Stage 2 of La Vuelta Femenina delivered a nervous and slippery run-in to Sant Boi de Llobregat, where Marianne Vos claimed her first victory of 2025 with a commanding sprint. Letizia Paternoster finished second on the stage, but moved into the overall lead thanks to the time bonuses and her team’s performance in the opening team time trial.
Rain, crashes and chaos on Catalan roads
The 99km route between Molins de Rei and Sant Boi began with immediate elevation – the category 2 climb to the Alt de la Creu de L’Aragall set the tone early. Ane Santesteban took maximum mountain points and ensured herself the polka dot jersey, cresting the summit solo before being reabsorbed on the descent.
Photo Credit: Cor VosElena Cecchini then went clear, opening a gap that extended to 50 seconds before the peloton gradually brought her back. Her efforts would later be rewarded with the combativity prize, but the move was short-lived. A crash involving Anastasiya Kolesava and Vittoria Guazzini occurred soon after, bringing down multiple riders in the wet conditions, while Kristen Faulkner led a short-lived counter with four others.
Lea Lin Teutenberg tried next, but the Lotto rider was caught around 35km from the finish as the rain began falling again. It had been a relatively quiet race up to this point, but the descent from the Begues plateau saw the pace lift and tension mount. Ellen van Dijk, wearing red at the start of the day, was distanced on this section and never returned to the front.
The intermediate sprint in Vilafranca del Penedès was taken by Vos, who added six bonus seconds to her tally, with Femke Gerritse and Cédrine Kerbaol picking up the remaining bonuses. Gerritse had started the day just three seconds behind van Dijk, making her the virtual leader at this point in the stage.
However, the final 15km were where the real drama unfolded. Anna van der Breggen and Neve Bradbury were both caught in a crash on a slick roundabout. Van der Breggen remounted quickly and finished with the bunch, while Bradbury lost over two minutes and saw her GC ambitions seriously dented.
A second crash came inside the final 200 metres. Cat Ferguson, well-placed in fifth, slid out on a painted section exiting the final corner. Paternoster avoided the chaos, as did Letizia Borghesi, but the disruption may have impacted their timing.
Vos, however, was already long gone. She had taken the corner first after a lead-out from Imogen Wolff and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and had opened up several bike lengths before the others could respond. She sat up across the line, arms raised, claiming her sixth Vuelta stage win.
Vos strikes back after TTT troubles
For Vos and Visma-Lease a Bike, it was a welcome reprieve after the frustrations of the team time trial.
“It feels really good, especially when the whole team puts all the effort in, not only in this race but all the season already,” Vos said. “After what happened yesterday, we wanted to take that energy into today and all committed to it. I’m very happy I could finish it off.”
She credited the work of her teammates in the tricky final.
“It was Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Imogen Wolff still with me, and it was amazing just to follow their wheels and to be able to get to the last corner in front due to their work. Yes, it was slippery, but being in the front is then the best position.”
Paternoster shocked to take red jersey
Paternoster, who began the day three seconds behind, admitted she didn’t even realise van Dijk had been dropped until after the finish.
“I don’t know what happened. I don’t know how, but I am the leader of my first La Vuelta Femenina, and I am absolutely shocked at the moment,” she said, her face full of disbelief.
“I am so happy and grateful because tomorrow I start with the red jersey and Liv AlUla Jayco on it and this team deserves everything. The staff and the girls work so much and finally, I bring something to them.
“I feel so grateful to be part of this family and for me, it means so much to bring something to this team because they deserve so much in life. They saved my career and to be here I am so proud just to say thanks to our team, all of our sponsors and the people around because they are amazing. They deserve so much.”
Sports director Gene Bates added, “To take the red jersey today and to finish second on the stage to Marianne Vos certainly feels like a win for our team. It was very technical and with the rain, it made it even more so, and we saw in the final that she really knows how to handle her bike.”
Bradbury crashes out of GC contention; loses over 2 minutes
The wet weather also affected Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, where Neve Bradbury lost 2:11 after being brought down in a crash. She had been among the GC favourites, supported by Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Chloé Dygert.
“Neve tried to avoid a crash that happened in front of her. When the crash happened, we had one rider immediately with Neve and we asked two others to wait for her. We chased and tried to limit the time loss,” explained team director Szabó.
“Fortunately, Neve has no major injuries. There are still some days between now and the higher mountains of La Vuelta. Today, we see again that racing doesn’t always go according to plan, but it doesn’t change the fact that we aim for success.”
Stage 3 tomorrow will head to Aragón, with 132.4km from Barbastro to Huesca on the menu – a route where crosswinds are expected to play a role.
2025 La Vuelta Femenina Stage 2 result
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
