Liv AlUla Jayco will head into La Vuelta Femenina with Monica Trinca Colonel leading their general classification ambitions, as the Italian returns to the Spanish Grand Tour after finishing 7th overall in 2025.
The Australian squad has named a balanced seven-rider line-up built around climbing support, sprint options and experienced road leadership. The race begins in Galicia on Sunday 3rd May before moving across northern Spain towards Asturias, with the final weekend expected to decide the overall standings through back-to-back summit finishes, including the Alto de l’Angliru on the final day.
Trinca Colonel leads after UAE Tour podium
Trinca Colonel gives Liv AlUla Jayco a clear GC focus after a strong start to 2026. Her 2nd place overall at the UAE Tour in February was the first Women’s WorldTour general classification podium of her career and underlined the progress she has made as a stage race rider.
That result also changes the context of her Vuelta return. Last year’s 7th place proved she could survive and compete across a week-long Grand Tour. This time, she arrives with a bigger reference point behind her and a team built around helping her stay in contention until the final mountain stages.
The route should suit a rider capable of handling repeated attritional days. With two flat stages, three hilly stages and two mountain stages, the race is unlikely to be controlled by one single type of rider. The GC battle may not fully open until the final weekend, but positioning, weather and fatigue through the north of Spain could make the earlier stages just as important.
Photo Credit: Sprint Cycling AgencyWyllie adds mountain depth before Angliru finale
Ella Wyllie will provide important climbing support for Trinca Colonel, with the New Zealand time trial champion expected to play a key role once the road rises. At 23, Wyllie gives the team another rider with the engine and climbing profile to stay present deep into selective stages.
The final stage on the Alto de l’Angliru is also a personal target for her as one of the most recognisable climbs in Spanish cycling.
“This edition of La Vuelta will be an exciting tour with many attritional finals and several stages that will allow opportunities for different types of riders, which is great for a team like us,” Wyllie said.
“I’m personally looking forward to taking on the L’Angliru on the last day! To race this iconic climb will be epic, I’ve heard it’s been called the ‘Monster of Asturias’. For a climber like me, it’s an exciting opportunity and there will be no hiding there.”
That final line captures the nature of the route. The Angliru is unlikely to leave much room for bluffing, and Liv AlUla Jayco’s ability to keep Trinca Colonel protected and well placed before the steepest sections could be central to their final GC outcome.
Paternoster returns after red jersey memories
Letizia Paternoster also returns to La Vuelta Femenina, one year after wearing the red jersey in 2025. She moved into the race lead after sprinting to 2nd on the stage following a strong opening team time trial, giving Liv AlUla Jayco one of their standout moments of last year’s race.
This time, Paternoster comes in after a solid spring campaign, capped by 4th place at Amstel Gold Race. That performance showed her ability to remain competitive beyond pure sprint finishes and could make her a useful option on stages where the race is too hard for the fastest sprinters but not selective enough for the main climbers.
Her presence also gives the team more tactical flexibility. While the overall goal is to support Trinca Colonel, Paternoster provides a stage option if the race comes back together or if a reduced group contests one of the flatter or hilly finishes.
Roseman-Gannon and Talbot strengthen all-round support
Ruby Roseman-Gannon and Josie Talbot give the team two all-rounders with WorldTour stage-winning experience and the ability to work across different terrain. Their value may be especially important in the first half of the race, where controlling position, managing wind exposure and staying out of trouble can be just as important as climbing strength.
Roseman-Gannon brings punch and resilience, while Talbot adds another strong support option for the varied terrain across Galicia and northern Spain. With the race expected to include hard-to-control stages and potentially unpredictable May weather, those qualities will be needed before the decisive mountain days arrive.
Noä Jansen will make her Grand Tour debut after graduating from the Liv AlUla Jayco development squad. It is a significant step for the Dutch rider, who will get her first experience of a seven-day race at this level. She will be joined by compatriot Jeanne Korevaar, who takes on the road captain role and brings vital experience to a squad with several different stage objectives.
Allen: ‘The ultimate goal is to support Monica’
Sport director Jess Allen made clear that the team’s central target is to give Trinca Colonel the best possible chance of a high overall finish.
“We have some really fun memories from last year, with Letizia in the red jersey for one stage, and it’s great to have her back here this year,” Allen said. “This time, the ultimate goal is to support Monica for the best general classification result possible with the support of six really strong riders.”
Allen also pointed to the shape of the race as one that could become difficult to manage, particularly because of long stages, varied terrain and the possibility of unsettled weather in northern Spain.
“We have seven tough days of racing, starting in Galicia and finishing Asturias, with two mountaintop finishes for stage six and seven which will be the important dates for the general classification,” she said. “The stages look to be quite hard to control, very long and we know the weather in the north of Spain can be very unpredictable in May.
“With the team we have we can control all variables for this tour and we have riders who really back, support and believe in each other. That will be our goal each day, to go and support each other with the daily goals and the overall goals for the tour.”
Liv AlUla Jayco line-up for La Vuelta Femenina
- Noä JansenJeanne KorevaarLetizia PaternosterRuby Roseman-GannonJosie TalbotMonica Trinca ColonelElla Wyllie
