Demi Vollering's FDJ United-SUEZ team have announced the roster which will support the Dutch woman at the Tour de France Femmes avec Ziwft next week.

Vollering won the Tour when riding with SD Worx in 2023, and has finished second in each of the two editions since and both and the team will be desperate for her to win in Nice on August 9th.

Vollering will look to Juliette Berthet and Évits Muzic as her chief support riders for the hilly and mountainous days, while the increasingly versatile Paris-Roubaix winner, Franziska Koch will provide a steely backbone for the team.

Recently crowned French champion, 20-year-old Célia Gery is fast improving and adaptable enough to help out on all terrains too, while Amber Kraak and Marie Le Net form the rest of the seven woman squad and are both certain to be seen on the front controlling.

The team has been around for 20 years but was little more than an also ran for many of those years. However, since Muzic won the team's first World Tour race at the 2020 Giro Rosa, they have been on a tear and are now the best team in the women's peloton.

However, they are yet to win their home race, the Tour de France Femmes, something manager Stephen Delcourt told Cycling Weekly before the first edition of the modern race in 2022 was their chief ambition. As the best rider in the world, Vollering is a huge part of making that ambition a reality and Delcourt has built the team around the 29-year-old Dutch woman.

"It's really hard to choose the roster because we have a really, really amazing team, and we have only one goal, which is the yellow," Delcourt told Cyclingnews earlier this month.

"For that, we want the best riders around Demi, and not just the seven best riders, because especially with this Tour de France, there are a lot of stages where we need to be really careful if we want to put pressure on the others."

The team already has 19 wins this season, with Vollering bagging 10 of those, including two stages and the GC at the Giro d'Italia last month, and she is certain to be brimming with confidence on the start line in Lausanne next week. However, if she's to win she will need to overcome last year's victor, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot who will lead a strong Visma-Lease a Bike team. Ferrand-Prévot hasn't had the best of seasons and hasn't raced since early May, though she is notoriously brilliant at peaking for goals, as she did last year.

Other rivals include Movistar's time trial world champion, Marlen Reusser, who is sure to challenge, especially with the inclusion of a 21km TT on stage 4, and a resurgent Anna van der Breggen leading the SD Worx-Protime team.

The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift starts in Lausanne on August 1st with two stages in Switzerland, moving into south-east France for the seven remaining stagesrest of the race. A summit finish on Mont Ventoux is the queen stage of the event, which concludes in Nice on August 9th.

Demi Vollering became the second woman to win the Giro d'Italia Women, La Vuelta Femenina, and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift after her triumph in Italy on Sunday.

With one day to go at the Giro, it looked like Vollering's dream was over. The Dutchwoman, aiming for her first pink jersey, and the first part of her Giro-Tour goal, remained 49 seconds behind race leader Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) heading into the final stage. Her opportunity to turn the race around on the Sestriere stage had been dashed, after snow and ice shortened the day and took out the final climb.

The FDJ United-Suez rider was disappointed after winning on the curtailed stage eight, but managed to turn it around with a tactical masterclass on the final day to clinch the race overall. She put over two minutes into Van der Breggen to win, with Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM) leapfrogging into second-place. The dream was not dead.

“I gave it my all on the final climb; it was the time trial of my life,” Vollering said after the race.

“I had to be ready to take risks, even if it meant losing everything. I did it, we did it. I can hardly believe it.”

The lead-up to this moment began in 2023, as Vollering soared over the finish in the Tour de France Femmes to take the overall win. A year later, it was the turn of the Vuelta. Now aged 29, Vollering has completed the set in Italy: a pink jersey to line up with a yellow and red.

But she’s not the first woman to complete the set. Annemiek van Vleuten took the triple back in 2023. The Dutch rider left the sport having won the biggest Grand Tours in the calendar, as well as Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, Strade Bianche Donne, the Olympic time trial and multiple road world titles.

Yet, had Van Vleuten retired at the age Vollering secured the triple crown, she would never have been able to win all three races – because they didn’t exist yet. The Tour de France Femmes was only launched in 2022. This year, Jonas Vingegaard became the eighth male rider to win all three Grand Tours.

The Grand Tour triple crown is therefore not only an incredible sporting achievement; it’s a reminder of the opportunities only recently afforded to the women’s peloton; a record of the talent rapidly developing within it, and a reminder of the feats one can accomplish despite being firmly within an age bracket the sport deems “mature”.

“Today was purely about daring to lose,” Vollering said. “I had to dare to lose everything, and I did.”

Demi Vollering will next line up at the Tour de Suisse on the 17 June.

Demi Vollering outsprinted her GC rivals to take her first ever stage win in the Giro d'Italia Women on stage five.

The FDJ United-SUEZ rider came in at the head of a four-rider group after a long day in the hills, with maglia rosa Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) second, Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) third and Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) fourth.

Van der Breggen retains the pink jersey.

Vollering said afterwards that the team plans had gone perfectly, but that the 146km from Longarone to Sante Stefano di Cadore had been a long, hard stage.

"I'm very happy to take the victory. It's my first stage in the Giro so it's a nice one," she said.

"It was a really long and hard day. We started racing already very early – we wanted to have some riders from our team in the breakaway and we managed directly with Amber [Kraak] and Lauren [Dickson] like we planned, it was perfect.

"They did such an amazing job that before we came here on the last climb I still had Lauren in front of me. I managed to bridge and she did amazing work on the flat and on the first part of the climb again," she said.

"Maybe I went a little bit too early, so I couldn't make a difference any more on the climb, but it was a really nice day. We really raced with everything we had and it was a real battle out there."

British rider Dickson, riding in her first year with FDJ United-SUEZ, was part of a major move of more than 20 riders that spent much of the day out ahead of the peloton. The 26-year-old was one of the last survivors, waiting for Vollering as the favourites group began to emerge from the peloton as the race approached the finishing circuit. This included two climbs up to Costa (4.3km at 8.6%) and a single pass through the finish before they came back round for the real thing.

Once over the Costa for the first time, the four-woman group that would eventually win the day had emerged fully, with the addition of Liv AlUla Jayco's Monica Trinca Colonel, who attempted to use her descending prowess to form a winning move, but was ultimately caught and tailed off.

A strong looking Vollering did more than her fair share on the front of the quartet on the final climb and, in Sante Stefano di Cadore following the descent, was also the first to jump in the finale – opening a small gap that none of her rivals could close.

Giro d'Italia Women, stage 5: Longarone > Sante Stefano di Cadore, 146km

1. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ United-SUEZ, 4:23:47
2. Anna van der Breggen (Ned)
3. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, all s.t.
4. Isabella Holmgren (Can) Lidl-Trek, +2s
5. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE ADQ, +15s
6. Niamh Fisher-Black (Nzl) Lidl-Trek, at s.t.
7. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar, +53s
8. Magdeleine Vallieres (Can) EF Education-Oatly
9. Femke de Vries (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, both s.t.
10. Lore de Schepper (Bel) AG Insurance-Soudal, +56s

General classification after stage 5

1. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) SD Worx–Protime, 15:55:13
2. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ United–Suez, +1:00
3. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, +1:24
4. Isabella Holmgren (Can) Lidl-Trek, +2:01
5. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar, +2:03
6. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE ADQ, +2:12
7. Niamh Fisher-Black (Nzl) Lidl-Trek, +2:33
8. Femke de Vries (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +2:38
9. Monica Trinca Colonel (Ita) Liv AlUla Jayco, +3:21
10. Urška Žigart (Slo) AG Insurance-Soudal, +3:26

Anna van der Breggen charged into first place at the Giro d’Italia Women on Tuesday, after winning stage four's time trial over a minute faster than world champion Marlen Reusser.

