat trend, with a few hilltops in the way. A day that should end in a sprint, but organizers have added an explosive uphill ramp towards the finish line. In Siguenza, the last 700 meters will rise at 7% and open up the doors for dangerous differences and bonus seconds.

The final and queen stage of the race! Organizers decided to make it an extra small stage which removes difficulties, but nevertheless the riders will make the spectacle in the day's second half.

The riders find two ascents on the day. The first is the Puerto de Morcuera. 13.2 kilometers at 6.3%; and then right before the finale in Valdesqui the climb to the Puerto de Cotos which is 10 kilometers long at 5.8%. The race will ultimately be decided here.

*** Demi Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini
** Gaia Realini, Katarzyna Niewiadoma, Grace Brown
* Marlen Reusser, Amanda Spratt, Ricarda Bauernfeind, Marianne Vos, Evita Muzic, Sarah Gigante, Juliette Labous

Pick: Demi Vollering