Ellen Van Dijk Revels in Lidl-Trek's Vuelta Femenina TTT Triumph

The Dutch powerhouse led her squad to a repeat win of their 2024 TTT success, with the American team clocking the 8.1km course in 9 minutes and 30 seconds, averaging a blistering 51.5km/h. They edged out both SD Worx-Protime and Liv AlUla Jayco by just three seconds.

“We are super happy. We really wanted this win,” said Van Dijk, a three-time world time trial champion. “We had the whole team really going for this, not just the riders, but all the staff.”

“It went super fast,” she added. “We were satisfied with the performance, and then it’s just waiting, waiting, waiting until the other teams finish [to see] if we made it or not. When you hear you’ve won, it’s such a relief. These are the best wins, because you can celebrate it all together.”

Van Dijk was the first of the Lidl-Trek riders across the line, earning her the red jersey, but she was quick to emphasise the collective nature of the win.

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“I feel it more like an honour from the team that I’m the one who will wear the red jersey,” she said. “I don’t feel like it’s my jersey – it’s the team’s jersey.”

The flat, high-speed course began and ended outside Barcelona’s iconic Casa Milà and was the only team time trial on the Women’s WorldTour calendar this season.

The day saw drama and tension from the outset. Lotto set the early benchmark of 10:07 at an average of 48.4km/h, but their lead quickly vanished as successive teams raised the pace. Cofidis bettered it, followed by Picnic PostNL, who became the first team to break the 50km/h barrier with a time of 9:39.

Disaster struck early for 18-year-old Cat Ferguson in her Grand Tour debut. The double junior world champion punctured almost immediately after starting and was left to ride the course solo. There were chaotic moments, too, for Uno-X and Visma-Lease a Bike, whose riders missed the start ramp timing and were forced to play catch-up from the gun.

Picnic PostNL’s time briefly held until Liv AlUla Jayco—working for GC contender Mavi García—came through fastest at the halfway check and trimmed another six seconds off the mark. But the Australian squad’s stint in the hot seat was short-lived. Lidl-Trek blitzed the course shortly after, claiming the fastest time and holding on as the favourites crossed the line.

SD Worx-Protime came close but fell short by three seconds. FDJ-SUEZ, led by defending champion Demi Vollering, placed fourth at six seconds back, despite a late charge after teammate Vittoria Guazzini crashed on a U-turn mid-race.

The seven-day race continues Monday with stage two, a 99km road stage in Catalonia. It is the shortest road stage of the race and could favour sprinters or a well-timed breakaway.