The SD-Worx Protime rider looked strong from the outset, moving through the intermediate checkpoint as the fastest rider before pushing hard across the finish line in a time of 31.38 (at an average of 24.164 km/h), 1:04 ahead of Movistar's Reusser. Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) rounded out the podium 1:10 behind Van der Breggen.

"I hope I'm an example that you need to keep fighting and in the end it will come again," Van der Breggen said after the race. "You are never there in one step. For me, it feels like I've worked really hard these past two years to get to this point. Winning today in this way really means a lot to me."

The 12.7km individual time trial came after an initial three flat stages, posing a brutal fourth stage of the race. The stage kicked off flat before before a 8.2% gradient climb boosted off over 7.4 kilometres. At its steepest, the climb pitched up at 14% before flattening out towards the finish line.

Reusser occupied the hot seat for the second half of the stage, taking hold of the time trial with a time of 32.42, and deposing Urška Žigart (AG Insurance-Soudal) in the process. For the bulk of the stage, none came close to toppling the world champion, though an impressive ride from Monica Trinca Colonel (Liv AlUla Jayco) saw the Italian slot in 27 seconds behind Reusser, having set the fastest intermediate time at the foot of the climb.

Meanwhile, Vollering was charging through the course, passing the intermediate in a faster time than Reusser. But it wasn't enough to topple the Swiss rider. As the course flattened out towards the finish, Vollering pushed hard across the line and into second, six seconds down from Reusser.

But the most impressive performance of the day came from Anna van der Breggen. In the blue mountains jersey, the 36-year-old first bested Colonel’s intermediate time, before continuing on to tuck into a time trial position to mount the final climb and over the finish line as the fastest rider.

After coming out of retirement, the three-time Giro d'Italia winner moves to the top of the GC, as the pink jersey shifts from Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek).

"Getting [the maglia rosa] is one [challenge], then always wearing it is another difficult task, especially with more stages coming up," Van der Breggen said, before gesturing outside. "I mean, It’s started raining now and it will rain in the upcoming stages as well. I know a lot will happen and it will be really hard to defend this jersey; goal one is finished, that deserves a great celebration. To keep the jersey is the next one, but the first is most important, so I’m really proud of that."

Before finishing her interview, Van der Breggen made reference to her absent teammates: Mikayla Harvey, who crashed in yesterday's race, and Lorena Wiebes. "Wearing the pink jersey in the Giro, it’s a dream," she said. "I will enjoy it with Lorena, who is not here. I think she will be really proud, and I’m proud of her."

GIRO D’ITALIA WOMEN: STAGE 4 (ITT), Belluno > Nevegal (12.7km)

1. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) SD Worx–Protime, 31:38
2. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar, +1:04
3. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ United–Suez, +1:10
4. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, +1:26
5. Monica Trinca Colonel (Ita) Liv AlUla Jayco, +1:31
6. Lauren Dickson (GBr) FDJ United–Suez, +1:38
7. Femke de Vries (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +1:39
8. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE ADQ, +1:51
9. Urška Žigart (Slo) AG Insurance-Soudal, +1:54
10. Isabella Holmgren (Can) Lidl-Trek, +1:55

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 4

1. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) SD Worx–Protime, 11:31:32
2. Marlen Reusser (Sui) Movistar, +1:04
3. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ United–Suez, +1:10
4. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, +1:26
5. Monica Trinca Colonel (Ita) Liv AlUla Jayco, +1:31
6. Lauren Dickson (GBr) FDJ United–Suez, +1:38
7. Femke de Vries (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +1:39
8. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE ADQ, +1:51
9. Urška Žigart (Slo) AG Insurance-Soudal, +1:54
10. Isabella Holmgren (Can) Lidl-Trek, +1:55

On the eve of her Giro d’Italia Women bid, Demi Vollering announced she has extended her contract with French WorldTour team FDJ United-SUEZ.

The Dutchwoman, the top-ranked rider in the world, initially joined the team in advance of the 2025 season on a two-year deal, which was due to finish at the end of this season. She has now signed a “multi-year contract”, FDJ-United SUEZ said in a press release, with the duration reported to be two years by The Athletic.

Team manager Stephen Delcourt also hinted at the lucrative value of the deal to The Athletic, saying it marks the “best contract in the sport”.

“For me, everything starts with a dream,” Vollering said. “And right now, that dream feels bigger than ever – on the bike, and beyond it. I can’t wait for what lies ahead, and to keep building, together.”

Already a winner of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift during her four years with SD Worx-Protime, Vollering brought FDJ United-Suez’s first Grand Tour title last spring at the Vuelta Femenina, where she won by over a minute. It’s one of 18 victories she has collected since joining the team, a tally that has helped her become the best UCI-ranked rider in the women's peloton.

This season, the 29-year-old has won more than half of her 11 race days, including Omloop Nieuwsblad, the Tour of Flanders, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. She will start on Saturday as the favourite for victory at the Giro d’Italia Women – the only Grand Tour she is yet to win.

“Over the last year and a half I have been part of an environment where everybody can truly grow – not just as an athlete, but also as a person – and I am very proud of that. This environment has become home. I was more motivated to keep writing the next chapters of our story together,” Vollering said.

“I am driven to keep building something far bigger than just victories. We want to inspire a whole generation of girls and boys, and move our sport forward as a whole.

“I think about the young girls watching races today who might become the champions of tomorrow. That responsibility matters to me. I want to show them that you can compete at the highest level and still lead with your values.”

Also commenting in a press release, FDJ United-SUEZ team manager Delcourt described Vollering as an “extraordinary athlete at the peak of her game”.

“Demi is a woman who is changing our sport. Through her high standards, her sensitivity, her authenticity, and her way of bringing others along with her, she redefines what a modern leader is… She doesn’t just win races: she shows the way.”

The disparity in television coverage between the men's and women's races is unfair, Demi Vollering has said, in comments made after her Liège-Bastogne-Liège triumph.

“We used to start very early but the live broadcast was longer,” the FDJ United-SUEZ explained in the post-race press conference. “Now we only get short coverage on TV, because the stream only begins after the men's race. But it really doesn't have to be that hard. If the timings stay as they are now, you could either show both races at the same time or switch between them.

"To me, that should be entirely doable, especially when Pogačar is solo up the road again and you already know what's going to happen," she laughed. "Why can't they switch between the two races?”

Vollering's comments came after Tadej Pogačar finished as the fastest Liège-Bastogne-Liège winner of all time in the men's race, clocking in at an average speed of 44.42 km/h. Despite the race ending, there remained a forty minute break between the end of the men's coverage and the beginning of the women's.

“The most important thing is that we keep speaking up,” Vollering said in the press conference. “I hear from a lot of people that they're really disappointed with the short broadcasts. I hope that changes."

In an Instagram post before Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Vollering reminisced on 11 years of development in women’s cycling. Back then, there was no women’s version of the Belgian race and Vollering was yet to turn pro. “Now I am lining up for the seventh time,” she wrote.

While important steps have been taken to move women’s cycling forward, the shortened TV coverage of the women’s races represents the opposite, the 29-year-old wrote.

“We have come a long way, but it shows we are still not there yet,” she said. “Only the last 30 km of a race is not enough. It’s not fair and we need to keep highlighting this. We’ve come a long way, but moments like this remind me that our sport still deserves to be seen in full, not just the final part.

