"We will take this jersey and defend" - Gaia Realini into early race lead at La Vuelta Femenina after team time-trial
Cycling
Despite a dramatic late crash on the final corner of the team time-trial as La Vuelta Femenina 2024 opened, Lidl-Trek managed to take a narrow stage win by just point two of a second from Team Visma | Lease a Bike.
Crossing the line first for Lidl-Trek and as such into the Red Jersey, Gaia Realini. "I’m really happy about the result for me and the team, but I’m not happy because in the last corner two of my teammates crashed," the diminutive Italian reflected in her post-stage interview. "But we will focus for the next stage. For sure we will take this jersey and defend for the next stage."
With such a narrow margin separating the top teams following the team time-trial, Gaia Realini will have a fight to hold onto the Red Jersey in the coming days from the likes of Riejanne Markus, Demi Vollering and more.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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The first red jersey of the race and it's Gaia Realini! She took a stage win in last year's race, outsprinting Van Vleuten on the infamous Peegate stage #LaVueltaFemenina
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