Another masterpiece by Paula Blasi at La Molina
June 20 th 2026 - 14:40 [GMT + 2]
(La Molina, 20-06-2026).- Catalan cyclist Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ) lived up to expectations, being considered the favourite to win the 3rd edition of the women's Volta a Catalunya by putting on a show in the decisive stage, which took place on a high mountain course with the finish at the La Molina mountain resort. Blasi demonstrated her fighting spirit with numerous attacks on the Coll de la Creueta until she was able to break away solo 14 kilometres from the finish line, which she crossed victorious alone with a 1'20" and 1'36" advantage over the young Célia Gery (FDJ United-Suez) and Sidney Swierenga (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) respectively. Thus, the rider from Esplugues de Llobregat, recently crowned champion of the Vuelta a España and other prestigious races such as the Amstel Gold Race, takes the lead with a wide margin to calmly face the final day of the Catalan race that will take place this Sunday between Mataró and Barcelona.
The 2nd stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya featured a demanding 130-kilometer route between Sant Vicenç de Castellet and La Molina, including mountain difficulties such as the Coll de la Batallola (3rd category) and the Coll de la Creueta (special category). A route designed to define the overall classification of the race with 3,300 meters of accumulated positive elevation gain before the arrival at La Molina, which in 2024 already decided the winner of the first female edition of the women's race in favour of Marianne Vos.
The big teams in the peloton controlled the start of the race until the intermediate sprint in Horta d'Avinyó (km 24.6), where the race leader, Nienke Veenhoven (Team Visma-Lease a Bike), passed ahead after winning the opening stage, while a contender for the final victory, Évita Muzic (FDJ-Suez), gained two bonus seconds. Subsequently, no major breakaway has been able to consolidate despite attempts such as those made by Sheyla Gutiérrez (Movistar Team) and Victoire Joncheray (Team Abadie Magnan) or later Noä Jansen (Liv-AlUla-Jayco), which was neutralized before tackling the climb at the Coll de la Batallola (3rd category, km 90.2), where the AG Insurance-Soudal team has been very active.
The race was destined to be decided on the more than twenty kilometres of ascent to the Coll de la Creueta (Special Category), which crested just over 9 kilometres from the finish line. UAE Team ADQ tried to break away from the start of the climb, seeking the best opportunity for their leader, but Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ) had to withstand several breakaway attempts before finally launching a solo attack 14 kilometres from the finish, about five kilometres from the summit.
The one from Esplugues de Llobregat, a great sensation of the international cycling season, has then begun her triumphal ride to the mountain station of La Molina, practically home for a resident of Llívia. A very special solo victory for a Paula Blasi who is at the head of the general classification of the Volta a Catalunya with a 1'24" advantage over the Frenchwoman Célia Gery (FDJ United-Suez) and 1'42" over the Canadian Sidney Swierenga (Liv-AlUla-Jayco) before the final stage of the race that will be held this Sunday in Barcelona.
For her part, Mireia Benito (AG Insurance-Soudal) achieved an important 5th place in the stage, placing two Catalan cyclists in the top 5 of the general classification, an exceptional result to round off a historic day for the local cyclists in the Volta a Catalunya.
