Clasica Femenina Navarra 2026 arrives at an important point in the Spanish racing block, sitting between La Vuelta Femenina and Itzulia Women. That position gives the race a useful edge. Some riders arrive with stage-race form already in their legs, others use it as a sharpener before the Basque Country, and the route is hard enough to punish anyone who treats it as a simple midweek stopover.
The race starts and finishes in Pamplona/Iruña, with 133.4km of racing and almost 2,000 metres of climbing. It is not a pure mountain race, but it is too hard for a conventional sprint. The repeated climbs around Navarra, with gradients reaching up to 21 per cent, favour riders who can climb in bursts, recover quickly, and still produce a finish after a difficult final hour.
Recent editions underline that point. Cat Ferguson won in 2025 ahead of Soraya Paladin and Ruth Edwards, following Hannah Ludwig in 2024, Riejanne Markus in 2023, Veronica Ewers in 2022, Arlenis Sierra in 2021 and Annemiek van Vleuten in 2020. The winners’ list mixes punch, climbing strength and finishing speed, which is exactly the combination likely to decide the 2026 race.
The race will be live on Youtube
Cat Ferguson
Cat Ferguson is the obvious favourite and the defending champion. Her 2025 victory came ahead of Soraya Paladin and Ruth Edwards, and it showed why this route suits her so well. She can survive the repeated climbs, handle a technical finale and still finish quickly from a reduced group.
Her 2026 form makes the case stronger. Ferguson has already won Trofeo Llucmajor and a stage of Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, confirming that her move into the senior WorldTour ranks has not taken the edge off her finishing speed. On a course that is selective but not mountainous, that makes her extremely difficult to look past.
Movistar Team also have the strongest squad in the race, which gives Ferguson a valuable tactical cushion. She does not need to chase every move herself. If the race comes down to a reduced sprint, she is the clearest pick.
Photo Credit: GettyLiane Lippert
Liane Lippert may be Movistar’s best option if the race becomes harder than expected. She has the punch to attack on steep ramps, the experience to read a messy one-day race, and the finishing strength to win from a small elite group.
Her 2026 win at Vuelta CV Feminas came from a late solo move, which is exactly the sort of scenario that could work in Navarra if the stronger teams begin marking Ferguson too closely. Lippert was also active in the finale of La Vuelta Femenina stage 4 before Lotte Kopecky won the uphill sprint, suggesting she has useful sharpness for this Spanish block.
Movistar’s strength is that they do not have to choose between Ferguson and Lippert too early. Ferguson is the safer reduced-sprint option. Lippert is the danger if the race is opened up before Pamplona.
Olivia Baril
Olivia Baril gives Movistar a third serious card and makes the team’s tactical position even stronger. She is well suited to a hilly, attritional race where the final group is formed by repeated climbing rather than one explosive move.
Baril’s strength is her ability to stay present when a race gets hard gradually. If the strongest climbers and punchier riders begin trading attacks, she can follow deep into the finale and becomes dangerous if Movistar still have numbers late on.
She is probably not the first Movistar option if the race finishes in a larger reduced sprint, but if the final selection is smaller and more selective, Baril’s chances increase significantly.
Ruby Roseman-Gannon
Ruby Roseman-Gannon is one of the more dangerous riders if the race remains selective but not fully broken apart. She already has a top-10 here from her only previous start, and that matters in a race where the rhythm and positioning can be difficult to judge.
She is not a pure climber, but she can handle hard rolling terrain and remains quick enough to win from a reduced group. That gives Liv AlUla Jayco a clear route into the race if the final selection still contains 20 or 30 riders.
The steeper the race becomes, the more vulnerable she may be. But if the climbs thin the bunch without removing all the fast finishers, Roseman-Gannon is a serious contender.
Ava Holmgren
Ava Holmgren looks like Lidl-Trek’s strongest contender. She has two previous starts in the race and one top-10, which gives her useful experience on these roads, and her climbing ability makes her one of the most credible non-Movistar threats.
Holmgren’s best chance is a hard edition. She will not want the race to stay controlled into a bigger reduced group where Ferguson becomes the obvious favourite. Instead, Lidl-Trek need the steep sections to be raced aggressively enough to reduce the field and remove some of the faster finishers.
If Holmgren reaches the final kilometres in a small climbing group, she has a genuine chance. She is one of the riders Movistar cannot afford to give too much freedom.
Photo Credit: Sprint Cycling AgencyNadia Gontova
Nadia Gontova gives Liv AlUla Jayco a more climbing-focused alternative. If the repeated ramps around Navarra turn the race into a proper selection, she may become the team’s best option.
Gontova is better suited to a harder edition than Roseman-Gannon. She will want the strongest teams to increase the pressure before the finale, making the race less about sprint speed and more about who can keep responding on steep, irregular roads.
Her chances depend on how the race is ridden. If it stays controlled, Roseman-Gannon probably carries the stronger finishing card. If it becomes a climbing contest, Gontova moves up the list.
Becky Storrie
Becky Storrie may be Team Picnic PostNL’s better option if the race is genuinely selective. She brings more climbing ability than Georgi for a harder edition, and the repeated climbs around Pamplona should suit her if the pace lifts early.
Her route to victory is not a big reduced sprint. It is a race where the front group gets stripped down steadily and the favourites begin marking one another. In that kind of finale, a well-timed move from a climber with enough endurance could be very effective.
Storrie is an outside contender rather than one of the top favourites, but she has a credible path to a strong result.
