"We were on cloud nine, before hitting rock bottom": Cedrine Kerbaol dedicates Vuelta stage win to battered Noemi Rüegg
Cycling
The third stage of La Vuelta Femenina 2026 seemed destined to be decided in a reduced finish among versatile sprinters - and Lotte Kopecky was a clear favourite for such a scenario. However EF Education-Oatly's Cédrine Kerbaol had other plans. The Frenchwoman upset everyone by landing a late attack with two kilometers to go.
For the 2024 Tour de France stage winner, it was a bittersweet afternoon. While she's secured one of the biggest triumphs of her career, the American leader lost its leader Noemi Rüegg in previous stage.
"It's crazy. Yesterday, we were riding so well as a team, probably our best race so far, with Noemi Rüegg in the red jersey… and then she crashed and had to abandon. We were on cloud nine, before hitting rock bottom. Now we're climbing back up, so it's been a real emotional rollercoaster," Kerbaol said at the finish.
Filled with strong emotions, the teammates of Rüegg entered stage three with a clear objective; to get a revenge... perhaps against the Spanish roads themselves. And so, they left no stone unturned in search of victory on the way to A Coruña.
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How did everything go down today?
The stage was defined by nerves and the absence of a team willing to impose full control on the bunch in the final kilometres. Exploiting that tactical anarchy, EF Education moved its pieces with intelligence and nerve.
First, Alice Towers stirred the pot with an earlier move, forcing the favourites’ teams to burn matches in a disjointed chase. At that precise moment, Kerbaol launched a powerful attack with just 2 kilometres to go, holding on in front of a launching peloton.
"We thought about Noemi a lot today. My team rode its best race ever. Kristen [Faulkner] and Alice [Towers] attacked in the final kilometers, and then I countered to go for the win. I was waiting for the right moment to try my luck. We already have three days of racing in our legs, and we're all starting to get a bit tired. Anything could have happened in the finale, and I seized my opportunity. In any case, this victory is for the team."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Great win.However will the world champions jersey be simply a domestic for the season which will some what tarnish the jersey. I hope he is given free rein to try and win some races.paultryan200206-11-2026
- Gretsky wow how old are you lol. Classy sportman though.🤣🤣🤣🤣 Hope it is a good as the one they made on Mark Cavendish.paultryan200206-11-2026
- Literally the perfect RedBull athlete.anonymouscyclist06-11-2026
- And well understood in the CX community.anonymouscyclist06-11-2026
- "Anatomy of a G.O.A.T." OK, that's great!!! I've been saying all along: Tadej Pogačar-Pogi is the G.O.A.T... period. Not only in cycling... but he's the greatest sportsman that ever lived !!! But let's take a look of what real foolishness is. We have many many fools, also on this site, saying that Pogi is "boring,"... he's making cycling "boring"??? I can't believe what's comming out of their deteriorating bad breath mouths. So I guess Merckx, Hinault, Indurain, Fasto Coppi and Anquetil were also boring at their time!?!? I guess Michael Jordan, Le Bron, Gretzky, Messi, Ronaldo, Shumacher, Novak Džoković, Federer, Rossi, Marquez, Phelps, Michaela Shiffrin, Venus Williams, Bolt, Lewis Hamilton... etc. were all boring. PS: Many cycling fans that think that way, have to get a brain scan. Ad acta!!!PogiSloFans06-11-2026
- ridiculous. a normal racing incident. how lame do you have to be to complain about that?Ketterechts06-11-2026
- Rubbing is racing.
santiagobenites06-11-2026 - Throws an elbow, but crashes afterwards and he's upset.
Front24206-11-2026 - There should be nothing but praise for them: 1. Trying to make things safer, and 2. Trying something "new".acem8206-11-2026
- And a bit of a malcontent on top of it all that doesn’t help.mij06-11-2026
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