“This is not about comparison,” she finished, ”it’s about giving our sport the visibility it deserves.”

The FDJ United-SUEZ rider stormed to a record third win at Liège-Bastogne-Liège after going alone for the final 35 kilometres of the race.

It is not the first time TV broadcasts have been controversial this year – at Paris-Roubaix Femmes, the decision to show less than an hour and a half of the race while the whole men's race was shown drew criticism.

Demi Vollering powered up the Mur de Huy to take her second win at La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday.

The FDJ United-SUEZ rider attacked from the bottom of the climb, and won despite compatriot Puck Pieterse (Fenix–Premier Tech) coming very close to catching her just before the finish line.

It was one of the more dramatic and unpredicatable climaxes to Flèche in recent years, with Vollering, who previously took victory here in 2023, opening up a gap with around 400 metres of the final climb still to go.

Having bravely broken away earlier than usual in a strategic race that usually rewards patience, and with in-form Spanish rider Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ), hot on her heels, Vollering gritted her teeth and go hard for the line, on a hill with a heartbreaking gradient.

As they raced into the final 150 metres fellow Dutch rider Pieterse launched an explosive attack, which almost denied Vollering victory. However, there was no change of lead, with the latter holding on.

"I only looked back just before the finish and saw Puck, and thought 'Oh my god I still need to do a sprint!'", gasped Vollering in the post-race interview.

Young French sensation Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) had earlier become the youngest ever men's Flèche, during his first crack at the Belgian race, which sends riders from Herstal to Huy.

But in the women's race it was the most experienced riders who were battling it out at the end, with five previous race winners all in contention as a lead pack of 11 riders fought it out over the final two climbs of a course infamous for its uphill finish.

Veteran rider and seven-time La Flèche winner Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx–Protime) was very much in the mix, but it was Strade Bianche-winner Elise Chabbey ( (FDJ United-SUEZ) who was first over the top of Côte de Cherave, and riding out of her saddle during the approach to Mur de Huy.

Vollering soon took over, though, showing her grit and gradually opening up a small gap on the early part of the final climb, before things got exciting in the final 150 metres.

Blasi, fresh from her extraordinary victory at the Amstel Gold at the weekend, finished in third place in this, the second race of three Ardennes Classics. The question now is, will she and Vollering podium again in the upcoming Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, and who will be occupying the top spot on Sunday?

Results La Flèche Wallonne Féminine 2026 (143.5km)

1. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ UNITED-SUEZ, in 03:53:27
2. Puck Pieterse (Ned) FENIX-PREMIER TECH + 00' 00"
3. Paula Blasi (Esp) UAE TEAM ADQ + 00' 03"
4. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) CANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO + 00' 06"
5. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME + 00' 11"
6. Magdeleine Vallieres (Can) EF EDUCATION - OATLY + 00' 14"
7. Pauline Ferrand-Prèvot (Fra) TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE + 00' 28"
8. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZ) LIDL - TREK + 00' 34"
9. Isabella Holmgren (Can) LIDL - TREK + 00' 40"
10. Nienke Vinke (Ned) TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME + 00' 40"

After numerous attempts over the last few editions, Demi Vollering finally claimed an elusive win at the Tour of Flanders, as she soloed to victory after a decisive move on the Oude Kwaremont. It marks just the third Monument win of her career, after her two victories at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

The European Champion managed to distance all of the other contenders on the penultimate climb, with nobody able to follow her seated acceleration. She then continued to extend her advantage over those behind her on the Paterberg before time trialling her way to the finish in Oudenaarde.

“It was super hard. My only thought was ‘I need to go as fast as possible and then the suffering is finally over,’ because it was painful,” Vollering said in her post-race interview.

“I really tried to find some calmness in the suffering, tried to stay super focused and then in the end I did it, but I also had to because the team did an amazing job again. It’s not every year that you’re healthy and come in the position [to win], so then you really have to enjoy the moment and give it your all.”

On the work of her team throughout the race, Vollering said, “I think sometimes people don’t really see how important teammates are, but in the end they make sure you come in as fresh as possible to the final. For everybody in the team, it’s just so important winning here.”

The only rider able to even get close to Vollering when she accelerated on the Oude Kwaremont was Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, but the French rider did not have the power to match her Dutch rival and was forced to settle for second place once again, having also finished runner-up at last year’s race.

She beat Puck Pieterse in a two-up sprint to decide the lower steps of the podium, whilst in the group behind, Zoe Bäckstedt just missed out on fourth place after a strong performance, as she was narrowly beaten by last year’s winner Lotte Kopecky in the sprint for the minor placings.

How It Happened

A four-rider breakaway went up the road at the start of the day, with two other riders then bridging across from a chasing group later on. The peloton were content in giving them a sizeable advantage of nearly six minutes, as they were confident that they could reel them in before they entered the decisive phase of the race.

Crashes marred the race, as several riders hit the deck over the course of the day. There were two major pile-ups in the bunch, the second of which came just before the ascent of the Koppenberg with 47km to go. Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal) was among those to go down and was forced to abandon the race due to a fractured wrist, with her team later confirming that she will undergo surgery in the coming days.

Marlen Reusser (Movistar) also abandoned the race as a result of the same crash after having shown great form to win Dwars door Vlaanderen earlier in the week. The Swiss rider suffered a broken vertebra, having only just come back from injuries to her knee and shoulder.

Those unaffected by the crash continued to race on and as they went onto the Koppenberg, the last rider from the early breakaway was caught, with Franziska Koch (FDJ United-SUEZ) coming to the front to set an infernal pace on the steep cobbled climb.

Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) was sat firmly in the wheel of her German teammate as they drew a group of nine riders clear over the top of the climb, with Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech), Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) among those to make the selection at the head of the race.

They were then rejoined by a group of eleven riders as they approached the cobbled sector of the Mariaborrestraat, with FDJ United-SUEZ pushing on once again after being reinforced by the return of Elise Chabbey and Célia Gery. They helped to whittle down the group further as they went onto the Taaienberg, helping to keep Vollering right at the front of the lead group.

Koch would then take over on the Oude Kruisberg, as Chabbey and Gery were finally dropped for good with 29km to go. The German rider then proceeded to create yet more splits on the cobbles, with only Vollering, Ferrand-Prévot, Pieterse and Kopecky able to follow her over the top of the climb.

Longo Borghini then made a massive effort to bring her UAE Team ADQ teammates, Karlijn Swinkels and Silvia Persico, back into contention along with the rest of the chasing group, as they rejoined the leading group in the approach to the final ascent of the Oude Kwaremont.

Going onto the penultimate climb with 18km to go, Koch made one final effort to lead out Vollering, before the European Champion then made her move as they went onto the cobbles. Ferrand-Prévot was able to respond initially, with Kopecky and Pieterse not too far behind, but a gap quickly began to open up as Vollering pressed on again.

Over the top of the climb, the Dutch rider had a nineteen-second advantage over Pieterse and Ferrand-Prévot, with over half a minute to a group containing Kopecky, Longo Borghini, Swinkels, Persico and Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), who had been quietly riding a brilliant race.

Vollering then began the fast descent towards the Paterberg and was not relenting in her attempt to extend her advantage, as she looked to carry as much speed as possible onto the final climb of the race.

A few more seconds had gone her way as she went over the top of the climb and began the run-in towards Oudenaarde. It was here that she began to time trial her way to the finish, with those behind struggling to make any inroads into her advantage, despite good cooperation in the chasing groups.

