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Spanish cyclist Paula Blasi triumphed at the women’s Vuelta a Espana to claim her first Grand Tour victory.
The 23-year-old UAE Team ADQ rider began the day second overall, behind the Netherlands’ Anna van der Breggen of Team SD Worx-Protime.
However, four-time Giro d’Italia champion Van der Breggen was dropped on the final vicious ascent, with slopes of up to 23%.
Blasi then crossed the final stage line in second, behind Switzerland’s Petra Stiasny of Human Powered Health at the summit of L’Angliru, to secure the title.
The home win cements Blasi’s status as an emerging talent after winning the Amstel Gold Race and performing impressively at La Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
Blasi, who began cycling competitively in 2024 after an injury ended her athletics career, was asked by a reporter how she would react if someone had previously told her she would win the Vuelta.
“I would think you were joking,” she said.
The tour was decided four kilometres from the finish on the punishing slopes of L’Angliru, when French rider Marion Bunel attacked and Blasi kept pace, while Van der Breggen fell behind.
One of cycling’s most difficult climbs, it is the first time the Asturias road has featured in the women’s Vuelta.
“It was crazy,” Blasi said of the climb after her victory. “The best thing I could do was not think about it.
“I knew it would be about 50 minutes and so I said, ‘just keep going, keep on your pace’.
“But I started to see Anna [van der Breggen] struggling and I said ‘let’s go for it’.”
Behind Blasi, 36-year-old Van der Breggen came second overall, with Team Visma Lease a Bike rider Bunel, 21, finishing third overall.
Vuelta Femenina final results
1. Paula Blasi (SPA/UAE Team AQQ) 22hrs 17mins 3secs
2. Anna van der Breggen (NED/Team SD Worx-Protime) +24 secs
3. Marion Bunel (FRA/Team Visma Lease a Bike) +49secs
4. Usoa Ostolaza (SPA/Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi) +2 mins 31secs
5. Juliette Berthet (FRA/FDJ United-SUEZ) +2 mins 36 secs
6. Urska Zigart (SLO/AG Insurance-Soudal Team) +2mins 43 secs
7. Monica Tinca Colonel (ITA/Liv AlUla Jayco) +2mins 51 secs
8. Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (POL/Canyon/Sram zondacrypto) +3 mins 6secs
9. Barbara Malcotti (ITA/Human Powered Health) +3mins 50 secs
10. Evita Muzic (FRA/ FDJ United-Suez) +3mins 55 secs
