Shari Bossuyt wins a reduced sprint as race leader Rüegg abandons the Vuelta Femenina

Stage two of the Vuelta Femenina has been won by Shari Bossuyt. The AG Insurance-Soudal rider came out on top in a reduced sprint, beating Franziska Koch and Evita Muzic. But the result was almost secondary to the day's defining moment: race leader Noemi Rüegg crashed and was unable to continue.

Marianne Vos had already cast a shadow over the race before this stage even began. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider went down in the stage 1 finale and, in a remarkable feat of determination, fought her way back to finish seventh. But a hospital visit later revealed a broken collarbone. Her race was over.

A stage that should have suited Vos perfectly unfolded without her. In the opening phase of the hilly day, the peloton refused to let anything stick. Several riders tried to force a gap, but nobody could get clear. Only after an hour of racing did a group of five manage to break free.

Two Belgians were among them: Julie Van de Velde (AG Insurance-Soudal) and Marieke Meert (Lotto-Intermarché). They were joined by Léa Rondel (Mayenne Bonbana My Pie), Carina Schrempf (Fenix-Premier Tech), and Andrea Casagrande (Liv AlUla Jayco). With 65 kilometres still to race, the peloton gave them barely more than a minute.

In the final forty kilometres, the peloton steadily reeled in the break. When it finally came apart, Lidl-Trek lit up the race with a series of attacks — Riejanne Markus among those at the forefront. Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime), Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ), and Franziska Koch (FDJ-SUEZ) all piled in too.

It was a ferocious finale, the kind that makes life hard for pure sprinters. EF Education-Oatly, sensing the danger to their red jersey, tried to control things. But on the following drag, Uno-X attacked through Katrine Aalerud. Behind her, disaster struck: both race leader Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) and youth classification leader Eleonora Ciabocco (Picnic PostNL) were caught in a heavy crash. Both riders stayed down for a long time. Rüegg ultimately could not continue.

Without the red jersey in the group, the peloton flew down a steep descent into the final uncategorised climb. Aalerud still held a lead of over twenty seconds at the bottom, with FDJ-SUEZ and SD Worx-Protime driving the chase — Koch and Lotte Kopecky both sensing an opportunity in the absence of Rüegg and Vos.

From within the bunch, Juliette Berthet tried to surprise her rivals with a dig. It came to nothing, but it did end Aalerud's move. Anna van der Breggen then set the tempo on the climb, before Paula Blasi launched an attack.

For a moment it looked as though an elite group might get clear, but a lack of cooperation between the riders blunted the move. Kopecky, caught out by the acceleration, dropped out of position. Van der Breggen brought her back up, but as she rejoined she made contact with Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal). That brief nudge decided nothing — Bossuyt was the stronger of the two and powered to victory, giving AG Insurance-Soudal the win. Koch finished second despite being impeded, and now takes over the red jersey from the abandoned Rüegg.