The final of the La Vuelta Femenina awaits you with a highlight. Because for the first time, women are also riding on the iconic one L’Angliru. Women’s cycling is growing rapidly. Too fast?
It is one of the most feared mountains in cycling and has already claimed many a sporting victim: The Alto de L’Angliru in the north of Spain. Among men, the increase is one Special category has been part of the regular program for a long time Vuelta a Espanathis year it’s the women’s turn for the first time. The organizers of La Vuelta Femenina, one of the three major tours in women’s cycling, are hoping this premiere will be a showdown for overall victory. The majority of female drivers, on the other hand, probably just want to get to the top.
L’Angliru raises doubts
It’s not without reason that L’Angliru is in its own league. The path to the summit is long and steep: almost 13 kilometers with an average gradient of 9.7 percent. There are passages that far exceed 15 percent. From the start of the climb to the final mountain finish on L’Angliru, the riders will have climbed 1,200 meters in altitude. So it’s no wonder that the organizers had certain doubts when planning the route.
After all, there is a risk that the last section up to the summit could blow up the entire ranking. We therefore agreed with the teams and drivers. “We know that the top riders can do this without any problems, but it is important to also think about the middle performance level and the back of the field.”said the Vuelta race director, Kiko Garciaopposite the cycling portal “Cycling News“. “So we had to make sure everyone was okay with it.”
Women’s cycling is growing rapidly
Women’s cycling is climbing to new heights – and not just in Spain. At this year’s Tour de France Women is inferior Alpe d’Huez and that Tourmalet In recent years the legendary Mont Ventoux has been on the program for the first time. And also the next one Giro d’Italia celebrate with him Colle delle Finestre a mountain is making its debut that has long been a spectacle for men. A development that represents the rapid growth of women’s cycling.
Joao Almeida and Jonas Vingegaard fight their way up the steep climb to Alto de L’Angliru at the 2025 Vuelta.
For a long time he lived in the shadows. Only with the introduction of the Women’s World Tour Through the world cycling association UCI ten years ago and its reform in 2020 – including minimum salary, maternity protection and sick pay – there was a change towards more attention. Now all three of the women drive Grand Tours as well as four of the five monuments, with the last remaining monument, the Tour of Lombardy, scheduled to find its way into the racing calendar in 2027.
Fear of implosion
The professionalization of women’s cycling is making great strides. Actually a good thing? Not everyone sees it that way. For some it happens too quickly. For example, expressed Elisa Longo Borghinitwo-time Giro winner, only recently feared that her sport would not be able to cope with this rapid development and could therefore implode. She receives support from the drivers’ union The Cyclist Alliance TCA.
Elisa Longo Borghini at the Giro 2025
They have now addressed the world association in an open letter signed by more than 200 drivers and stakeholders. There they recognize the successes of the UCI measures, but at the same time warn of the consequences. “However, behind this progress lies a financial reality that remains precarious, particularly for teams operating below the Women’s WorldTour level, whose existence is becoming increasingly uncertain.”
No place for small teams
The TCA and Longo Borghini are alluding to the foundation of women’s cycling. Last season, the UCI introduced a new team structure, and since then there have been three professional levels: the first-class World Teams, the newly introduced second-class Pro Teams and finally the Continental Teams, which moved down one level. This step had serious consequences, particularly for the latter. Because now only the world and best pro teams have fixed starting places in the Women’s WorldTour. There is usually no space left for the very small teams.
This creates massive problems. The lack of visibility scares off sponsors and more and more Continental teams have to give up. These small teams are usually the springboard for young riders into professional cycling. In addition, unlike the two upper levels, there are no minimum requirements for salary or other benefits. Many of the drivers can barely make a living from their sport. In addition, more and more races in the lower category, in which young people are primarily intended to gain experience, are being eliminated.
Also World Teams with difficulties
But the world teams also seem to have their problems. While the UCI awarded 15 licenses for the Women’s WorldTour for the current season, there are now only 14 teams at the start. Some did not meet the criteria, others did not even apply due to the high financial requirements. The fact that the latter in particular is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve is shown by the withdrawal of the former German World Team Ceratizit Pro Cycling at the end of 2025. Despite great success on the tour, they were no longer able to raise the financial resources.
In order to be at the top, top teams now need a budget of seven to eight million euros, but at least five – utopian for many teams. As popular as women’s cycling has become, sponsors are still rare. Added to this are the increased costs: In addition to the minimum salaries, the racing costs in particular put a big hole in the budget. From this season onwards, the World Teams have to take part in 26 of the 27 races in the World Series. Some teams, such as that of the interim Vuelta leader Franziska Koch, were therefore forced to reduce their squad. Which in turn increases the pressure on the drivers not to fail.
Top favorites in waiting position
But back to the famous L’Angliru and the drivers that it’s actually about. After five stages that were perfect for the sprinters and breakaway groups, everything is still open. The top favorites for last year’s tour winner Pauline Ferrand PrevotAnna van der Breggen or Kasia Niewiadoma have positioned themselves in wait behind Lotte Kopecky, who snatched the red jersey from Franziska Koch on the fourth stage. One thing is certain: whoever wins this brutal final stage of La Vuelta Femenina will most likely be crowned overall winner.