Vollering was ultimately too strong for the rest of her competitors though, as she soloed to the finish to take the victory, lifting her bike above her head in celebration after she crossed the line.

Ferrand-Prévot just had enough to hold off Pieterse in a tired sprint for second place behind, whilst Kopecky just pipped Bäckstedt on the line to take fourth place in the sprint for the minor placings ahead of the UAE Team ADQ trio of Swinkels, Persico and Longo Borghini.

Results

Tour of Flanders Women 2026: Oudenaarde > Oudenaarde (164km)

1. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ United-SUEZ, in 4:16:37
2. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Fra) Visma-Lease a Bike, +42s
3. Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Premier Tech, at same time
4. Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime, +1:04
5. Zoe Bäckstedt (GBr) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto
6. Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) UAE Team ADQ, all at same time
7. Silvia Persico (Ita) UAE Team ADQ, +1:07
8. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ, at same time
9. Mischa Bredewold (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +1:58
10. Franziska Koch (Ger) FDJ United-SUEZ, at same time

Dwars door Vlaanderen
Wednesday 1 April
Distance: 185km (men's), 129km (women)
Finish: 3:05pm (men's), 4:30pm (women's) BST

The final rehearsal before the big show that is the Tour of Flanders takes place on Wednesday, Dwars door Vlaanderen, or 'Through Flanders', which is quite a nice name.

The men's and women's races are both WorldTour for the first time and are organised by Flanders Classics, the same people behind the Ronde, and In Flanders Fields, and most of the rest of the Belgian Classics.

It is the last chance for riders to tune their form before the big day on Sunday, but is also a big deal in its own right. That said, some riders, including Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel, have elected to skip it in order to save their legs.

Previous winners of the men's race have included Van der Poel, Tom Boonen, and most recently Neilson Powless, while the women's race has been won by Demi Vollering, Marianne Vos, and last year, Elisa Longo Borghini.

Check out our guide on how to watch Dwaars door Vlaanderen if you're still figuring that out. Here are five things to look out for in the race.

Demi Vollering and Marlen Reusser return

Not seen since Strade Bianche almost a month ago, Demi Vollering returns to action at Dwars, a race she won in 2023. The last time Vollering raced in Belgium, she won Omloop Nieuwsblad, so clearly has form for this time of thing. Her FDJ United-SUEZ team are the queens of one-day racing this year, so will be aiming to set her, or one of her teammates up for a win.

Also returning is another SD Worx-Protime alumnus, Marlen Reusser of Movistar, who last rode at the UAE Tour in February. She crashed out of that race, but is back and "ready to go" for this weekend.

Wout van Aert aims to bounce back

Last year, Dwars ended rather embarrassingly for Wout van Aert and Visma-Lease a Bike. The team had three riders in the finale, joined by Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost). Somehow, they managed not to win from that situation.

This season, Visma and Van Aert will be aiming for a different scenario. The Belgian is yet to win this year, despite looking good, and this is a big chance to make a statement before Flanders.

A sprinter's race?

Not since 2016 for men and 2022 for the women has Dwars finished in anything resembling a bunch sprint, but there are still a lot of fast finishers in the races, from Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) to Chiara Consonni (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) and Cat Ferguson (Movistar).

Obviously, it doesn't have to be a bunch sprint for a sprinter to win, as Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) proved at In Flanders Fields. It does, however, give teams a different card to play.

The missing big hitters

While there are many big names lining up on the start list, some are significantly absent. There are favourites for Flanders not racing Dwars, including Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech), and Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime).

It means we can't predict too much ahead of Sunday, although a win is surely better than nothing. That said, it was at Dwars two years ago where Wout van Aert crashed out, ruining his Classics season; everyone will be hoping to avoid incident.

Full-strength teams

Despite the absentees, there are teams with a lot of strength in depth at Dwars. In the women's race, FDJ, SD Worx, UAE Team ADQ and Movistar all look close to full strength, with a plethora of options.

In the men's race, Visma-Lease a Bike look almost there, with the return of Matthew Brennan giving their team another angle, while Lidl-Trek are well rounded too, with Mads Pedersen and Jonathan Milan.

A WorldTour race

For the first time in its nine year history, Dwars is now a Women's WorldTour race, meaning mandatory participation for all the elite teams, live television coverage, and a better field. This is good to see for a race which always provides great action – and fans can finally watch it, too.

Demi Vollering is in a reflective mood. Why, I ask, does she feel the pull, the urge - the obligation? - to use her platform as world number-one to speak passionately from the heart on matters such as mental health, eating disorders, and getting kids active? Tadej Pogačar rarely expresses his thoughts on such matters, so why does she?

"In women's sport, we know we still need to fight for our position," says the 29-year-old. "We all know where we came from. This is so fresh in our minds, so we need to fight for our sport. We also know by doing that we can help other women." It's this sort of conviction that attracted Nike to partner with the Dutchwoman in 2024 - she is in a blue Nike sweater as she speaks to me by video call from her home in Switzerland.

Combined with her formidable palmarès, her direct, open-hearted approach to interviews and social media has helped cement her status as one of the most influential figures in the women's peloton.

Vollering was reportedly the subject of the first €1m salary offer in women's cycling, before ultimately signing with FDJ-Suez on a deal understood to be worth around €900,000. A Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift winner and one of the sport's defining competitors, she is also part of a generation of riders striving to change women's cycling for the better - and forever.

It was Vollering's childhood dream to become a professional cyclist. She literally wrote it in the diary she kept as a girl. But women's professional cycling was still in its infancy when Vollering was growing up in the early-2000s. It was speed skating - a huge sport in the Netherlands - that most interested her. She became very good at it, too, representing her country at youth level.

The oldest of four siblings, Vollering grew up in Pijnacker in a family of flower growers, and worked as a florist herself after completing a degree in floral design. It sounds like a quintessentially Dutch upbringing, but her strongest memories are less about tulips than ice. "When we have a few cold days in the Netherlands and the rivers freeze, you feel this really special atmosphere," she tells me. "Everyone is super happy, goes outside and plays on the icy river. I really love seeing people come together and being out in nature."

Aged 17, she began coaching speed skating. When she noticed a big drop-off in attendance figures during the summer months, she and a friend came up with a new concept: rather than solely focusing on roller skating, they introduced multiple sports to the classes to keep the children engaged. "We had 40 kids in the first year, aged seven to 13. It was such big fun," she smiles. "You could really see the children developing their motor skills." She noticed profound effects in the kids. "I realised then how important it is for young people to move their body, to be outside, and to have a connection with other young humans and to learn from each other," she says.

From a young age Vollering realised that witnessing other people's enjoyment made her happy; she was lifted, vicariously, by their having fun. She also realised that she could help pass on that happiness. For each of her siblings' birthday parties, "I was the one who was thinking of and organising the games they could play," she remembers. "We'd go to the forest and build a maze. I have always enjoyed seeing others having fun."

Fast-forward to 2025 and this longstanding goal has achieved expression in Move to Dream, Vollering's initiative that "promotes the connection between movement, mental well-being, and dreaming big." It's especially important these days that efforts are made to get people active, she says, "when so many children are more likely to be kept inside by social media and digital distractions."

Evidenced by her big wins - Tour de France Femmes, Vuelta a España (twice), Itzulia Women (thrice), and Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Strade Bianche (both twice) - Vollering has fulfilled her childhood dream. Speed skating fell away in 2018, when she joined the SwaboLadies club cycling team. One year later, she turned pro with Parkhotel Valkenburg. In 2021, Vollering joined SD Worx, where she remained until last year, when she signed for FDJ-Suez. In just five years in the World Tour, she has established herself as her generation's most complete rider.

