Results La Vuelta Femenina 2026 Stage 5 - Accident or plan perfected? Mischa Bredewold turns leadout for Lotte Kopecky into surprise victory as SD Worx dominate

Mischa Bredewold completed a dominant day for SD Worx - Protime at La Vuelta Femenina 2026 by accidentally turning her leadout for Lotte Kopecky into a stage-winning sprint of her own, surging past her team leader in the final metres as the pair delivered a one-two finish in Astorga.

After spending the entire afternoon controlling Stage 5 for Kopecky and the expected uphill sprint finale, SD Worx appeared perfectly positioned for another victory when Bredewold launched the red jersey holder inside the final kilometre. Instead, Kopecky slightly stalled in the closing metres while Bredewold’s acceleration carried her all the way to the line, sealing the Dutch rider’s victory and capping a near-perfect day for the race-leading team ahead of the decisive mountain stages later this week.

The stage began with the now familiar wave of attacks before a five-rider move eventually established itself clear of the bunch. Sara Martin, Marina Garau, Idoia Eraso, Alice Coutinho and Aniek van Alphen were allowed some freedom by the peloton, but unlike the dangerous escape on Stage 4, the move never truly looked capable of deciding the outcome of the stage.

SD Worx assumed control behind the breakaway early and carefully managed the advantage throughout the afternoon, repeatedly keeping the gap within reach without needing to fully commit to a frantic chase before the mountains.

The breakaway steadily lost momentum approaching the Alto de la Garandilla. Garau was first dropped, while Coutinho later distanced herself after securing enough mountain points to move into the virtual lead of the mountains classification. By the time the race entered the final 15 kilometres, the remaining attackers were rapidly running out of road as the peloton gradually tightened its grip on the stage.

The regrouping was completed inside the final eight kilometres as the race immediately shifted into a tense positioning battle ahead of the uphill sprint into Astorga.

SD Worx remained firmly in control through much of the finale, although teams including Liv AlUla Jayco, FDJ United-SUEZ, Human Powered Health and Movistar all pushed forward as tension rapidly increased near the front of the peloton. The arrival of rain during the closing kilometres only added to the nervousness.

That pressure eventually spilled over shortly before the finale when a crash in the peloton brought down multiple riders after earlier incidents had already disrupted the sprint preparation of both Marthe Goossens and Letizia Paternoster. Paternoster still managed to return to contention despite her earlier fall and remained prominently placed near the front entering the final kilometres.

The final kilometre initially unfolded exactly as SD Worx had planned. Bredewold delivered Kopecky into the uphill drag to the line in perfect position while the Belgian comfortably held the wheel approaching the sprint launch. But when Bredewold accelerated, the move proved so strong that she simply rode away from the rest of the field herself.

Kopecky briefly looked capable of following for a second consecutive stage victory before fading slightly in the final metres, allowing her teammate to continue through for the win instead as SD Worx completed a dominant one-two finish.

More importantly for the team, Kopecky also safely retained the red jersey before the race heads into the brutal mountain stages expected to decide the overall classification over the coming days.