Stage 5 of La Vuelta España Femenina ended as expected with a bunch sprint, where Mischa Bredewold (Team SD Worx-Protime) claimed victory ahead of teammate and race leader Lotte Kopecky, who successfully retained the red jersey.
For UAE Team ADQ, it was another solid day of racing, highlighted by a strong sixth-place finish from American rider Megan Jastrab.
The 119.6-kilometre stage from León to Astorga followed a familiar script, with an early breakaway controlling much of the race before being reeled in during the finale as the sprint teams took control of the peloton.
UAE Team ADQ once again delivered an excellent collective performance throughout the day. The team first focused on protecting its GC leaders and safely navigating the peloton through several crashes that disrupted the stage. In the closing kilometres, Paula Blasi and Karlijn Swinkels executed a well-timed lead-out, positioning Megan Jastrab perfectly for the final uphill sprint.
Jastrab responded with a strong finish to secure sixth place, adding another top result for UAE Team ADQ in this year’s edition of the race.
Attention now turns to Stage 6, the first true mountain test of La Vuelta España Femenina. The riders will tackle 106.5 kilometres from Gijón to the summit finish at Les Praeres, where the general classification battle is expected to come alive.
(ph. @facepeeters)