Photo Credit: GettyPfeiffer Georgi
Pfeiffer Georgi is not the most obvious pure climbing contender, but she is a serious threat because of how hard she can make a race. Her strength, positioning and tactical sharpness are valuable on a route that sits somewhere between a hilly one-day race and an attritional Classics-style contest.
If the climbs are raced at full intensity, the final may become too selective for her. But if the race becomes more stop-start, with repeated accelerations, small groups and tactical hesitation, Georgi can be extremely dangerous.
Team Picnic PostNL will need to keep her close to the front before the steepest sections. If they do, she has the strength to turn a reduced group into a winning situation.
Catalina Soto Campos
Catalina Soto Campos gives Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi one of their best hopes in a race that should mean plenty to the team. The Navarra-Basque block is important for Laboral Kutxa, and Soto Campos has the profile to make use of a selective route.
She is strong enough for the repeated climbs and should be particularly dangerous if the race becomes attritional rather than tactical. Laboral Kutxa are unlikely to control the day, so Soto Campos may need to race proactively, either by following a dangerous move or attacking before the WorldTour teams settle into their final plans.
A podium would be a big result, but she is a serious top-10 contender and cannot be ignored if the race breaks up.
Idoia Eraso Lasa
Idoia Eraso Lasa is another important Laboral Kutxa option. She is well suited to the short, steep climbs and has the local-racing context that can matter in a race like this.
Her best chance comes if Laboral Kutxa use numbers aggressively rather than waiting for Movistar to dictate the final hour. Eraso Lasa can be dangerous in a move that goes before the main favourites fully commit, especially if the race becomes fragmented and difficult to control.
She may not have the finishing speed of Ferguson or Roseman-Gannon, so she probably needs a harder race. If the climbs do real damage, she becomes much more interesting.
Noémie Abgrall
Noémie Abgrall is not one of the headline favourites, but her record at the race gives her a serious chance of another strong result. She has four previous starts at Clasica Femenina Navarra and one top-10, making her one of the more experienced riders in the field on this specific course.
That experience matters. Knowing where the race usually tightens, where the climbs start to hurt and how the final hour tends to unfold can be worth plenty in a one-day race. Abgrall will still need to survive the strongest selections, but she has a clear route into the top-10 if the race becomes attritional rather than explosive.
She is an outsider for the win, but a realistic contender for a prominent placing.
Eilidh Shaw
Eilidh Shaw gives UAE Development Team a genuine focal point. Her 3rd place at Antwerp Port Epic Ladies in 2025 showed her ability to handle hard one-day racing, and while this route is hillier, her durability and race craft make her worth watching.
Shaw’s best chance is a race that becomes chaotic rather than fully controlled. If Movistar and Lidl-Trek keep everything together until the final climbs, it may be difficult for a development-team rider to win. But if the race splits into groups and the favourites hesitate, Shaw could find herself in the right move.
A win would be a major result, but she has a serious chance of getting deep into the finale and fighting for a top-10.
Ainara Albert Bosch
Ainara Albert Bosch is the standout name in the Spanish national selection and one of the more interesting home contenders. She has the quality to handle a selective race, and the national team may be able to race with more freedom than some of the trade teams.
Her best scenario is an aggressive race where Spain can place her in a strong move before the final selection. If she waits for the favourites to attack, the WorldTour depth may be hard to overcome. If she anticipates, she could force the bigger teams into a chase.
Albert Bosch is not the safest pick for the win, but she is a realistic rider to watch if the race becomes tactical.
Laura Lizette Sander
Laura Lizette Sander is probably Hitec Products-Fluid Control’s best contender. She has been a consistent performer for the team and should appreciate a route that rewards resilience, climbing repeatability and good positioning.
With only four riders listed, Hitec will need to be careful with their resources. Sander cannot rely on a deep lead-out or long support train, so her race will be about staying near the front, avoiding being caught behind splits, and following the right move when the favourites begin testing one another.
She is more of a top-10 contender than an obvious winner, but she has a serious chance of being involved late.
Who are the favourites for Clasica Femenina Navarra 2026?
Cat Ferguson is the clear favourite. She won the race last year, has already won in 2026, and has the best blend of climbing strength and finishing speed for the likely race scenario. If Movistar keep the race under control and a reduced group reaches Pamplona, she is the rider everyone else has to beat.
Liane Lippert is the strongest alternative, especially if the race becomes harder and more selective. Olivia Baril gives Movistar another route, which makes their tactical position even better. Ava Holmgren looks like the biggest non-Movistar threat if the climbs do more damage, while Ruby Roseman-Gannon and Nadia Gontova give Liv AlUla Jayco two very different ways to win.
Behind them, Pfeiffer Georgi, Becky Storrie, Catalina Soto Campos, Idoia Eraso Lasa, Noémie Abgrall, Eilidh Shaw, Ainara Albert Bosch and Laura Lizette Sander all have plausible routes into the finale. For most of them, the key will be making the race harder or more unpredictable before Ferguson can use her sprint.
Clasica Femenina Navarra 2026 prediction
Movistar Team have the strongest hand, and it is not especially close. They have the defending champion in Cat Ferguson, a punchier attacking option in Liane Lippert, and a durable climber in Olivia Baril. That gives them control, flexibility and several ways to respond if the race moves earlier than expected.
The route should reduce the field, but it may not be hard enough to remove Ferguson if she is well-positioned. That makes her the most logical pick. Lippert is the danger if Movistar choose to attack rather than wait, and Holmgren is the strongest outside threat if the climbs split the race properly.
Prediction: Cat Ferguson to win Clasica Femenina Navarra 2026.
