Cat Ferguson opened her 2026 account with a sharp sprint victory at the Trofeo Llucmajor, converting Movistar’s calm, committed ride into the result after the wind tore the race apart in the final 50 kilometres.
The 19-year-old Brit was guided into the decisive final corner by Arlenis Sierra, then accelerated clear to beat Lidl-Trek’s Clara Copponi in a reduced sprint, with UAE Team ADQ’s Sofie van Rooijen taking third from the front group.
“The team for sure was the key today, with the wind,” Ferguson said afterwards. “The victory would not have been possible without all the girls’ efforts… We stayed calm, and we are the ones who made the race, and in the end, I think that tactic paid off.”
How the race unfolded
For much of the opening 75km, the Trofeo Llucmajor looked relatively contained. The early circuits and the repeated passages over the key climb did not produce the kind of separation that would settle the day, and the bunch largely held shape as teams waited for the decisive moment.
That moment arrived when the route hit exposed roads in the final 50km. The wind finally had space to do damage, echelons formed quickly, and the peloton split into multiple groups as the strongest teams surged to the front. From there, it became a battle of numbers, positioning, and composure rather than a simple sprint set-up.
UAE Team ADQ placed five riders into the front split and looked ideally set to control the finish. Movistar matched the intensity and also got multiple riders into the move, keeping Ferguson protected and giving Sierra and Aude Biannic the freedom to work. Lidl-Trek were present too, with Clara Copponi and Anna Henderson ensuring the front group could not simply ease up and gamble.
Behind, the chase never properly stabilised. Teams that missed the split were forced to organise, and the time gap tightened at points, particularly on the last climb. Each time the road opened back into the wind and the front group cooperated, the advantage grew again, and the winning move stayed intact.
The decisive final kilometres
With a small-group sprint looming, Ferguson dropped deeper in the group to save energy while Movistar kept the speed honest. UAE Team ADQ’s numerical advantage remained obvious, but it did not translate into control when the finishing kilometres demanded a clean lead-out rather than a rolling rotation.
Sierra delivered Ferguson into the final corner in the right place, with Copponi immediately on her wheel. When Ferguson launched, the acceleration was decisive and no one could come around. Copponi held second, and Van Rooijen sprinted to third as UAE Team ADQ’s best finisher on the day.
Ferguson was clear about the importance of Sierra’s lead-out and the wider team effort in the crosswinds.
“Arlenis was my final girl for the lead-out… She’s really someone I look up to, and she showed me just how to sprint,” she said.
Photo Credit: Getty2026 Trofeo Llucmajor results
Results powered by FirstCycling.com
Main photo credit: Getty
