OPENINGThe 8th edition of the Vuelta CV Féminas (officially the VCV Féminas GP Tuawa) ran 93.8 km from Bétera to a finish at Valencia's Marina — the same course the men contested a few hours earlier. Sixteen teams from Spain, Norway, the United States, Belgium, the UAE, France, Italy, Australia and the United Kingdom lined up, and after a relatively flat opening out of Bétera an early break went up the road on a short leash from the sprinter- and puncheur-led peloton.

UNFOLDSThe two ascents of the Puerto del Garbí were the day's hinge point, the long climb thinning the bunch and stripping out the pure fast finishers. Movistar drove the selection hard, setting up two options at once: a reduced-group sprint and, in reserve, a late attack. As Spanish champion Sara Martín explained afterwards, the original plan was to wear down the remaining sprinters with a high tempo — until Lippert got a few metres of daylight and the team eased off its own attacks to commit fully behind her.

DECIDEDThat switch triggered a roughly 10-kilometre chase by the group behind, but the decisive blow came late: Lippert kicked clear in the closing kilometres — solo with about 3 km to go — and committed everything to staying away. Movistar's numbers in the front group meant the chasers had to do the work while the German rode for the line.

FINALEEntering Valencia on the long, exposed straight running parallel to Malvarrosa beach, it briefly looked as though Lippert would be swept up, but she held on all the way to the line. Six seconds back, Shari Bossuyt won the gallop for second ahead of Movistar's 19-year-old Cat Ferguson, with Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ) and Anna Henderson (Lidl - Trek) completing the top five, all on the same time.