Strong winds initially caused debate about whether or not to go ahead with the stage, but after a vote, the majority decided to complete the 121-kilometer ride in and around Gandia. Team Visma | Lease a Bike started with seven riders, but suffered an early setback. Nienke Veenhoven was ill and had to leave the race prematurely.

Without Veenhoven, the yellow and black brigade went in search of a good result. After Imogen Wolff and Lieke Nooijen had picked up the bonus seconds along the way, Reijnhout and Chladoňová were dropped off at the foot of the Alto de Barx as best as possible. The young riders showed their class on the climb and were part of the chasing group fighting for the podium places.

Behind Demi Vollering, who crossed the finish line solo, Chladoňová sprinted to an impressive third place. "It was a strange start to the day, as we weren't sure whether the stage would go ahead or not. I felt very strong today and was in a chasing group with Rosita. When the opportunity to sprint arose, I went for the best possible result. I am extremely proud of the girls. We have shown that we are in good shape and ready for whatever comes our way. The goal now is to retain the white jersey and third place in the general classification."

Sports director Joppe de Heij, who made his debut in the Team Visma | Lease a Bike team car, also looks back on a successful first day. “I find it quite surprising that Viktória sprinted to third place here, but at the same time it's great. The first race of the season is always exciting. Of course, I saw the girls at training camp, but based on that it's difficult to say what they can do in the race. They really surprised me in a positive way.”

According to 23-year-old De Heij, it is important to carry this positive feeling into the coming days. "Our goal was to win a stage with Nienke and take the white jersey with Viktória. Unfortunately, Nienke has fallen ill, so we can cross that goal off the list. In the youth classification, we are in a very good position with Viktória and Rosita. Now that we are third in the general classification, we are secretly hoping for a podium place. However, there are still a few difficult stages to come."