At the time of publication, she has recorded 58 wins - three of them at the 2026 season-opener, the Setmana Ciclista in Valencia. "It's not like it's a playful thing anymore," she says of her progress through the sport. "Everything I do is followed now."

Such is her greatness that it can seem surprising that she has won the Tour de France Femmes only once, in 2023. Losing to Annemiek van Vleuten in 2022, Vollering was reassured by her veteran compatriot that her time would come, so she need not be too upset or frustrated. "It's nice when such strong riders say something like that about you, but I already really believed it myself that my time would come," Vollering says. "I always had this vision of becoming better and better."

True to van Vleuten's prediction, Vollering won the Tour the following year, in 2023, but finished second at the following two, first to Kasia Niewiadoma and then, last year, to Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. Have these defeats stung? "Everybody just expects that I will perform, and I also expect that from myself," she says.

"I always want to go for the biggest results." With success comes great expectation - and responsibility. Vollering has never shirked from either. After Ferrand-Prévot's Tour victory last year threatened to be overshadowed by a debate over her weight loss, Vollering wrote an impassioned post on social media, warning of the dangers of disordered eating. "[It] can grow quietly and stay hidden for a long time," she wrote.

She had been similarly outspoken a few months before, at La Vuelta Femenina, dedicating her stage five victory to those struggling with their mental health. "For many people - especially young people - the mind becomes too strong in the wrong way," she said. "It overwhelms, it isolates, it wins quietly." I read the quote back to her and ask what motivated it.

"That day I was thinking of a person close to me who was having a really hard time," she says, her voice briefly wavering with emotion, "so I just wanted to let people know that those struggling already have the strength inside them to get out [of the situation] and to find a place where they can get better."

The realm of social media - where she posts photos of trail running in the mountains and bike rides with her beloved dog Flo - offers an intimate glimpse into her life beyond racing, but it poses risks, too. "We see so much from the internet nowadays of how a perfect life should look, and we can make ourselves crazy about it," she says. "Sometimes the mind is just too strong. This can get worse and worse, not only with depression but even worse mental states. I know just by saying it it can mean a lot to people and that's what I did that day."

Riding for SD Worx brought with it many glories, but also some major challenges. The team being replete with so many potential race winners led, at times, to a fraught internal atmosphere - tensions that occasionally spilled out into the open, such as when Vollering and team-mate Lotte Kopecky sprinted against each other at the 2023 Strade Bianche.

At FDJ United-Suez - who are keen to extend her two-year contract beyond this season - Vollering is the undoubted leader. From the outside she looks happier. "It's an environment where you feel everybody is really motivated and hungry to get better every day, and not afraid to pursue big dreams," she says.

"When everybody is winning and daring to go after their big dream, even if it's a bit too big, it makes me really happy. It's an environment you want to be part of." Her dream for 2026 is to complete the Giro-Tour double. The Giro d'Italia Women has moved from its traditional July slot to early June, offering Vollering the chance to become only the second woman after Van Vleuten to hold the full set of Grand Tour wins, Giro, Tour and Vuelta.

"The Tour is always my biggest goal and the Giro was not in the best place in the calendar before," she explains. "In that period I always wanted to go on an altitude camp, but now it's moved it's a good reason to go there."She believes nine days in Italy in pursuit of the maglia rosa will aid her bid to dethrone Ferrand-Prévot at the Tour. "It's good preparation, as it's nice to have a good stage race to go into the Tour de France," she says. To win yellow, she has to get past 'PFP' who demonstrated her superior climbing ability on the longer mountain climbs last summer.

This year's race tackles Mont Ventoux, even more difficult than the Col de la Madeleine on which Ferrand-Prévot reigned supreme last August. Possibly in Vollering's favour is the inclusion of a 21km time trial. The Dutchwoman's record in TTs is good - she's not finished lower than sixth in her last 22 tests against the clock - while 'PFP' hasn't raced (with the exception of the 2021 national championships) a time trial in 11 years.

Does the TT give her the edge she needs? "The nicest thing about a time trial is that you can only focus on yourself, and what the rest do doesn't influence your results," Vollering says, slightly sidestepping the question of if she will have the upper hand over Ferrand-Prévot. "It's also a nice goal because at FDJ we've really put effort into my time trial skills, my position, the whole picture, and I feel like in just over a year I've really made a step forward."

If she does win the Tour again to become the modern race's first double winner, Vollering can expect even bigger sponsorship deals from the likes of Nike - and would surely then command the first €1m contract in women's cycling. Money certainly isn't her only motivation; Vollering is driven by a determination to be a positive role model, inspiring women of all ages. "I just hope that I can make a lot of people go outside and fall in love with sports - not only cycling," she says. "I really want to play a part in giving women's sport a little push into a better position, into a good place."

What Demi Vollering says matters and resonates. She has influence and impact. "For men it's a bit different," she continues. "Their sport has been really successful and well-watched for years, so they already have a stable place. For them it's less of a [priority] and they're just very focused on their performances and what they're doing." On her own influence on younger riders, she says: "For women, it's more natural to have a mum figure around to learn from."

Last week, cycling's social media was dominated by one thing: Opening Weekend. From podium celebrations to Belgian beers and road-side crashes, it's clear that the Flemish openers offer a mix of risky, tough, high-octane racing - and many riders love it.

We've had pros go missing mid-race or fall in ditches under the blue Belgian skies. But it has also been one of the race's most dangerous editions yet, according to Arnaud De Lie and a slew of other riders who emerged from the race battered and bruised - some out of contention for the next few races.

We've left this insta-dump of sorts with Demi Vollering, as she sips coffee on her way to Strade-Bianche. Lock in, racing is upon us!

1. Anyone else remember being forced to do “compliment circles” at school? In theory: great idea. In practise, it was pretty lost on a class of 25 awkward teenagers. The Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto Generation team survived the ordeal much better than we did. This is your team for 2026!

2. The dreaded bonk. That horrible going on-empty feeling can, however, be avoided with these hot tips to bonk-proof your fuelling.

3. From Matthew Brennan passing a sip of beer (he’s celiac) to Jordi Meeus tossing it towards the crowd - are the days of on-stage pints (a 'bolleke?') done?

The Ename beer on the podium looks to have hit the spot with Laurenz Rex

— @inrng.com (@inrng.com.bsky.social) 2026-03-08T09:31:14.165Z

4. Celebrations were briefly paused for Demi Vollering as the FDJ-SUEZ rider got champagne in her eye. It looks like it didn’t dent her thrill too much, as the 29-year-old celebrated her first Omloop Nieuwsblad title.

5. The before and after of a weekend of Flemish racing. Margot Vanpachtenbeke finished in 36th place on Saturday’s Omloop Nieuwsblad.

6. Opening Weekend was, according to Arnaud De Lie, "the most dangerous Omloop of my life," with riders crashing out with broken teeth, collarbones and fractured femurs. A day later, Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne saw Tim Wellens crash and fall into a ditch as the bunch squeezed on a narrow road. He broke his right collarbone.

7. A break from the Opening Weekend content in the form of Ed Sheeran - can someone double check this isn’t AI slop? Two worlds collide. Lead Out Sports were apparently lucky enough to meet the singer and songwriter on his LOOP Tour through Australia.

8. The rain in the UK has, fortunately, let up in the last few days. If we do end up with another bout (please no), here is a tried and tested technique for tackling flooded roads.

