Liane Lippert claims victory after well-timed attack in Vuelta CV Feminas
Liane Lippert claimed victory on Sunday in the eighth edition of the Vuelta CV Feminas. The German rider from Movistar broke away from an elite group in the final kilometers and then soloed impressively to her first win of 2026.
Racing is underway in various parts of the world these days. In the Middle East, attention focused on the UAE Tour Women and Tour of Oman, while closer to home—in eastern Spain—it was time for the eighth edition of the Vuelta CV Feminas. In this race, the peloton covered just under one hundred kilometers across a hilly terrain, from Bétera to the capital of the province with the same name.
With Lidl-Trek, UAE Team ADQ, Movistar, and AG Insurance-Soudal, several renowned teams were at the start of this 1.Pro race, accompanied by notable riders such as Shari Bossuyt, Liane Lippert, Thalita de Jong, Victoire Berteau, and Pauliena Rooijakkers (in her first race for her new team).
Belgian in the breakaway
Three other, lesser-known riders took the initiative early on and formed the first break of the day. Among them was Belgian Femke van Goethem. The 24-year-old rider from the modest Citymesh-Customm team was out front alongside French rider Noémie Abgrall and Agua Marina Espínola from Paraguay. The peloton allowed the trio’s lead to gradually increase, but there was no real free pass.
On the slopes of the Puerto del Garbí—the second and final climb of the day—the race exploded. In the leading group, Abgrall showed the best climbing legs. However, the French leader felt the hot breath of several strong counter-attackers behind her, who had broken away from the significantly thinned peloton: Lippert, Rooijakkers, Lore De Schepper, and Urška Žigart joined the contest.
Separating the wheat from the chaff
These accelerations caused a significant selection. A leading group of about twenty favorites (with escapee Abgrall now caught) remained after descending the Puerto del Garbí. Once back in the valley, no team was able to dominate the race, which played into the hands of the attackers. Various riders attempted to take advantage of this chaotic race situation but could not get clear.
Movistar then decided to take up the challenge and control the race, and for good reason. The Spanish team had perhaps the clear favorite in speedy Cat Ferguson, but that required the race to end in a sprint. Lippert and Sara Martín willingly sacrificed themselves for the young British rider, but their rivals did not go down without a fight.
Perfect timing
In the final kilometers, we saw a barrage of attacks, which prompted Movistar to switch tactics once again. The telecom team suddenly went on the offensive: with about four kilometers to go, Lippert accelerated, opened a gap, and this proved to be the winning move. Lippert was strong enough to ride the last kilometers solo and even had time to celebrate her first victory of 2026.
Watch the final kilometers here:
Relive the thrilling final kilometer of this VCV Féminas! Watch Liane Lippert's magnificent victory once again.
Full results and rankings available on our Race Center.https://t.co/GNsWARJTdB pic.twitter.com/UvqHtPRayi
— VCV Féminas (@VueltaCVFeminas) February 8, 2026
The sprint for second place was won by Shari Bossuyt ahead of Ferguson, completing the celebration for Movistar. With Anne Knijnenburg (7th), Riejanne Markus (9th), and Laura Molenaar (10th), three Dutch women also finished in the top 10.
