
Mireia concludes La Vuelta Femenina with the Super Combativity Prize

On the final stage of La Vuelta Femenina, Mireia Benito clinched the white jersey, also known as the coveted Super Combativity Prize, for AG Insurance - Soudal. This marks the third time the team has secured this jersey during the race. In the third stage, Mireia Benito claimed the Prize of Combativity after a solo flight of 111 kilometers, while Anya Louw secured the prize in the seventh stage.
With 121 riders at the start of the final mountain stage and a course of 89.5 kilometers featuring two climbs – Puerto De La Morcuera and Valdesquí in the Comunidad, the riders faced a challenging day in the saddle. Around 70 kilometers from the finish, a leading group of 13 riders formed, with Mireia and Sarah joining the breakaway. However, at 40 kilometers from the finish, the leading group reduced to just eight riders, but Sarah and Mireia continued their action.
However, with 39 kilometers remaining, the leading group fragmented, with Sarah Gigante forming a new front group together with Karlijn Swinkels and Brodie Chapman. With 36 kilometers to go, the breakaway group and the peloton merged again, but not for long. In the final eight kilometers, Sarah had to let go of the leading group and finished thirteenth. The eighth stage, and the overall classification, were won by Démi Vollering.
“I believe today was another strong performance of the team. Everyone did their role exceptionally well, striving to secure a good position in the breakaway. It was a challenging, given that all the other teams had the same goal, but Sarah and I managed to make a significant move and maintain our position in the front. My focus was on supporting Sarah and ensuring she was in the optimal position to launch her attack. Despite facing some setbacks due to the crash, Sarah showed she is really strong. I'm confident she'll bounce back stronger in the next race. Our team is making big steps and I'm immensely proud of our collective effort. I am really looking forward to the upcoming races and the opportunities they hold. It's truly gratifying to stand on the podium once again, especially receiving the Super Combativity Prize in La Vuelta Femenina. It boosts my confidence, also because it’s not easy to get into the breakaways. So I am very happy with the prize!”, said a happy Mireia Benito.