Bossuyt wins second La Vuelta stage, Koch moves into race lead

Cor Vos

In the second stage of La Vuelta Femenina, Shari Bossuyt was victorious, winning the stage from a reduced bunch of riders. The AG Insurance-Soudal rider outsprinted Franziska Koch of FDJ United-Suez, who moved into the race lead after stage 1 winner Noemi Rüegg crashed with 12 km to go. Unfortunately, the EF Education-Oatly rider was not able to finish the stage.

Évita Muzic, Koch's teammate, sprinted to third ahead of Letizia Paternoster of Liv AlUla Jayco.

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Koch leads the race going into the third stage with six seconds over Bossuyt and 10 seconds on Lotte Kopecky.

Brief stage results

[race_result id=9058 stage_id=90149 count=5 gc=0 year=2026]

GC after stage 2

[race_result id=9058 stage_id=90149 count=5 gc=5 year=2026]

How it happened

• The first half of the stage was fast, but with limited attacks. It wasn't until 66 km to go that a breakaway of five formed. They would remain off the front until 27 km to go, when the last riders from the move were scooped up by the peloton.
• Lidl-Trek was the first team to go on the attack as the finish got closer. Koch responded, and the FDJ United-Suez rider stretched out the peloton enough that a selection of six riders snuck off the front.
• They were caught before they got much of a gap, but the move itself alerted the teams to the possibility of more attacks. With 14 km to go, Katrine Aalerud (Uno-X Mobility) went on the attack and was able to build a minute advantage over the peloton.

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Aalerud's attack.

• Unfortunately, with 12 km to go, the race leader Rüegg and Eleonora Ciabocco (Picnic PostNL), who led the Youth Classification, went down in a crash. Neither rider was able to get back on their bike immediately, and it was announced soon after that Rüegg would not continue the Vuelta.

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