Vuelta Femenina: Muzic beats Vollering on the Laguna Negra - Bauernfeind climbs up the rankings

After her show of strength the day before, Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx - Protime) had to settle for second place in the second mountain finish of the 2024 Vuelta Women. The overall leader rode clear of all her rivals on the final climb to Laguna Negra - with the exception of Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez). The 24-year-old Frenchwoman overtook the winner of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes in the final metres of the 132.1 kilometres and celebrated her greatest career success.

This victory means a lot to me. I often finish fourth, like at the Fleche Wallonne or in yesterday's stage. I wanted this one big win here. This will give me a boost - Evita Muzic in the winner's interview.

A few seconds behind the leading duo, Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon//SRAM Racing) was the best German to cross the finish line in sixth place. The 24-year-old thus improved from twelfth to eighth place in the overall standings.

Vuelta Femenina 2024 - Results: the top 10 of stage 6

1. Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez) 4:10:20
2. Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx - Protime) +0:02
3. Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) +0:15
4. Riejanne Markus (Visma | Lease a Bike) +0:17
5. Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) +0:21
6. Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon//SRAM Racing) +0:21
7. Juliette Labous (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0:21
8. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) +0:33
9. Niamh Fisher-Black (Team SD Worx - Protime) +0:38
10. Kim Cadzow (EF Education-Cannondale) +0:40

The current standings in the overall standings

1. Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx - Protime) 17:20:01
2. Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) +0:56
3. Riejanne Markus (Visma | Lease a Bike) +1:14
4. Juliette Labous (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +1:38
5. Niamh Fisher-Black (Team SD Worx - Protime) +2:16
6. Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez) +2:42
7. Marlen Reusser (Team SD Worx - Protime) +2:52
8. Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon//SRAM Racing) +3:17
9. Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) +3:25
10. Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Cannondale) +3:29

>> All stages of the 2024 Women's Vuelta at a glance

How the 6th stage of the 2024 Women's Vuelta went

On the sixth day of the Vuelta Femenina, it once again took a long time before the group of the day was able to break away from the peloton. This time around 60 kilometres. Laura Molenaar (VolkerWessels), Claudia San Justo (Eneicat-CM Team), Aurela Nerlo (Winspace) and Fauve Bastiaenssen (Lotto-Dstny) made their escape. The peloton gave the leading quartet a lead of almost four minutes.

The breakaway attempt lasted until around 18 kilometres before the finish. Then everything rolled back together. On the final climb, it was the FDJ-Suez team that set the pace for a long time before the overall leader Demi Vollering took over. A good two kilometres before the finish, Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) made sure with her attack that the group of favourites was down to ten riders. However, the Dutchwoman was brought back by her compatriot Demi Vollering.

Demi Vollering sets the pace on the final climb

It was Vollering who stepped up the pace again on the steep final ramp. Only Evita Muzic (FDJ-Suez) was able to resist the Tour winner. The Frenchwoman clung on to Vollering's rear wheel and outwitted the overall leader with a dry attack in the final metres.

While Muzic moved up five places in the overall standings to sixth, Vollering extended her lead over second-placed Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek), who once again struggled, to almost a minute.