A late-race crash saw overnight leader Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) abandon the 2026 Vuelta España Femenina on Monday, while Franziska Koch (Team FDJ United-SUEZ) moved into the red leader's jersey on stage 2 in San Cibrao das Viñas.
The 109.8km stage that started in Lobios had no categorised climbs, but it was far from flat. Rüegg started the day in the race lead, but a crash with just 12km remaining saw her abandon the race altogether.
While the stage victory went to Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal), Koch finished in second place on the day to move into the top spot in the GC standings.
The German talent now leads the overall classification by six seconds ahead of runner-up Bossuyt, who moved up 35 places, and 10 seconds ahead of third-place in the overall, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), who was relegated following the stage.
Évita Muzic (FDJ United-SUEZ) was also among the reduced group that sprinted into San Cibrao das Viñas, where she finished third on the day and moved up 21 places in the overall, now in 4th overall at 12 seconds behind her teammate.
Muzic bumped Loes Adegeest (Lidl-Trek) down by one place, and she now sits in fifth overall at 14 seconds back, while Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) remains in sixth place at 16 seconds.
The rest of the top 10 are also 16 seconds back, with Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) moving up to seventh overall, Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco) in eighth, Liane Lippert (Movistar) in ninth, and Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ) moving up to tenth.
The favourites who lost time on stage 2 include Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike), who moved down to 11th overall and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM zondacryptoat), who moved down eight places to 13th, both are at 16 seconds back.
Stage 3 will take the peloton on a 121.2km race from Padrón to A Coruña on Tuesday.
La Vuelta Femenina 2026 GC standings
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La Vuelta Femenina 2026 classifications and jerseys
There are four main classifications with distinct jerseys at La Vuelta Femenina.
Red leader's jersey – worn by the rider leading the overall GC standings
Green points jersey – worn by the rider who has won the most points, which are available in intermediate sprints and at the finish line
Polka dot climber's jersey – worn by the rider who has won the most points available at the top of every classified climb
White combative jersey – Worn daily by the rider deemed to have been the most combative on the previous day
Note, there is no young rider's classification at the Vuelta, like there is in other Grand Tours. There is a best team classification, which is denoted by red bib numbers.
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