Anna van der Breggen took control of La Vuelta Femenina 2026 on Stage 6, winning on the savage slopes of Les Praeres and moving into the red jersey with one mountain stage remaining. The SD Worx-Protime rider attacked on the final climb and finished eight seconds ahead of Paula Blasi, with Marion Bunel taking 3rd after the first full GC showdown of the race.
The result completely changed the top of the general classification. Van der Breggen now leads overall on 18:06:48, with Blasi 2nd at 18 seconds and Bunel 3rd at 41 seconds. Monica Trinca Colonel moved up to 4th at 52 seconds, while Évita Muzic is now 5th at 59 seconds after a solid ride on the first summit finish.
Lotte Kopecky’s time in red ended on the steepest slopes of the race so far. She lost more than 10 minutes on the stage, leaving Van der Breggen as SD Worx-Protime’s clear GC leader before the final stage to the Angliru. Kopecky still leads the points classification, while Van der Breggen also moved to the top of the mountains classification. Marion Bunel now leads the white jersey, and SD Worx-Protime took over the team classification.
For the wider route picture, our La Vuelta Femenina 2026 full route guide breaks down the final stage to the Angliru.
La Vuelta Femenina 2026 GC after stage 6
Stage 6 finally turned La Vuelta Femenina from a bonus-second race into a climbing race. The opening five stages had kept the standings tight, with Kopecky leading through consistency, sprint strength and SD Worx-Protime’s control. Les Praeres changed that in one brutal final climb.
Van der Breggen began the day 26 seconds behind Kopecky, but once the race reached the final ascent, the hierarchy changed quickly. Cédrine Kerbaol attacked first, but Van der Breggen took over soon after and set a pace that stripped the front group apart. Blasi was the last rider able to stay near her, but even she had to let the Dutch rider go with around 2.5km remaining.
Blasi’s ride was one of the biggest performances of the stage. She limited her loss to eight seconds on the road, then took six bonus seconds for 2nd place, leaving her only 18 seconds off red overall. Bunel also made a major move, finishing 3rd on the stage and climbing onto the GC podium at 41 seconds.
Behind them, the race has been heavily reshaped. Trinca Colonel is now 4th, Muzic 5th, while Kasia Niewiadoma, Usoa Ostolaza and Katrine Aalerud are all tied at 1:25. Lore De Schepper sits 9th at 1:32, with Lotte Claes completing the top 10 at 1:44.
General classification top 10 after stage 6
- Anna van der Breggen, SD Worx-Protime, 18:06:48
- Paula Blasi, UAE Team ADQ, +18
- Marion Bunel, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, +41
- Monica Trinca Colonel, Liv AlUla Jayco, +52
- Évita Muzic, FDJ-Suez, +59
- Kasia Niewiadoma, Canyon SRAM zondacrypto, +1:25
- Usoa Ostolaza, Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi, +1:25
- Katrine Aalerud, Uno-X Mobility, +1:25
- Lore De Schepper, AG Insurance-Soudal, +1:32
- Lotte Claes, Fenix-Premier Tech, +1:44
Photo Credit: Naike ErenozagaRed jersey after stage 6
Van der Breggen now leads La Vuelta Femenina 2026 after a decisive ride on Les Praeres. It was the first stage where the race was shaped almost entirely by climbing strength, and she was clearly the strongest rider on the final ascent.
Her new advantage is useful rather than definitive. Blasi is only 18 seconds behind, and Bunel is at 41 seconds, so the race is not over before the Angliru. Still, Van der Breggen has changed the entire structure of the GC. She is no longer one of several SD Worx-Protime cards. She is now the rider everyone else has to dislodge.
That matters because Stage 7 is much longer and harder in climbing terms. Les Praeres was short, steep and explosive. The Angliru is a different kind of test, with a longer effort and more room for a bad day to become decisive. Van der Breggen has the jersey, but she still has to defend it on the hardest climb of the race.
Photo Credit: Toni BaixauliGreen jersey after stage 6
Kopecky remains the leader of the points classification after Stage 6 with 154 points. Her GC challenge disappeared on Les Praeres, but her work across the opening five stages still gives her control of the green jersey competition.
