La Vuelta Femenina returns in 2025 as a key fixture of the Women’s WorldTour, held each May across varied Spanish terrain and organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Though officially rebranded in 2023, the race’s origins stretch back a full decade. What began in 2015 as a one-day circuit race through Madrid was modelled on La Course by Le Tour de France. That first edition, slotted into the final day of the men’s Vuelta a España, was categorised as a 1.1 event and shared the same finishing circuits through the Spanish capital. From 2015 to 2017, the format remained a flat city-centre criterium, run as the Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta. In those years, riders like Shelley Olds, Jolien D’Hoore and Ellen van Dijk topped the podium. Notably, prize money matched that of a men’s Vuelta stage, a rare gesture of parity at the time.
The race began to evolve in 2018 with the addition of a time trial held in Boadilla del Monte, and then again in 2019 with a weekend format. The real transformation came in 2020 under the new name Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta, when a third stage was introduced in Toledo. By 2021, the race had grown to four stages based entirely in Galicia and running in tandem with the final week of the men’s event. The following year, it expanded again to five stages, linking Cantabria to Madrid.
Photo Credit: GettyIn 2023, the race underwent a full rebranding to La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour, with a fresh identity and a dedicated slot on the calendar. That year also marked Annemiek van Vleuten’s third consecutive overall win, capping her career at the top. The 2024 edition saw Demi Vollering step into that role, winning two stages and the general classification. She was joined on the final podium by Riejanne Markus and Elisa Longo Borghini. Other stage winners included Alison Jackson, Kristen Faulkner, Evita Muzic and Marianne Vos, who claimed two victories of her own.
Previous Winners
2024
Demi Vollering
2023
Annemiek van Vleuten
2022
Annemiek van Vleuten
2025 La Vuelta Femenina Stage Profiles
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5
Stage 6
Stage 7
Live TV Coverage
Sunday 4th May to Saturday 10th May 2025
Live on Discovery Plus/Max/TNT Sports across most of Europe
SBS in Australia and RTVE in Spain have free coverage, but a VPN is needed for both
Stage 1: 11:30-13:30
Stage 2: 14:35-16:35
Stage 3: 14:35-16:30
Stage 4: 14:35-16:35
Stage 5: 14:30-16:30
Stage 6: 11:50-13:50
Stage 7: 11:45-14:00
All times in BST
Twitter: #LaVueltaFemenina
Startlist: FirstCycling
La Vuelta Femenina 2025 Contenders
Demi Vollering is the woman to beat. The defending champion arrives in top form after another good spring, and La Vuelta Femenina is a race that already suits her well. In addition to last year’s overall victory, she was 2nd in 2023 and 3rd in 2022, with four stage wins across those editions. It’s a record few can match. FDJ-Suez is clearly built around her, but the team isn’t lacking in depth. Evita Muzic, who famously beat Vollering to win Stage 6 last year, returns after back-to-back top-6 GC finishes – 5th last year and 6th in 2023. She’s both a climbing asset and a viable card to play if anything happens to Vollering. Juliette Labous, ever consistent, adds further security. She was 4th overall in 2024, 7th in 2023, and 9th in 2022, and should again be among the strongest climbers in the second tier of GC riders. In the flatter stages, Ally Wollaston will take on sprint duties, and with a depleted list of top finishers in the bunch kicks, she’s a real threat for stage honours.
At Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, the spotlight shifts to Neve Bradbury, who will lead the team’s GC ambitions. The Australian climber didn’t take part in the Ardennes this year, but that may leave her fresher for this week’s Spanish hills. She also didn’t start last year’s Vuelta, but her form in 2025 suggests she’s ready to make a serious GC push. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney has already announced she will be key in support for Bradbury rather than her own racing. She brings pedigree with three top-10 GC finishes here already – 6th in 2021, and 10th in both 2022 and 2023 – and is always a presence in the mountain stages. Chloe Dygert will target sprint or reduced group finishes, returning to the scene of her thrilling battles with Marianne Vos in 2023. She was 3rd in two stages then, before she withdrew on Stage 6. With fewer top-tier sprinters in the race this year, Dygert could walk away with at least one win.
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio returns to La Vuelta Femenina with unfinished business. Back in 2021, she finished 14th overall, and while that result doesn’t fully reflect her capabilities, given it was supporting a team leader, it does underline her consistency across tough terrain. At 39, she’s still one of the most experienced climbers in the peloton, and her 11th at Amstel Gold Race shows she’s timing her form well for this stage race. With no time trial and plenty of uphill finishes, this parcours is made for a rider of her profile. Justine Ghekiere, who didn’t finish last year, will take on a climbing support role but also has the legs to shine on summit finishes. She’s had a solid spring campaign and is well-suited to mountainous back-to-back stages. Urška Žigart was expected to start but illness forced her out just before the race began, leaving AG Insurance-Soudal one climbing option lighter.
