Mischa Bredewold gave SD Worx-Protime another victory at the 2026 Vuelta a Burgos Feminas, winning stage 3 in Medina de Pomar after bridging across to Mireia Benito in the final kilometres and then beating the AG Insurance-Soudal rider in a two-up sprint. Lorena Wiebes finished third from the chasing group, keeping the overall race lead and completing a strong day for SD Worx-Protime.
The result continued SD Worx-Protime’s control of the race after Wiebes had won the opening two stages. This time, though, it was not a simple sprint script. Benito attacked 27km from the finish, built a sizeable advantage, and was only caught after Bredewold made the decisive move from the select chase group on the final loop around Medina de Pomar.
Bredewold’s win also carried extra weight for the team, marking the 400th victory in SD Worx-Protime’s history. Wiebes remained in control of the general classification thanks to her third place and the four-second time bonus, meaning she will take the leader’s jersey into the final stage to Lagunas de Neila.
How Vuelta a Burgos Feminas stage 3 unfolded
The 126km stage from Busto de Bureba to Medina de Pomar was always likely to be the most awkward day before the final summit finish. It included three classified climbs, with two ascents of Alto de Bocos in the finale, and gave attackers much more room than the two sprint stages that opened the race.
The break of the day took more than 40km to form. Alicia González, Kaja Rysz, Constance Valentin, Fariba Hashimi, Sharon Spimi and Nicole Steigenga eventually went clear, building an advantage that moved between around 30 seconds and 1:30. Hashimi was especially active, trying twice to go solo before later setting the pace on the first ascent of Alto de Bocos.
That effort helped split the break, but it also cost Hashimi. The reduced peloton was already closing in, and the escape was caught just before the top of the climb. Caroline Andersson then took the mountain sprint, giving Liv AlUla Jayco a useful presence as the stage moved into its decisive phase.
Benito attacks as the race opens up
The descent from the first passage of Alto de Bocos created splits in the bunch, and the attacks began almost immediately afterwards. Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka tried to get away, but Cédrine Kerbaol and Bredewold closed the move. Benito then countered, and the Spanish time trial champion quickly built a gap while the reduced bunch hesitated behind.
Benito’s move was dangerous because it came at exactly the right moment. The peloton had already been thinned, the final climb was still to come, and the main teams were caught between chasing, saving energy and preparing for Lagunas de Neila on stage 4. Her lead grew to 1:24, which made the attack more than a speculative move.
Behind, Oda Aune Gissinger and Claire Steels also tried to bridge, but they were never given much room. UAE Team ADQ took up the chase until Dominika Wlodarczyk and Megan Jastrab crashed, after which Lidl-Trek moved to the front and helped bring the race back towards the final ascent of Alto de Bocos.
Bredewold makes the decisive move
The second ascent of Alto de Bocos was where the race properly broke apart. Gissinger and Steels were caught at the foot of the climb, Andersson attacked for the mountain points, and then Bredewold’s acceleration split the peloton. A strong group of 11 riders went clear, including Bredewold, Evita Muzic, Shirin van Anrooij, Amanda Spratt, Yara Kastelijn, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, Kerbaol, Usoa Ostolaza, Maud Oudeman, Andersson and Silke Smulders.
Wiebes was not initially in that move, but she later bridged across with Lotte Claes, Amber Kraak and Nadia Gontova. That changed the tactical picture. With Wiebes behind, Bredewold could attack without worrying about dragging a faster teammate out of contention. SD Worx-Protime suddenly had the best of both worlds: a rider up the road and the race leader still present in the chase group.
Benito still led by 40 seconds over the top of Alto de Bocos, but Bredewold attacked on the descent with Spratt and Smulders. Once the gap fell to 12 seconds, Bredewold went again, this time alone, and made it across to Benito with around 6km remaining.
Two-up sprint decides the stage
Benito continued to work with Bredewold after being caught, which was the only realistic way to keep the chasers behind. The pair held off the group, but once they reached the final straight, Bredewold had the clearer sprint.
The Dutch rider had timed the final phase perfectly. She had not waited for Wiebes to sprint behind, nor had she committed too early from the chase group. Instead, she used the final climb and descent to create a winning situation, then finished it off cleanly in Medina de Pomar.
Wiebes took third after the chase group caught Spratt and Smulders on the finishing straight. That gave SD Worx-Protime first and third on the stage, plus the overall lead heading into the final day.
Wiebes keeps the leader’s jersey
Wiebes’ third place mattered beyond the podium. The four-second time bonus ensured she kept the overall lead, giving SD Worx-Protime the race lead going into the final stage to Lagunas de Neila. That will be a very different test, with the race moving from reduced sprint and punchy terrain into the decisive climbing day.
The bigger question is how long Wiebes can hold the jersey once the road rises properly. She has already shown more resilience than a simple sprint profile suggests, but Lagunas de Neila should favour the climbers and GC riders. Bredewold’s stage 3 performance also gives SD Worx-Protime another card, especially if the team decides to race more flexibly on the final day.
For Benito, second place will feel mixed. The move was strong, well-timed and nearly decisive. She forced the race open and came within a few kilometres of a major win, only for Bredewold to bridge across and beat her in the sprint.
What stage 3 changes before Lagunas de Neila
Stage 3 did not produce a complete GC reset, but it did show which riders and teams can handle the harder terrain. Bredewold looked strong, alert and tactically confident. Wiebes defended the jersey while still placing third. AG Insurance-Soudal animated the race through Benito, and the final selection contained several riders who should matter again on stage 4.
The biggest winner was SD Worx-Protime. They had already controlled the sprint stages through Wiebes, but stage 3 showed they could also win when the race became more selective. That makes them harder to read before the final stage.
Lagunas de Neila should still decide the overall classification. But after Medina de Pomar, the race reaches the summit finish with SD Worx-Protime in control, Wiebes still in the leader’s jersey, and Bredewold clearly carrying the form to influence the final GC battle.
Vuelta a Burgos Feminas 2026 stage 3 result
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Main photo credit: Vuelta Burgos
