La Vuelta Feminina 2024: These are the favourites for the women's Tour of Spain

La Vuelta Feminina 2024: The most important facts in brief

• Date: 28 April - 5 May 2024
• Distance~ 870 kilometres, 8 stages
• StartValencia, Goal: Valdesqui
• Profile: three mountain finishes, two hilly stages, two flat stages, one team time trial
• UCI category: Women's World Tour
• Organiser: Unipublic
• Premiere: 2023, 2nd edition
• Title defender: Annemiek van Vleuten
• The route of the Vuelta Feminina 2024

The TOUR favourites by stars

* Sarah Gigante, Liane Lippert, Kim Cadzow, Olivia Baril, Ane Santesteban

** Ricarda Bauernfeind, Mavi Garcia, Riejanne Markus, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio

*** Juliette Labous, Gaia Realini, Evita Muzic

**** Katarzyna Niewiadoma, Elisa Longo Borghini

***** Demi Vollering

Vollering top favourite even without top form

She was seen as the legitimate successor to Annemiek van Vleuten, who retired in 2023, and already showed that year as winner of the Ardennes Triple and the Tour de France Femmes that she could become the measure of all things in both classics and tours. However, the new season is not yet going according to plan for Demi Vollering (SD Worx - Protime). While the Dutchwoman had already won five major classics in the same period last year before the Vuelta, the 27-year-old is still without a win. At least one of her rivals was always faster.

What's more, she was more or less shown the door by her team at the end of the year. Vollering was surprised when SD Worx announced at the end of March that it would not be renewing her expiring contract, apparently without consulting the rider. However, there seems to have been rumblings behind the scenes for some time. This is also likely to have had an impact on her performance.

Nevertheless, Vollering goes into the Vuelta as the top favourite. On the one hand, because the 27-year-old has to slowly position herself for a new and highly remunerated contract. And on the other hand, because she has always been somewhat stronger as a circuit rider than in one-day races. So far, no multi-day events have been on her racing calendar. What's more, Vollering doesn't want to reach the peak of her form until the summer, when the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France will take place within a month of each other. However, there will certainly be a second peak during the Vuelta. Last year, she was only nine seconds behind van Vleuten

Niewiadoma and Longo Borghini on the lookout

Vollering's biggest rivals for victory at the Vuelta have been in better form and also more successful in terms of results in recent weeks. These are likely to be Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek). Niewiadoma ended her five-year streak without a win at the Fleche Wallonne, Longo Borghini won the Tour of Flanders. Both have always finished in the top 10 in the most important races of the season so far.

What both the Italian and the Polish rider are missing is a victory in a grand tour. Longo Borghini abandoned both the Giro and Tour on the road last year and finished second in the Vuelta in 2022. Niewiadoma has finished third in the Tour and tenth in the Vuelta in the last two years. Both still lack the experience of leading a major tour. But they could make up for this shortcoming with their current top form.

Bauernfeind and Realini more than noble helpers

And with their strong teams. In Gaia Realini, Longo Borghini has last year's Vuelta bronze medallist at her side. The 22-year-old, who also won a stage last year, therefore has the potential to start the race as co-captain. Ricarda Bauernfeind will take on this role at Canyon. The 24-year-old was fifth in last year's Tour of Spain. Certainly not quite as strong as Realini, Bauernfeind is nevertheless more than just a good noble helper. With Antonia Niedermaier, Niewiadoma has another young German climber at her disposal.

From a German perspective, Liane Lippert (Movistar) will also be at the start. She is celebrating her season debut in Spain after a long injury break. If the 26-year-old could otherwise be expected to achieve a top 10 result, this is unlikely to be her goal in the current situation. It is more likely that her focus will perhaps be on one stage.

Juliette Labous (dsm-firmenich PostNL) will definitely be aiming for the overall classification. The Frenchwoman already has several top results in the grand tours under her belt and, alongside van Vleuten, is the only one to finish in the top 10 at the Giro (2nd), Tour (5th) and Vuelta (7th) last year. In the Ardennes, she showed improving form with two finishes in the top eight and should be in good shape for the start. The same applies to her compatriot Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez), who as sixth at the Vuelta in the previous season has already proven her qualities as a tour rider and impressed with her fourth place at the Fleche Wallonne during the last form check in the Ardennes.