There’s plenty of GC firepower at Fenix-Deceuninck, with Yara Kastelijn and Pauliena Rooijakkers both returning after strong rides in 2024. Kastelijn was one of the breakout performers of last year’s race, finishing 8th overall and taking 2nd and 3rd place on the mountain stages. She excels when the racing gets attritional and rewards endurance. Rooijakkers, meanwhile, has a quietly consistent record at this race, finishing 10th in 2021 and improving to 9th last year. That run of form proved to be the foundation for her eventual podium at the Tour de France Femmes. They’re unlikely to wait passively, whether they alternate attacks or protect one clear leader, expect them to be active on every mountain day.
With Thalita de Jong, Human Powered Health has a rider who’s both experienced and returning from a tough setback. She fractured her collarbone earlier in the spring and makes her return to racing here at La Vuelta Femenina. That puts a question mark over her form, but she was 16th in GC last year and has a consistent record of grinding through these long stage races, even if she hasn’t cracked the top-10 on any individual stage across three editions. If she’s back to full strength, expect another steady week. The more eye-catching name, though, is Mona Mitterwallner. This will be the Austrian’s first appearance at La Vuelta Femenina, having spent most of her career in MTB. Her road transition has already seen success, most notably 2nd place at GP de Chambéry, and she has the raw climbing talent to be a surprise package if the race hits altitude and the tempo ramps up.
Rather than leaning too hard on one leader, Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi arrives with a mix of form and options. Usoa Ostolaza comes into the race having stepped up a level this spring, taking a stage win at the Vuelta El Salvador and finally showing the climbing consistency to be more than just a breakaway threat. Her previous finishes, DNF in 2023 and 79th in 2022, will be left behind if she carries that form into the longer climbs here. Ane Santesteban has already proven herself at this level, with 6th in GC back in 2022. After sitting out last year’s edition, she’ll be looking to reassert herself as a top-10 contender, or support Ostolaza if the race demands it. On flatter days, the team will turn to Laura Tomasi, winner of the Grand Prix El Salvador, and Arianna Fidanza, who’s already delivered podiums and consistent top-10s in Spain this season. Both have the speed to contest finishes if the bunch holds together.
A quietly versatile trio lines up for EF Education Oatly at the 2025 La Vuelta Femenina, with each rider bringing a distinct threat across the week. Kristen Faulkner knows how to win here, having taken a stage and finished 12th overall in 2024, though she’s had a low-key spring by her standards – 22nd at Brabantse Pijl her best result. As ever, she’s a danger when allowed to ride off rhythm and go long. Cédrine Kerbaol arrives in stronger recent form, finishing 4th at Liège–Bastogne–Liège in what was her best performance since January. Although she’s never raced the Vuelta before, her climbing and aggression on rolling stages could see her force a GC impact. Letizia Borghesi, 2nd at Paris–Roubaix Femmes, brings sprint options for the team, but only on the hard days. When the pace is high and the peloton thins out, she’s got the power and positioning to race for a result.
Lidl-Trek brings one of the deepest and most versatile squads to the 2025 Vuelta Femenina. Niamh Fisher-Black finally gets her shot at GC leadership here after years of playing a support role, including last season’s 7th overall while backing Vollering. This time, she’ll be the one protected in the mountains, and her consistent climbing across the Ardennes this spring suggests she’s ready for it. Riejanne Markus, runner-up last year and 4th the season before, has struggled to hit the same heights so far in 2025, but if she finds her legs mid-race, her TT ability and race savvy can still be a major asset. Anna Henderson, who wore the leader’s jersey in 2023 after the team time trial win, returns after crashing out last year. If healthy, she brings explosive power on undulating terrain and will be vital in the TTT once again. Ellen van Dijk, a former GC winner here back in 2018, adds massive firepower to the team’s opening stage ambitions. She just won the GC and ITT stage at Vuelta Extremadura and remains a cornerstone in this discipline. Shirin van Anrooij has had a quieter spring but her experience in helping win the TTT in 2022 and 26th in GC that year shows she’s reliable over a week-long race. Expect Emma Norsgaard to target the inevitable breakaway stage, she was 2nd behind Vos on Stage 4 in 2023 and remains one of the fastest finishers in this peloton. This all adds up to one of the most dangerous line-ups for the team time trial and a genuine GC contender in Fisher-Black.