9. Or you could just hop over the puddles?

10. After victory at Omloop, Vollering headed to the Strade-Bianche, where the weather is fine and the coffee is good. Her team ended up winning through Elise Chabbey, so it was worth the journey,

Confusion reigned among riders in the Piazza del Campo at the finish of the women's Strade Bianche. There were few complaints over a dominant team performance by FDJ United-SUEZ, who won the race through Elise Chabbey and finished third through Franziska Koch, but a significant group was missing.

With around 33km to go on Saturday, a chase group containing Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ), Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) went off course.

The group appeared to follow a motorbike which turned right onto a gravel track between two vineyards, instead of following the road round to the left. The mistake meant it was game over for all those who made it. As they turned around, a few hundreds metres downhill, and trudged back to the course, their gap to the race leaders trebled, from one minute to around three.

The time loss compounded earlier mechanicals for Vollering and Ferrand-Prévot, who already victims of misfortune on Le Tolfe around 10km before.

“Apparently we took the wrong road, so there was nothing more I could say,” Ferrand-Prévot said post-race.

Asked how the wrong turn happed, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift champion replied: “I have no idea... I saw a moto and people going right and then we stopped 200m after. I turned back, and we were far away already. I didn’t know if the front group also turned the wrong way. I still don’t really know, so I’m looking forward to going to the bus and hear what happened.”

Vollering, the defending champion who ended up placing 20th, showed no signs of despair at the finish. Instead, she beamed with joy for her team-mate, Chabbey, the race winner. “I’m so proud of [the team], we did such a perfect race,” Vollering said.

“I had a flat tyre at the worst moment ever, and I was like I can still come back, never give up, keep pushing. They sent us the wrong way and in that moment we knew we’d never come back. All the cars passed and we were in the last of the race. Then it was over.

“Pity for me," she shrugged, "but I was so excited to hear it on the radio. I tried to sometimes tell them something, but it wasn’t necessary because they did amazing.”

Also in the group were Kim Le Court-Pienaar and Letizia Borghesi (AG Insurance-Soudal), Anna van der Breggen and Nienke Vinke (SD Worx-Protime), Mavi García, Silvia Persico and Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ), Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek), Millie Couzens (Fenix-Premier Tech), and Femke De Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike).

“I don’t really know what happened,” said Couzens, the British champion, who placed 34th. “The motorbike went right and we all just followed the bikes in front, and I was like, 'I don’t remember this on the recon', and everyone started shouting... That was quite bad, actually.

“After that, I knew we’d never come back to the front, so it was just survival. I try to enjoy moments, especially after I was dropped, I tried to take it all in. I tried to appreciate it as much as I could.”

Members of the group that went off-course finished more than six minutes behind Chabbey.

It's Paris-Roubaix with hard, hard hills; a Grand Tour gravel epic on steroids; it's an Ardennes Classic with off-road elements. It's Strade Bianche, and once again it looks set to be a thriller.

It's a race with so many tasty ingredients that many feel it ought to join the list of Monuments that sit at the top of the one-day racing tree.

Both men's and women's races run on the same day, Saturday 7 March, and will feature some of cycling's biggest names. This year's races feature a slightly shorter course and, in the case of the men's event, significantly less gravel with the hope of producing a more competitive event – Tadej Pogačar has one the last two editions with long solo attacks.

Here are a few things we're really looking forward to this weekend, at what will be the second big European Classic of the season. We are salivating at the prospect already.

King vs Pretender: Paul Seixas takes on Tadej Pogačar

The ruler must now face the young pretender. Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) will go into the race as favourite, but as many eyes will surely be on French upstart Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CRG), who has been making waves already this season with a series of impressive wins that bely his 19 years.

Neither rider's recent results on paper tell the whole story, for Slovenia's Pogačar has yet to turn a pedal in anger this year and we have little concrete indication of his form. In the case of Seixas – he only took his first pro victory a fortnight ago, and that was at .Pro level – a WorldTour race like Strade Bianche is a step up.

In reality though, we can all be forgiven for presuming when it comes to Tadej Pogačar. The past two seasons have seen him imperious and almost unbeatable in races like this, not to mention he won Strade Bianche in both of those years. As for Seixas, it is his young age and the panache with which he has taken his two wins this season – in particular the one-day Faun Ardèche, where he won solo from long range with a 1:48 gap – that demand we take notice.

Speaking on this week's Watts Occurring podcast with Geraint Thomas, Seixas's DS at Decathlon CMA CGM Luke Rowe had this to say about him:

"He's legit. In the meeting before the race, that's what he said he was going to do. And if you look at the guys he rode off his wheel, if you look at the top 10… they're legit guys. This guy [Seixas] is special… 'F*** me, he's special. He's super professional, lovely bloke – just down to earth. He's still a kid, he's just a jolly kid riding his bike. He doesn't think about the consequences, he just goes and races. He just wants to win everything, smash everyone… he's a special guy."

With a near-190km distance and 11 classified climbs, the Faun Ardèche was not so different to Strade Bianche, minus the strength-sapping white roads, of course. The chances of him riding away from the entire field at Tuscany are slim, but it will be fascinating to watch him go toe to toe with the very best, and on the biggest of stages.

Will Demi Vollering and Lotte Kopecky extend their streak?

The past four editions of the women's race – the Strade Bianche Donne – have seen the spoils shared between Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) and Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez). These are arguable the two best riders in the women's peloton and Strade Bianche offers up the perfect platform where either of these riders, with their own particular abilities, can win. Since Kopecky's first win in 2022, they've taken it in turns, with Vollering the current defending champion.

Both women return again, with Dutchwoman Vollering looking in great form following a run of great results at the Setmana Valenciana – where she took two stages and the overall win; and Omloop Nieuwsblad – which she won. Kopecky, on the other hand, suffered a mechanical at Omloop, which is her one race so far this season, and was unable to capitalise on what she said were good feelings.

Vollering and Kopecky are unlikely to have things all their own way of course – see below for some of the other riders who have the ability to challenge for the win at Strade Bianche Donne.

Shorter, smoother, more open, but still brutal

The organiser of Strade Bianche, RCS, has shortened the course for both men and women, and taken gravel sectors out, with the aim of making the race more open. For the men, the distance is reduced from from 215 to 205km, and, in the men's race, removed two-and-a-half sectors of sterrati, bringing the amount of gravel in the event down by 18km. There is less removed in the women's race on both counts, with the distance reduced by just three kilometres to 133km. Two sectors of sterrati have also been removed in the early stages, making for a 16km reduction.

It feels like this was done with half an eye on Pogačar more than anything else, perhaps to rein in those long-range attacks that have become his trademark and can have the effect of nullifying a race after little more than the halfway mark, in extreme cases. However, the changes have been made in the first half, with the tough and hilly finale left in.

Challengers to the throne

Strade Bianche is about far more than just Tadej Pogacar and Paul Seixas, or Demi Vollering and Lotte Kopecky. In the men's event, Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) will be taking the start. The Brit won the race in 2023 and has been among the best of the rest behind Pogačar in the two races since – last year, in fact, he was second. Pidcock loves this race and will be lining up with nothing on his mind but winning.

The provisional startlist also features Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), he of the impressive breakaways at last year's Tour de France; Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek), who pushed Pogacar hard in another hilly Classic – Il Lombardia – last year; and Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), who will be looking forward to turning the tables on a run of recent bad luck.

