Elise Chabbey claimed a brilliant solo victory on stage 1 of the Volta a Catalunya Femenina, attacking out of a select three-rider breakaway inside the final two kilometres to take both the stage win and the first leader’s jersey. In a commanding display by FDJ-SUEZ, Demi Vollering sealed a one-two finish for the team by beating Ane Santesteban to second place in Reus.
Chabbey now leads the general classification by nine seconds ahead of Vollering, with Santesteban at 13 seconds. With a summit finish awaiting on Saturday’s stage 2, both FDJ-SUEZ riders are well placed, although the overall victory looks likely to fall into Vollering’s hands.
Chabbey, Vollering and Santesteban go clear
The opening day from El Perelló to Reus offered 114.4km of rolling terrain and three categorised climbs: Coll del Guix (14.6km at 3.2%), Coll de Porrera (3.3km at 6.8%), and Coll d’Alforia (5km at 4.6%). Although the gradients weren’t extreme, the cumulative fatigue and technical descents shaped a selective finale.
The race opened at a steady pace in warm conditions, with the bunch staying mostly intact until the midway point. The first serious selections came on the slopes of the Coll de Porrera, where FDJ-SUEZ moved to the front. Elise Chabbey was first to attack, quickly followed by Demi Vollering and Ane Santesteban. The trio bridged across to earlier attackers and surged over the top, creating a gap that no one else could close.
Chabbey, Vollering and Santesteban built their advantage on the final climb, Coll d’Alforia, and held a 1:45 lead over a disorganised chasing group. Visma | Lease a Bike were the most active behind, with four riders in the chase, but received little support from other teams including Human Powered Health, Canyon SRAM, and VolkerWessels.
As the road descended toward Reus, the gap only widened. Chabbey and Vollering continued to set the pace, while Santesteban sat on with no obligation to contribute, aware of being outnumbered. With 1.4km to go, Chabbey attacked decisively, catching the others off guard. Vollering marked Santesteban’s reaction, allowing her teammate to ride clear.
Chabbey crossed the line with a 10-second advantage, arms aloft, clearly emotional after securing her first win in 4 years.
Chabbey: “It means so much to win a bike race”
She explained that the move had been part of the team’s pre-stage tactics. “We definitely had a plan and I’m very happy it paid off. It was amazing work from the team to set me up for the final climb. Demi was the strongest, but it was the plan that I go a bit earlier and try to create a break. She would jump and bridge. In the end, she told me to attack and go for it.”
Demi Vollering, who took second, played a key role in FDJ-SUEZ’s control of the race and is now perfectly placed for the GC battle with two stages to go.
Behind the front three, Femke de Vries launched a late move from the chasing group to finish fourth, 1:30 down. The Dutch rider, riding for Visma | Lease a Bike, had tried to follow Vollering’s move earlier on the Coll de Porrera but missed the decisive split.
“I knew I needed to follow Vollering’s acceleration, but at that moment I just didn’t have the legs,” De Vries admitted. “Cooperation in the chasing group wasn’t great, so Eva [van Agt] and I tried a few attacks. In the end, my late move turned out to be the right one. It hurt, but I’m pleased I managed to give it everything today.”
What’s next: Vollering poised to win, but podium still up for grabs
Saturday’s stage 2 is short at just 72km, but packs in three significant climbs and a summit finish that will almost certainly decide the general classification. It’s hard to look past Demi Vollering as the favourite for the overall win, given the form she showed on the Coll de Porrera and the way she controlled the front of the race with ease.
Elise Chabbey may be wearing the leader’s jersey, but her role could shift towards support. That said, she remains just nine seconds ahead of Vollering and has the engine to fight for a podium finish if she paces herself well on the climbs. Her lead over the next closest threat outside the breakaway is sizeable, giving her margin to defend.
Ane Santesteban will also be eyeing a place on the final podium. The Spanish rider sits 13 seconds behind Chabbey and starts Saturday with a nearly two-minute buffer on riders like Neve Bradbury, Femke de Vries and Marion Bunel. That cushion gives her room to ride her own tempo on the climbs, though she will likely come under pressure if riders like Bradbury launch attacks from distance.
With limited opportunities left, stage 2 promises both a coronation and a fierce scrap for the final GC places, and with FDJ-SUEZ already in control, it will take something exceptional to stop them doing the double.
2025 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Femenina Stage 1 result
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