Letizia Paternoster has donned the red leader's jersey at the Vuelta Femenina after securing a second-place finish under challenging conditions. Following an excellent performance by the Liv AlUla Jayco team in the opening team time trial, Paternoster knew she could claim the lead by delivering an outstanding result on a stage promising to be for the fast women in the group.

Thanks to her teammates' work, the Trentino rider was at the forefront for the final kilometers. She guided the group down a wet and technical descent before entering the winding city streets towards the finish line, skillfully avoiding a crash just behind her as the group accelerated around the final corner.

Paternoster crossed the finish line in second place, making up ground in the final straight past Letizia Borghesi and, thanks to bonus seconds, leaped to the top of the general classification. Her teammate Monica Trinca Colonel also performed well, finishing fifth and now sitting seventh overall, with Mavi García also entering the top 10 - both just six seconds behind Paternoster.

Letizia Paternoster is the picture of happiness: "I don't know what happened. I don't know how, but I'm the leader of my first Vuelta Femenina, and I'm absolutely shocked right now. I'm so happy and grateful because tomorrow I start with the red jersey with the Liv AlUla Jayco name printed on it: the entire team deserves this recognition. The staff and the girls work so hard, and I'm finally bringing something to them. I feel so grateful to be part of this family, and it means so much to me to give something back to this team. They saved my career, and I'm proud to be here just to say thank you to our team, to all our sponsors, and to the people around us because they are fantastic. They truly deserve so much."

Gene Bates, Liv AlUla Jayco's sports director, adds: "What a fantastic day for Letizia, for the team here in Spain, and for the team as a whole. When we win, we all win. Taking the red jersey today and finishing second in the stage behind Marianne Vos is definitely a victory for our team. We wanted to aim for a stage win with Letizia; the finish was very technical, and the rain made it even more challenging. She is one of the best in those situations, so it was fantastic to see her come in front and claim the jersey - it was the cherry on top."