While Liv AlUla Jayco has never managed to convert Mavi Garcia’s potential into a standout Vuelta GC result, the veteran Spaniard returns once more with the hope of finally cracking the top 5. She’s been frustratingly consistent, 20th in 2024, 9th in 2023, 13th in 2022, and 21st in 2021, but has lacked the one big stage result to launch her GC. This year, her build-up includes 5th at Strade Bianche and 2nd at Trofeo Palma Femina, and she’ll aim to capitalise on summit finishes. The more upward curve belongs to Monica Trinca Colonel, who has made serious strides in her first WWT season. She was 26th overall last year despite being on a team that lost time early in the TTT. With 8th at Liège-Bastogne-Liège recently, she may climb into the top 15 or better if given freedom. Letizia Paternoster will be their key sprint option. She was 2nd on a stage here back in 2019 and hasn’t raced the Vuelta since 2020, but her 5th at Trofeo Alfredo Binda this year before crashing shows she’s still dangerous if she can survive the bumps.
For Movistar, all eyes will be on Marlen Reusser, who steps into a full leadership role again at a race where she was 2nd overall in 2021 and claimed a stage win. Last year, she supported Vollering en route to 13th in GC, but this time she has the chance to dictate her own race. Her recent 6th at Liège-Bastogne-Liège is a reassuring sign. The TTT on Stage 1 should also play into Movistar’s strengths, with Reusser’s power a major asset. Liane Lippert may not be a GC prospect at the race this year, but remains a danger for punchy stage wins. She’s been flying lately with a 5th at Flèche Wallonne and 3rd at the Tour of Flanders. Cat Ferguson, still developing, may get her shot in the sprints if she can survive the punchier stages, giving the Spanish team a card to play on flatter terrain.
There’s a real sense of progression at Team Picnic PostNL, where Nienke Vinke takes on GC leadership duties for the first time. She was 34th overall last season but has taken a big leap in 2025 with 8th on the summit finish of Jebel Hafeet and 8th again at Flèche Wallonne. This is a major chance to test herself across an eight-day stage race against the world’s best. Pfeiffer Georgi, making her debut here, will be a key part of their TTT effort and a likely breakaway stage hunter once the road opens up. Megan Jastrab, often in the shadow of Kool, finally gets a free role to sprint. She was 4th on Stage 5 back in the 2022 edition and will be looking to repeat that kind of form. With a team capable of performing across all terrains, Picnic PostNL could cause a few surprises this week.
SD Worx arrive without the clear GC firepower of recent years, and the focus may instead shift to stage wins and opportunistic racing. Anna van der Breggen, back after illness, rode to 11th at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, showing signs that her form is returning. Her only previous GC finish here was 58th in 2021, but we’ve seen her return to the front on climbs already and so she could still feature near the front. Mischa Bredewold, fresh off a career-best victory at the Amstel Gold Race. She has the engine to attack late or win from a selective sprint, and this route gives her plenty of chances to take a stage win. Femke Gerritse has also been sharp in 2025, already winning at Omloop van het Hageland and Volta NXT Classic. With Lorena Wiebes and Lotte Kopecky not starting, Gerritse could take on some sprint duties too.
After two standout editions, Marianne Vos returns to the Vuelta Femenina aiming to extend her tally of four stage wins from the past two years. With four sprint stages expected, it’s another prime opportunity for her to sweep up victories and reclaim the points jersey she’s won twice already. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot will aim for the GC. She’s been brilliant on the cobbles this year, winning Paris-Roubaix Femmes, and although things didn’t click at the UAE Tour earlier in the season, she’s looked steadier through the Ardennes block. Support comes from Marion Bunel, who has developed into a reliable climber and should enjoy the longer ascents here. After placing around 20th in each of the spring classics, a similar result in the overall GC or even a strong ride on a summit finish could be on the cards.
UAE Team ADQ won’t arrive with an obvious GC contender, but they do bring depth and stage-hunting ambition. Erica Magnaldi could surprise if the climbing stages go her way. She’s previously finished 15th, 8th and 16th overall and won GP de Chambéry earlier this spring. A spot in the top-10 GC would be a strong return. In the sprints, Lara Gillespie is one to watch. She’s had a very active spring campaign, often in the mix but still chasing her first big win. If she can time her effort right, she could take a stage in this field. There’s climbing depth here too, with Alena Ivanchenko already a top-10 finisher on a Vuelta summit finish and Maeva Squiban recently 6th overall at the Vuelta Extremadura. Either could be given freedom to test themselves, depending on how the GC shakes out.
Top 3 Prediction
⦿ Demi Vollering
⦿ Neve Bradbury
⦿ Anna van der Breggen
