Human Powered Health line up in Spain for another Women’s WorldTour stage race, the Vuelta a Burgos from May 22 through 25.
A four-day race in the Castile and León region, Burgos will favor rosters with a diverse skillset. An uphill sprint, a flat day for the sprinters, a true mountain top finish, and a time trial are all on offer.
Barbara Malcotti leads the team and will be backed up by Ruth Edwards and Yurani Blanco, as well as flat-parcours experts Lily Williams, Kathrin Schweinberger, and Silvia Zanardi.
Vuelta a Burgos is the fifth Women’s WorldTour stage race of the season and a primer before the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
How to watch
USA
FloBikes from 8:30 am ET / 7:30 am CT / 6:30 am MT / 5:30 am PT
UK
TNT Sports/Discovery+ from 13:30 BST
Europe
Eurosport/Discovery+ from 14:30 CET
New Pan American time trial champion Ruth Edwards is in good form ahead of the final day point-to-point time trial.
“I’m looking forward to the TT, of course,” says Edwards.
Edwards’ plentiful puncheur skills will be crucial for the team on the hilly opening days, as well as being a backup for Malcotti on stage 3.
“Burgos has two ‘nice’ days to start,” she explains. “They’re a bit more suited to my strengths. The third day is likely the big GC day with a hard final climb. I’ll look to do my best, but supporting Barbara there will be a big goal.”
After a shoulder separation at Strade Bianche, Edwards has put in a block of sustained racing. Pan-Am gold, a podium at the Navarra Women’s Elite Classic and a week of racing at Itzulia Women proved she’s back on track.
“Of course, it’s nice to be back with the team,” she says. “The spring was quite rough, and it’s just been fun to get back into it a bit. We had a nice group for Itzula with everyone showing up with a lot of respect for each other and ready to fight with what we have.”
Vuelta a Burgos Feminas Stage by Stage
5/22 Stage 1 | Burgos – Poza de la Sal (125 km) Uphill finish
Starting in Burgos, the opening stage takes a rolling route heading north before a final ramp kick up to Poza de la Sal. A narrow 1.6 km road at 5.9% with pitches of 8%, positioning is key in the finale and perhaps a little too difficult for the pure sprinters.
5/26 Stage 2 | Villalba de Duero – Roa de Duero (122 km) Flat
Stage 2 seems primed for the sprinters. The only bump on the route is a 2 km stretch at 5.4%, the Alto Cerca Peseta climb, which sits 7 km from the line. The pace might be too high for a breakaway to get out of the peloton at this point, so it will be more about whether sprinters can hold on.
5/27 Stage 3 | Valle de Valdebezana (Soncillo) – Espinosa de los Monteros (Picón Blanco) (95 km) Mountains
Stage 3 is short and all about the final climb of Picón Blanco. The climb was featured at the 2024 men’s Vuelta a España, and with 8.2 km at 9.1%, it’s a steep one, perfect for pure climbers that will create GC gaps before the final day.
5/28 Stage 4 | Villasana de Menza – Lezana de Mena (9.41 km) ITT
For the first time, the race concludes with a time trial. The course is demanding, with the Alto de Arroyo (3.2 km at 5.3%) and Alto de Rozavientos (3.5 km at 9.3%) on tap. A long descent leads into the final stretch. The road flattens over the last 4 km, where the overall champion will likely be decided.