In the women's race, Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) heads up the challenge from riders whose surname is not Vollering or Kopecky. She has come second here three times (the last time being 2018) but the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift winner is still more than capable of winning the race. A recent second at Omloop suggests she's in great form.

Elsewhere Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) will make her season debut here. Her third place here last year – not to mention the fact she is the reigning Tour de France Femmes champ – suggests she is well capable of winning on the right day. Finally, Shirin van Anrooij will head up the Lidl-Trek squad. The young Dutch rider is yet to amass many wins but has a previous fifth place here (2024).

Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) will defend her Strade Bianche title on Saturday as one of the 126 riders now confirmed on the start list.

The Dutchwoman, riding in her second season with her French team, will face a number of her key rivals in Tuscany, including the reigning Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike), the two-time world champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), the rider Vollering outsprinted to win Omloop Nieuwsblad last weekend.

There will be 21 teams of six riders competing in the Italian one-day Classic. Among them are the top WorldTour teams, as well as five local Continental teams: Aromitalia Vaiano, Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria, Team Mendespeck E-Work, Top Girls Fassa Bortolo and Vini Fantini-BePink.

Starting and finishing in Siena, the peloton will race 133km, including 11 gravel sectors.

The confirmed start list is published in full below. This information was shared by the race organiser, RCS, on Thursday.

FDJ United – Suez

1. Demi Vollering
2. Juliette Berthet
3. Elise Chabbey
4. Léa Curinier
5. Franziska Koch
6. Amber Kraak

AG Insurance – Soudal

11. Kim Le Court-Pienaar
12. Mireia Benito
13. Letizia Borghesi
14. Lore De Schepper
15. Justine Ghekiere
16. Urška Žigart

Aromitalia Vaiano

21. Fanny Bonini
22. Lucia Brillante Romeo
23. Romina Costantini
24. Virginia Iaccarino
25. Maya Kingma
26. Eleonora La Bella

Canyon–SRAM zondacrypto

31. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney
32. Neve Bradbury
33. Rosa Klöser
34. Anastasiya Kolesava
35. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig
36. Soraya Paladin

EF Education–Oatly

41. Magdeleine Vallières
42. Nina Berton
43. Henrietta Christie
44. Cédrine Kerbaol
45. Alexis Magner
46. Noemi Rüegg

Fenix–Premier Tech

51. Puck Pieterse
52. Millie Couzens
53. Yara Kastelijn
54. Flora Perkins
55. Christina Schweinberger
56. Marthe Truyen

Isolmant–Premac–Vittoria

61. Giulia Bisso
62. Anita Baima
63. Lara Crestanello
64. Valeria Curnis
65. Martina Silvestri
66. Valentina Zanzi

Lidl–Trek

71. Shirin van Anrooij
72. Linda Brand
73. Niamh Fisher-Black
74. Riejanne Markus
75. Amanda Spratt
76. Margot Vanpachtenbeke

Liv AlUla Jayco

81. Monica Trinca Colonel
82. Caroline Andersson
83. Ruby Roseman-Gannon
84. Josie Talbot
85. Matilde Vitillo
86. Ella Wyllie

Ma Petite Entreprise

91. Noémie Abgrall
92. Laura Asencio
93. Morgane Coston
94. Clémence Latimier
95. Célia Le Mouël
96. Océane Mahé

Movistar

101. Liane Lippert
102. Francesca Barale
103. Aude Biannic
104. Ana Vitória Magalhães
105. Sara Martín
106. Arlenis Sierra

St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93

111. Heidi Franz
112. Alicia González
113. Alison Jackson
114. Émilie Morier
115. Solène Muller
116. Caroline Wreszin

Team Mendelspeck E-Work

121. Camilla Bezzone
122. Eleonora Deotto
123. Giulia Giuliani
124. Ilaria Marinetto
125. Elena Pirrone
126. Sara Segala

Team Picnic PostNL

131. Eleonora Ciabocco
132. Audrey De Keersmaeker
133. Gaia Masetti
134. Dilyxine Miermont
135. Josie Nelson
136. Daniela Hezinová

Team SD Worx-Protime

141. Lotte Kopecky
142. Mischa Bredewold
143. Femke Gerritse
144. Steffi Häberlin
145. Anna van der Breggen
146. Nienke Vinke

Team Visma-Lease a Bike

151. Pauline Ferrand Prevot
152. Femke de Vries
153. Daniek Hengeveld
154. Katharina Sadnik
155. Sarah van Dam
156. Marianne Vos

Top Girls Fassa Bortolo

161. Monica Castagna
162. Elisa De Vallier
163. Sara Luccon
164. Marta Pavesi
165. Chiara Reghini
166. Alessia Zambelli

UAE Team ADQ

171. Elisa Longo Borghini
172. Paula Blasi
173. Mavi García
174. Erica Magnaldi
175. Silvia Persico
176. Dominika Włodarczyk

Uno-X Mobility

181. Katrine Aalerud
182. Ingvild Gåskjenn
183. Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset
184. Anouska Koster
185. Mie Bjørndal Ottestad
186. Francesca Pellegrini

BPK Vini Fantini - Epink

191. Sofia Arici
192. Misia Belotti
193. Irene Cagnazzo
194. Andrea Casagranda
195. Gaia Segato
196. Elisa Valtulini

VolkerWessels Cycling Team

201. Anne Knijnenburg
202. Laura Molenaar
203. Esmée Peperkamp
204. Maud Rijnbeek
205. Sabrina Stultiens
206. Sophie von Berswordt

Demi Vollering stormed to her first-ever Omloop Het Nieuwsblad win, outmanoeuvring Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney in a tactical masterclass. Like Dutch compatriot Mathieu van der Poel in the men’s race, the telling move was made on the Muur van Geraardsbergen, where she managed to gap the chasing pack together with Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto's Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney. The two worked well together, growing their lead to 45 seconds over the chasing pack after cresting the Bosberg.

Despite its fairly standard spec, Vollering’s bike stood out prodigiously among the kaleidoscopic hues of the peloton, thanks to her special European-themed colourway. Painted by Italian maestros, LumarColors, the swathes of blue and stars of the European flag flow through the lower portion of the bike, and the S-Works wordmark logo – it’s a stunning rendering and homage to her 2025 victory in France.

We managed to get our hands on the FDJ United-SUEZ leader's bike at the post-race press conference in the press room, just a few hundred metres from the race finish. The splattering of mud across the frame, chainset, and wheels told of a parcours marred by damp roads and greasy corners. Despite the filth, however, the bike still looks resplendent – if anything, more malevolent in this state.

Vollering’s size 56cm frame features a slammed Roval Rapide cockpit, complete with handwritten notes pasted to the stem. The Tarmac SL8 is known for its racy geometry, with stack and reach numbers of 573mm and 393mm. The balanced angles, backed by a parallel head and seat tube angles of 73.5 degrees, no doubt gave Vollering the assurance she needed to attack the steep ups and downs.

The bike is built around a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, outfitted here with a 54/40T chainring, an 11-34T cassette, and 165mm crankarms. Out back, there’s an aftermarket Sigeyi UDH hanger that helps provide better, more precise shifting of the Dura-Ace rear derailleur.

Vollering rolls on Roval Rapide CLX III wheels, complete with deeper front/shallower rear and carbon spokes and lightweight hubs. Like many of the Specialized-sponsored teams at Opening Weekend, the wheels were wrapped in what appears to be a pair of unreleased 32mm Specialised Cotton TLR tyres. There are currently no tyres on Specialized’s website that match the aesthetics and this width, which further suggests these are still prototype items.