That is a reflection of how dominant she was before the mountains. Kopecky finished 2nd on Stage 1, was central to the chaotic sprint on Stage 2, finished 2nd again on Stage 3, won Stage 4 and finished 2nd on Stage 5. Those repeated results built a large enough points total to survive the first summit finish.
The final stage to the Angliru is unlikely to suit her, so the green jersey battle now depends on whether the climbers can collect enough points at the finish to threaten her lead. With one stage remaining, Kopecky remains in a strong position, even if the overall race has moved away from her.
Photo Credit: Toni BaixauliMountains jersey after stage 6
Van der Breggen also moved to the top of the mountains classification after winning on Les Praeres. She now leads that competition with 12 points, but because she will wear the red jersey, Alice Coutinho is set to continue as the on-road wearer of the polka-dot jersey.
That creates a split between the classification leader and the jersey wearer. Van der Breggen has the points lead after the category 1 summit finish, but Coutinho’s aggressive riding earlier in the race still keeps her visible in the competition.
The Angliru should decide the mountains classification properly. With so many points available on the final day and the GC contenders expected to fight for the stage, the jersey could still change again. If Van der Breggen defends red by finishing near the front, she may also secure the mountains classification.
Photo Credit: Toni BaixauliWhite jersey after stage 6
Marion Bunel moved into the white jersey after Stage 6, taking the lead in the young rider classification with a superb 3rd place on Les Praeres. She is now 3rd overall at 41 seconds, which puts her not only in control of white but also firmly on the overall podium before the final stage.
It was one of the strongest rides of the day. Bunel handled the steep gradients better than many more established names and confirmed that her climbing level is already good enough to shape a WorldTour stage race. Team Visma | Lease a Bike had come into the mountain stages with several possible cards, but Bunel has now emerged as their best-placed GC rider.
The white jersey battle has changed completely. Gaia Segato had led after Stage 5, while Lore De Schepper had been a central part of the competition earlier in the race. Les Praeres reset the hierarchy, and Bunel now goes into the Angliru with a clear advantage.
Team classification after stage 6
SD Worx-Protime took over the team classification after Stage 6, moving to a total time of 54:24:38. Their depth made the difference on the first summit finish, with Van der Breggen winning the stage and taking red, while Nienke Vinke and Mischa Bredewold also finished high enough to help the team classification.
That shift underlines how strong SD Worx-Protime remain even after Kopecky lost time. Their race has changed shape, but not collapsed. They no longer have Kopecky as a realistic GC leader, but Van der Breggen is in red, the team classification is theirs, and they still have numbers around the top of the race.
The final stage will test that depth again. The Angliru can split teams apart very quickly, so the classification is not locked down, but SD Worx-Protime now have the strongest position heading into the final day.
What the standings mean before stage 7
La Vuelta Femenina 2026 now has a very different shape before the final stage. The opening half of the race was dominated by Kopecky, bonus seconds and SD Worx-Protime’s sprint strength. Stage 6 stripped that away and put the climbers in charge.
Van der Breggen starts Stage 7 in red, but Blasi is close enough to keep the pressure on. Bunel is also within range if the Angliru becomes chaotic, while Trinca Colonel and Muzic remain inside a minute. Niewiadoma, Ostolaza and Aalerud are all at 1:25, which is a significant gap but not impossible terrain on a climb as severe as the Angliru.
The biggest losers were the riders who had built their GC positions through the rolling and sprint stages. Kopecky, Koch, Kerbaol, Bredewold and several others all slipped away once the final climb turned brutal. The overall battle now looks much more like a mountain race, and the final stage should confirm whether Van der Breggen can turn Les Praeres into overall victory.
Our La Vuelta Femenina 2026 stage 7 preview looks ahead to the Angliru finale, while the La Vuelta Femenina 2026 contenders preview tracks the wider GC picture before the final showdown.
La Vuelta Femenina 2026 jersey leaders after stage 6
- Red jersey: Anna van der Breggen, SD Worx-Protime
- Green jersey: Lotte Kopecky, SD Worx-Protime
- Mountains classification leader: Anna van der Breggen, SD Worx-Protime
- Mountains jersey wearer on Stage 7: Alice Coutinho, Mayenne Monbana My Pie
- White jersey: Marion Bunel, Team Visma | Lease a Bike
- Team classification: SD Worx-Protime
La Vuelta Femenina 2026 Stage 6 Result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
