Lorena Wiebes made it two wins from two at the 2026 Vuelta a Burgos Feminas, sprinting to another clear victory on stage 2 after SD Worx-Protime again controlled the decisive phase of the race. The Dutch sprinter proved quickest in the final dash to Bodegas Viña Pedrosa, beating Elisa Balsamo and Ally Wollaston after a 122-kilometre stage from Castrojeriz that gave the attackers room to shape the day but still ended with the expected sprint.
Wiebes crossed the line in 3:05:29 and strengthened her hold on the leader’s jersey. Chiara Consonni remains second overall at 14 seconds, with Balsamo moving up to third on the same time. Wollaston is fourth at 16 seconds, while Dominika Włodarczyk sits fifth at 17 seconds after another active day.
The stage had no categorised climbs, but it was never static. A young breakaway shaped much of the race, the sprint teams had to work to bring it back, and late attacks forced SD Worx-Protime to stay alert before Wiebes finished the job in the final 200 metres.
Early attacks shape a lively opening
The second stage began with 113 riders at the start after Petra Stiasny of Human Powered Health did not take the start. The race rolled out from Castrojeriz at 12:38, and the early kilometres quickly brought attempts to form a breakaway.
Magdeleine Lind of Human Powered Health was among the first to go clear, opening a small gap after around 9 kilometres. Soon after, Fariba Hashimi and Laurentiis Pavesi also moved off the front, briefly creating a small group ahead of the peloton.
The bunch brought the race back together, but the attacking did not stop. Clara Emond of St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93 tried her luck at kilometre 22, gaining a small advantage before being caught. The move that eventually stuck came after 31 kilometres, when De Laurentiis, Pavesi and Stine Marie Snortheim went clear.
That trio quickly established itself as the break of the day. By the 37-kilometre mark, the gap had stretched beyond 2 minutes, with the average speed for the opening hour sitting at 38km/h. It was not an enormous advantage, but it forced the peloton into a proper chase rather than allowing the race to drift towards the final kilometres.
Photo Credit: Vuelta BurgosPavesi takes the intermediate sprint
The break continued to hold firm through the middle part of the stage. Its advantage reached 2:52 after 51 kilometres and remained above 2 minutes after 66 kilometres, giving the three riders a visible presence on a day that could easily have become a procession towards the sprinters.
The peloton then began to reduce the gap steadily. By kilometre 78, the difference was down to 1:12, and it hovered around a minute as the race moved towards the intermediate sprint in Roa.
Pavesi proved quickest from the break at the intermediate sprint, taking the maximum bonus ahead of De Laurentiis and Snortheim. The sprint came with 24 kilometres remaining and effectively marked the final meaningful prize for the escapees before the peloton tightened its grip.
Soon after, the gap was down to 50 seconds, then disappeared completely with around 23 kilometres to go. The breakaway had done enough to animate the stage, but the sprint teams had judged the chase well.
Late attacks keep SD Worx-Protime alert
Once the break was caught, the race entered a more unsettled phase. Teams began to test each other with attacks and counter-attacks, trying to take advantage of the moment before the sprint formations became fully organised.
A group of seven briefly formed inside the final 20 kilometres, but the move was caught before it could become a serious threat. Martín Martín of Movistar then attacked with around 11 kilometres remaining, opening a small gap, but she too was brought back quickly.
The final section brought further tension. There was movement from Fenix-Premier Tech and other teams trying to control position, while FDJ-Suez and SD Worx-Protime worked to return the race to a sprint. A crash involving Clara Emond at 4.6 kilometres to go added a moment of disruption, but the main sprint contenders remained in position.
Uno-X Mobility and UAE Team ADQ also appeared near the front in the closing kilometres, but SD Worx-Protime again looked composed when it mattered. The team placed Wiebes exactly where she needed to be, protecting the jersey and preparing the final launch.
Photo Credit: Vuelta BurgosWiebes finishes it off again
Inside the final kilometre, SD Worx-Protime reasserted control. Wiebes was delivered into the decisive phase in an ideal position and launched with power around 200 metres from the line. Once she opened her sprint, the result was quickly settled.
Balsamo finished second for Lidl-Trek, with Wollaston third for FDJ-Suez. Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka and Consonni completed the top five on the stage, all on the same time as Wiebes.
It was another efficient win rather than a chaotic one. The stage had more movement than the flat profile suggested, but SD Worx-Protime handled it well, allowing the breakaway enough room to make the race manageable before closing down the late attacks and delivering Wiebes to the finish.
The victory was Wiebes’ 126th professional win and her second in as many days at this year’s Vuelta a Burgos Feminas.
Race heads towards a harder stage 3
The Vuelta a Burgos Feminas continues on Saturday with stage 3, a 126-kilometre route between Briviesca and Medina de Pomar. It brings 1,711 metres of climbing and several late difficulties that should begin to move the race closer to the overall contenders.
The Alto del Portillo de Busto comes after 12.5 kilometres, but the decisive section is likely to arrive later. The peloton faces the Alto de Bocos twice, with the final passage coming 11.5 kilometres from the finish. At 3 kilometres long and averaging 5.3 per cent, with gradients reaching double figures, it gives attackers and GC riders a clear opportunity to put pressure on Wiebes and the sprint teams before the race reaches Medina de Pomar.
Vuelta a Burgos Feminas 2026 stage 2 result
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Main photo credit: Getty
