Ellen van Dijk hails 'phenomenal' victory as Lidl-Trek win Vuelta Femenina stage 1 team time trial

Ellen van Dijk will wear the first red jersey of this year’s Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es, after leading Lidl-Trek to victory in stage one's team time trial.

Repeating their feat from the opening day last year, the American squad were fastest by just three seconds in Barcelona on Sunday. The team, containing British time trial champion Anna Henderson, completed the 8.1km out-and-back course in just nine minutes and 30 seconds, holding an average speed of 51.5km/h.

Speaking afterwards, Van Dijk hailed the victory as a “phenomenal” team effort.

“We are super happy. We really wanted this win,” the three-time world champion said. “We had the whole team really going for this, not just the riders, but all the staff.

“It went super fast,” Van Dijk continued. “We were satisfied with the performance, and then it’s just waiting, waiting, waiting until the other teams finish [to see] if we made it or not.

“When you hear you’ve won, it’s such a relief. These are the best wins, because you can celebrate it all together.”

SD Worx-Protime and Liv AlUla Jayco finished second and third respectively, both three seconds adrift.

FDJ-SUEZ, the team of the defending champion Demi Vollering, placed fourth, only six seconds down, after Vittoria Guazzini crashed at the halfway point.

Having crossed the finish line first, Van Dijk earned the responsibility of guarding the red leader’s jersey on Monday’s second stage.

“I feel it more like an honour from the team that I’m the one who will wear the red jersey,” she said. “I don’t feel like it’s my jersey – it’s the team’s jersey.”

How it happened

The only team time trial on the women's WorldTour calendar this season offered a pan-flat course, starting and finishing outside Antoni Gaudí's Casa Milà in the centre of Barcelona.

The first team to roll down the start ramp, Lotto, set an early benchmark of 10.07, riding at an average speed of 48.4km/h.

It wasn’t long before the Belgian squad’s time was bettered, first by Cofidis, and then by Picnic PostNL, the first team to surpass the 50km/h mark, clocking in at 9.39.

Racing in her Grand Tour debut, double junior world champion Cat Ferguson’s day ended as soon as it began. The 18-year-old raised her hand above her head immediately after her first pedal strokes, victim of a puncture, and went on to roll around the course alone.

There were disastrous starts too for Uno-X and Visma-Lease a Bike, who began their efforts playing catch-up, after some of their riders were late to the start ramp.

Picnic PostNL’s reign in the hot seat ended at the moment Liv AlUla Jayco crossed the line. The Australian squad, riding for GC hopeful Mavi García, were fastest to the halfway time check, and ended up nudging a further six seconds off the benchmark.

Liv AlUla Jayco's leading spell lasted only moments, however, before Lidl-Trek barrelled to a new fastest time.

SD Worx-Protime then came close, missing out by just three seconds, before FDJ-SUEZ made a last-gasp dash for the victory. Finishing without Guazzini, who fell on a U-turn at the halfway point, the French squad charged down the finishing straight, but were unable to challenge the leaders, and placed fourth.

The seven-day race continues on Monday with another stage in Catalonia. Stage two brings the race’s shortest road stage at 99km, and could go either to the sprinters or a breakaway.

Results

La Vuelta Femenina 2025, stage one: Barcelona > Barcelona TTT (8.1km)

1. Lidl-Trek in 9.30
2. SD Worx-Protime, +3s
3. Liv AlUla Jayco, +3s
4. FDJ-SUEZ, +6s
5. Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, +8s
6. Picnic PostNL, +9s
7. Movistar, +16s
8. EF Education-Oatly, +16s
9. Human Powered Health, +20s
10. Visma-Lease a Bike, +21s