The race of the team's life. Paula Blasi was not the pre-race favourite, but UAE Team ADQ backed her through the flat stages and unleashed her on the Asturian mountains. After clinging to Van der Breggen at Les Praeres to keep the deficit at 18 seconds, Blasi produced a perfectly judged Angliru attack to win the overall by 24 seconds and the mountains classification. A breakthrough Grand Tour title for the 23-year-old and a landmark result for the squad, which also finished second in the team classification.

By the numbers a dominant week — three stage wins (Kopecky in Antas de Ulla, Bredewold in Astorga off Kopecky's lead-out), the points jersey for Kopecky, the team classification, and the red jersey for most of the second half through Anna van der Breggen. But the one prize that mattered most slipped away: Van der Breggen won Les Praeres and led by 18 seconds, only to crack on the Angliru and lose the overall by 24 seconds. A brilliant race that ended in heartbreak.

A superb Vuelta built around 21-year-old Marion Bunel, who climbed with the very best in Asturias, finished third overall and won the best young rider's white jersey. Sarah Van Dam added consistent placings on the flatter stages, including third in A Coruña. For a young roster, a podium and a classification jersey at a Grand Tour was an outstanding return.

FDJ raced aggressively all week. Franziska Koch held the red jersey after stage 2 and was a fixture in the sprints, while Juliette Berthet timed her form for the Angliru, climbing to third on the queen stage to finish fifth overall — the team's best GC placing. Évita Muzic backed up the GC effort with a string of high finishes. No win, but a constant presence at the front.

The most successful stage-hunting team of the race. Noemi Rüegg won the rain-soaked opener and the first red jersey before a stage-2 crash ended her race, and Cédrine Kerbaol made up for it by stealing stage 3 in A Coruña with a perfectly timed late attack. Two wins from the first three days made for a flying start, even if the GC was never the target.

Petra Stiasny lit up the queen stage, climbing into the GC battle on the Angliru and then powering clear in the final kilometres to catch and pass Paula Blasi for a sensational solo victory on cycling's most feared climb. With Barbara Malcotti also climbing into the overall top 10, it was a memorable Asturian weekend for the team.

Shari Bossuyt won the stage 2 sprint in San Cibrao das Viñas, and Urška Žigart delivered a solid GC campaign to finish sixth overall in Asturias. A productive week combining a stage win with a top-six placing on the general classification.

The Basque development team had a banner Vuelta through Usoa Ostolaza, who climbed strongly across both Asturian stages to finish fourth overall on home roads — a standout GC result for a continental squad against the WorldTour's best.

A well-rounded week: Letizia Paternoster collected several sprint podiums on the flatter stages while Monica Trinca Colonel rode into the GC top 10, finishing seventh overall. No win, but consistent presence in both the bunch finishes and the mountains.