Mireia goes 111 kilometers solo and wins prize for Combativity

AG Insurance - Soudal took part in the third stage of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es, a 130.2 kilometer-long ride from Lucena to Teruel.

Mireia began her breakaway 118 kilometers from the finish line and built up a lead of 5 minutes and 30 seconds. Her efforts also led to a victory in the sprint in Mora de Rubielos, a third-category climb at 87 kilometers, resulting in the best stage result in the history of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es.

Mireia was eventually caught 7.5 kilometers from the finish, but her efforts placed her second in the mountain classification and earned her the coveted white jersey for combativity.

"Today was a really tough day and also quite unexpected. The main goal was to stay with Sarah and keep her safe, but Servais gave me some freedom to ride my own race. When I saw it was raining, the roads were wet and slippery, I expected the peloton to struggle on the first downhill. I had confidence, my tires had the perfect pressure to push a bit to the limit. At the bottom of the downhill, I saw I was all alone and thought: 'Why not start pushing?' Maybe someone will join me in the break. It was a tough stage; I gave it my all and wanted to go as far as possible. It was also amazing to see all the people supporting me, especially the children screaming my name. That gave me huge motivation. The team worked really well to keep me in the breakaway. We keep fighting every day and give it all. Winning races has always been tough for me; in fact, I haven't managed to win one yet... but I haven't lost hope. I think this is a step forward for me and my teammates, especially for the days ahead. And my victory will come," said a delighted Mireia Benito.