Vuelta a Burgos Feminas - Lorena Wiebes beats Elisa Balsamo and Lotte Kopecky on thrilling uphill sprint

Lorena Wiebes is on terrific form and has won stage 1 of the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas. It was a difficult uphill finish where Elisa Balsamo put on a massive challenge, however Team SD Worx - ProTime came out on top with Lotte Kopecky also gaining time on the competition.

The first day of the Spanish race features a few small climbs and was well suited to the puncheurs. Morgane Coston and Idoia Eraso formed the day's breakaway, but were caught still early on, with some splits happening in the peloton in the wind.

A few attacks followed, with Celya Gery and Steffi Haberlin forming a new front group which right until the base of the final 1.6-kilometer long climb. Whilst not very steep, it would limit the riders able to fight for the stage win. There was no fight for leading out, instead Lotte Kopecky positioned herself in the front of the peloton before the sprint.

However the lack of a true uphill gradient meant some sprinters could go into the finishing straight relatively fresh, and Lorena Wiebes picked her timing perfectly to take a difficult win ahead of Elisa Balsamo. Kopecky resisted for third place, gaining time on her GC rivals.