Noemi Rüegg took the first red jersey of La Vuelta Femenina 2026 after winning Stage 1 in Salvaterra de Miño, beating Lotte Kopecky and Franziska Koch in a punchy uphill sprint after a wet and nervous opening day in Galicia.
The EF Education-Oatly rider finished the 113.9km stage from Marín in 2:53:50, but the general classification immediately became more complicated because of bonus seconds. Rüegg and Koch were level on adjusted time after the opening stage, with Rüegg taking the jersey by virtue of her stage victory. Kopecky sat 3rd overall at four seconds, while Loes Adegeest moved into 4th at eight seconds.
It was already a selective day for the wider GC picture. Most of the main contenders finished in the front group, but crashes on wet roads meant the race was not without damage. Gaia Realini lost more than two minutes, while Marianne Vos crashed late and would later leave the race with a broken collarbone before Stage 2.
For more on how the route builds from these opening Galician stages towards the major mountain days, our La Vuelta Femenina 2026 full route guide breaks down all seven stages.
La Vuelta Femenina 2026 GC after stage 1
Rüegg’s move into red came from a strong finish rather than a solo selection. The group was still large enough for a sprint, but the uphill drag and the wet run-in made it a finish for riders with both positioning and power. Rüegg launched decisively and had enough strength to hold off Kopecky and Koch.
Koch’s position was also notable. She finished 3rd on the stage, but bonus seconds picked up across the day meant she ended Stage 1 level on adjusted time with Rüegg. That gave FDJ-Suez an immediate foothold near the top of the race before the second hilly stage to San Cibrao das Viñas.
Kopecky was only four seconds back after finishing 2nd, while Adegeest’s bonus seconds moved her to 4th. Behind them, a large group sat 10 seconds down, including Kasia Niewiadoma, Maëva Squiban, Karlijn Swinkels, Marianne Vos, Monica Trinca Colonel and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.
General classification top 10 after stage 1
- Noemi Rüegg, EF Education-Oatly, 2:53:40
- Franziska Koch, FDJ-Suez, same time
- Lotte Kopecky, SD Worx-Protime, +4
- Loes Adegeest, Lidl-Trek, +8
- Kasia Niewiadoma, Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, +10
- Maëva Squiban, UAE Team ADQ, +10
- Karlijn Swinkels, UAE Team ADQ, +10
- Marianne Vos, Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women, +10
- Monica Trinca Colonel, Liv AlUla Jayco, +10
- Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women, +10
Red jersey after stage 1
Rüegg led the general classification after Stage 1 and became the first wearer of the red jersey at La Vuelta Femenina 2026. It was a significant opening statement from EF Education-Oatly, who backed her through the final kilometres before she delivered on the uphill finish.
The margin was not large, but the performance was sharp. Rüegg had already been expected to suit the finish, and she confirmed that by beating two riders with strong credentials in Kopecky and Koch. With Koch level on adjusted time and Kopecky only four seconds back, the jersey was never secure, but Rüegg had earned control of the race going into Stage 2.
Photo Credit: Unipublic/Cxcling/Toni BaixauliGreen jersey after stage 1
Rüegg also led the points classification after Stage 1 with 50 points. Koch was 2nd in that competition on 45 points, while Kopecky was 3rd on 30 points.
Because Rüegg held the red jersey, Koch was the rider best placed to wear green if the race followed the usual jersey-priority order. Her points total reflected both her stage finish and her work earlier in the day, making her one of the strongest all-round performers from the opening stage.
The points battle was already more open than a pure sprint classification. The uphill finish, bonus seconds and intermediate sprint meant the green jersey was being shaped by riders who could handle a hard day rather than by outright sprinters alone.
Photo Credit: Unipublic/Cxcling/Toni BaixauliMountains jersey after stage 1
Maëva Squiban led the mountains classification after Stage 1 on 10 points, level with Ashleigh Moolman Pasio but ahead because of her higher stage finish.
The stage included two category 3 climbs, Alto do Cruceiro and Alto da Portela, and both helped give the opening day more weight than a standard first stage. Squiban took maximum points on one climb, while Moolman Pasio did the same on the other. That left them tied in the classification, with Squiban’s 5th place on the stage giving her the jersey.
Kristen Faulkner was 3rd in the mountains standings on three points, followed by Yuliia Biriukova on two and Valentina Cavallar on one.
Photo Credit: Unipublic/Cxcling/Toni BaixauliWhite jersey after stage 1
Eleonora Ciabocco led the young rider classification after Stage 1. She finished in the main front group and ended the day on the same time as several other young riders, including Nienke Vinke, Titia Ryo and Lore De Schepper.
That made the white jersey battle very tight from the start. Ciabocco’s position was important for Team Picnic PostNL, particularly on a day where staying upright and in the front group counted for as much as attacking. De Schepper would move into the jersey picture more strongly on Stage 2, but after the opener it was Ciabocco who held the lead.
Team classification after stage 1
UAE Team ADQ led the team classification after Stage 1 on 8:41:30. Their start was one of the strongest collective performances of the day, with Squiban 5th, Karlijn Swinkels 6th and several other riders safely inside the main group.
That gave the team both the mountains jersey and the early lead in the team standings. It also underlined the depth of their squad before the more selective stages later in the week. They had not taken the stage win, but they came out of the opener with multiple riders well placed across the classifications.
SD Worx-Protime, Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women, FDJ-Suez and EF Education-Oatly were all level on time behind them, making the team classification another area where the opening stage created a close early picture rather than a clear gap.
What the standings meant before stage 2
Stage 1 left La Vuelta Femenina 2026 finely balanced. Rüegg had the red jersey and the confidence of a stage win, but Koch was already level on adjusted time and Kopecky sat only four seconds back. The GC contenders were mostly still close, although Realini’s time loss was an early setback for Lidl-Trek.
The crashes also gave the opening day a more serious after-effect. Vos finished 7th on the stage, but the crash that came late in the day would end her race before Stage 2. That removed one of the most obvious contenders for the rolling early stages and changed the sprint dynamic almost immediately.
Stage 2 from Lobios to San Cibrao das Viñas offered another hilly Galician test, with no categorised climbs but constant changes of rhythm. Our La Vuelta Femenina 2026 stage 2 preview looks at how that stage was expected to shape the race, while the La Vuelta Femenina 2026 contenders preview tracks the wider GC picture before the decisive climbs.
La Vuelta Femenina 2026 jersey leaders after stage 1
- Red jersey: Noemi Rüegg, EF Education-Oatly
- Green jersey leader: Noemi Rüegg, EF Education-Oatly
- Green jersey wearer on Stage 2: Franziska Koch, FDJ-Suez
- Mountains jersey: Maëva Squiban, UAE Team ADQ
- White jersey: Eleonora Ciabocco, Team Picnic PostNL
- Team classification: UAE Team ADQ
La Vuelta Femenina 2026 Stage 1 Result
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