In a brilliant solo move, Cédrine Kerbaol claimed victory in the third stage of La Vuelta, crossing the line alone in La Coruña. The French rider launched her decisive attack just 2 kilometers from the finish, securing a memorable win and moving up to third place in the overall standings.
After Felicity Wilson-Haffenden, who had been part of a breakaway, was caught 15 kilometers from the finish, the pace intensified dramatically. Team SD Worx-Protime, led by Lotte Kopecky, pushed hard to make up for her sprint mishap in San Cibrao das Viñas, where she had to unclip after causing a mass crash.
Franziska Koch, who took the red jersey following her second-place finish the previous day and the crash-induced abandonment of Noemi Rüegg, came close to losing the lead while trying to follow an attack by Kasia Niewiadoma. Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner also attempted a move but without success.
Niewiadoma, riding strongly, launched another attack, unable to break away solo but splitting the peloton into a group of about a dozen riders. Sarah Van Dam counterattacked before a fast descent leading to a cobbled section. The group regrouped with 4.5 kilometers to go. Along the coast, the cobbles, wind, and false flat could change everything. On the toughest part of the climb, Alice Towers increased the pace to set up Cédrine Kerbaol’s attack and create a selection.
Kerbaol accelerated perfectly with 2 kilometers remaining and quickly opened a 100-meter gap, taking advantage of the lack of coordination in the chasing group. Under the flamme rouge, she held a few seconds’ margin. While Jayco AlUla worked for Letizia Paternoster, Kerbaol glanced back just once, powered up the final climb 125 meters from the line, and sprinted solo to victory. She finished ahead of Kopecky and Van Dam, who were fastest in the bunch sprint.
Ten days before turning 25, the rider from Brest achieved her first Vuelta stage win and her second Grand Tour victory after winning a stage in the 2024 Tour de France. She now sits third overall, 4 seconds behind Koch, who saved the lead by just 2 seconds over Kopecky. This is also EF Education-Oatly’s second success in three days.
