Vollering hits the turbo on her return and dominates Valencia opening stage

Even before the start, stage 1 was surrounded by drama. Strong winds caused issues at the sign-on and prompted discussions about whether the stage should go ahead at all. After talks between the riders and the organisers, the decision was made to race — with reports that Vollering was among those pushing to continue, believing conditions were safe enough.

With a flat opening section and the wind still howling, nobody was keen to launch an early breakaway. The peloton stayed together for a long time, with teams clearly saving their matches for the decisive final kilometres.

An acceleration from Anne Knijnenburg (VolkerWessels) midway through the stage was quickly neutralised. The wind later forced a brief moment of caution, with the race effectively slowed behind the jury car under a yellow-flag situation before the riders were allowed to continue again with roughly 40 kilometres to go.

All eyes were on the first real uphill metres: the Alt de Barxeta, a short climb in the finale. Several attacks were closed down, including a move by Anna Henderson (Lidl-Trek). Knijnenburg crested first to secure the mountain points and the polka-dot jersey. But everyone knew the key selection would likely be made on the Alt de Barx — just as it had been last season.

Last year, the opening stage ended with a duel between Vollering and the returning Anna van der Breggen. This time, Van der Breggen was not at the start, but the reigning European champion Vollering was — and her team lit up the final climb, with Elisa Chabbey delivering a powerful lead-out.

Vollering launched her first acceleration a little over 20 kilometres from the finish, from virtually the same spot as in 2025. Only Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//SRAM zondacrypto) could initially follow, with an immediate gap opening behind them. Vollering couldn’t shake the German at first, and the move briefly stalled — but a second surge proved too much for Niedermaier.

Vollering crested the climb alone and then had to defend her lead over the final 15 kilometres. Behind her, Niedermaier and Squiban tried to limit the damage, with a second chasing group also in pursuit. In the end, the chasers came together — but Vollering was already gone, powering to the finish with a commanding advantage.