The balance of the build is a straightforward affair with a Specialized S-Works Power with Mimic saddle (set upon a zero-offset seatpost), Supacaz bar tape, and Shimano Dura-Ace PD-9100 pedals rounding out the touchpoints. Another small detail we appreciate is the use of a butyl inner tube on the right fork leg to house the timing transponder.

We weren’t able to weigh the bike, but given the frame size and nature of the race, we suspect the full build to come in at around 7.1kg with pedals.

Specs

• Frameset: S-Works Tarmac SL8 Fact 12r Carbon
• Fork: S-Works Fact 12r Carbon
• Cockpit: Rapide integrated handlebars
• Seatpost: S-Works Tarmac SL8 Carbon
• Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2
• Wheelset: Roval Rapide CLX III 63/58mm
• Tyres: Specialized Turbo Cotton 32mm
• Saddle: Specialized S-Works Power with Mimic

Demi Vollering is to target both the Giro d’Italia Women and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 2026 this season, it was revealed on Thursday.

The Dutch FDJ United-SUEZ rider, winner of the Tour in 2023, and runner-up in the past two editions, announced her different run-in to the French Grand Tour this summer.

Vollering will begin her season at Omloop Nieuwsblad on Saturday, before racing the Classics, before heading to the Giro at the start of May. The 29-year-old will then race the Tour de Suisse before the Tour in August. It means no Vuelta España Femenina, where she has won the last two editions, for the first time since 2021.

Vollering has raced the Giro just twice before, in 2019, when she finished 13th overall while racing for Parkhotel Valkenburg, and in 2021 when she finished third, riding for SD Worx. Just one woman has ever completed the Giro-Tour double, Annemiek van Vleuten, in 2022.

“We need to be in good form,” Vollering said of the Tour. “Fresh physically and mentally, and we need to be there at the start line with the thought that we can do it - and I really believe that we can do it.”

The addition of the time trial to the parcours has bolstered the confidence of the French team, with both Elise Chabbey and Vollering excited by the prospect of training for the discipline.

“The course suits us really well, we have the TT and it’s also a harder course,” Chabbey said. “We did a recon from Nice and it’s hard until the end, so we need to be perfect in every detail - and together.”

This year, the change in schedule for the Giro, moving from May to July, has allowed a longer training window before the Tour, meaning Vollering will be on the start line for both.

“The main difference is that my summer is a little different," Vollering explained. "There’s not a whole Spanish block in there and also one more altitude before the Giro, so I have more structured big training blocks to prepare myself for other races.”

This year, she has already won two stages of the Setmana Ciclista Volta Femenina de la Comunitat Valenciana.

In the lead-up to the Tour last year, Vollering had 29 race days on her schedule. This year, her calendar is purposefully thinner, and tailored to prioritise focussed training blocks before her biggest races.

Vollering's next appearance will be at Omloop this weekend, a race she is yet to win, although she has finished on the podium twice.

“Omloop - it’s a very nice race and I'm always looking forward to seeing how I am and how my form is at the moment," she said.

“It would be great to have it on my palmarès but if not, I'm sure it will happen somewhere in the future.”

Saturday 28 February

Men’s
Distance: 207.2km
Start: 10:05 Finish: 14:50 (GMT)

Women’s
Distance: 137.2km
Start: 12:35 Finish: 16:20 (GMT)

Omloop Nieuwsblad is the start of the Classics, one part of Opening Weekend. It heralds the full-on racing season, and the cobbled one-day events which are to come.

The race forms part of a double-header across the weekend, with Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne following on the Sunday for the men, and Omloop van het Hageland for the women.

This is the 81st edition of the men's race, and the 21st of the women's, so it has some serious pedigree. Here's everything you need to know for the 2026 race.

Five things to watch out for

1. A sprinter’s race?

The men’s edition of Omloop last year finished in a sprint for the first time since 2021; it is the kind of race which seems to either have a solo winner or quite a large bunch in Ninove. With less of the relentless climbing that other Classics have, it could be a race which favours a rider like Biniam Girmay or Jasper Philipsen.

2. Dutch dominance

Five of the last seven women’s races have been won by the Netherlands; no particular surprise when you think of the Dutch dominance of women’s racing. If there’s a solo attack this year, you’d pin your hopes on Demi Vollering, while if it’s a sprint, Lorena Wiebes seems unbeatable. The record might well be extended.

3. British hopes

The list of top competitors for Omloop is peppered with Union Flags. Cat Ferguson, two-time victor this season already, is a serious contender in a selective sprint, while Tom Pidcock will be looking to beat his previous best result of fifth. That isn’t it though, with Anna Henderson, Matthew Brennan and Fred Wright all down to race.

4. Kuurne time

The younger sibling of Opening Weekend is Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, which takes place on the Sunday. It’sa 1.Pro race, so not all the big stars will turn out, but those that do will fight hard. It is the ultimate opportunity for someone to make up for a disappointing Saturday, if they have the legs. For the women, Omloop van het Hageland provides the same opportunity.

5. Classics narrative

Omloop is just five weeks out from the peak of the Classics season at the Tour of Flanders, followed a week later by Paris-Roubaix, and it might be Opening Weekend, but things that happen here have an impact throughout the rest of the season. If Mathieu van der Poel or Vollering win, then they will increase their favourite status. If there are surprise performances from unheralded riders, then they will be marked for the next few races. Anything could happen, and this is the start.

Focus on Muur van Gerrardsbergen

Omloop Nieuwsblad effectively runs as a mini-Tour of Flanders, but doesn’t include the Koppenberg, Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg triple. Instead, it uses the old Flanders one-two finish of the Muur van Gerrardsbergen followed by the Bosberg.

The race will be decided on these cobbled climbs, even if there is a lone attacker at this point. De Muur is an iconic climb, and might only be 6.8% over 910 metres, but always has a say in Omloop. Whoever is first to the chapel at the top might just win the race.

How to watch

How to watch

It is on TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland, accessible via a TV package or a Discovery+ subscription. In the US, it's on FloBikes. Check out our full how to watch guide for more.

Last year's podium

Last year’s podium

Men

1. Søren Wærenskjold (Nor) Uno-X Mobility
2. Paul Magnier (Fra) Soudal Quick-Step
3. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Decuninck

Women

1. Lotte Claes (Bel) Lotto Intermarché
2. Aurela Nerlo (Pol) Winspace Orange Seal
3. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime

Riders to watch

Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling) ****

The double-Olympic mountain bike champion has never finished higher than fifth at Omloop, but will be a well-marked rider given his ability to attack from the front. If he gets a clear run from the Muur, he will be hard to drag back.

Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) *****

Somehow, Vollering has never won Omloop. Last year, she was the best of the rest as a surprise breakaway made it to the finish. She will surely be attempting to make up for missed opportunities. Expect her to try and attack from far out and solo away.

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) *****

The Dutch sprinter’s record is verging on outrageous. Wiebes essentially hasn’t lost a bunch sprint since 2024, and if it does come down to a large group in Ninove, betting against her would be like betting against it raining in the UK at the moment. Her SD Worx team will try and keep the race together.

Biniam Girmay (NSN Pro Cycling) ***

Four years on from his watershed Gent-Wevelgem victory, Girmay is back in winning form, and he always seemed suited to the tough racing of the Classics. In a new team, NSN will be all-in to back their Eritrean superstar. Expect Lewis Askey to do a lot of work for him.

Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) ****

The Belgian is no longer world champion, but that will not make her any less marked. Free from targeting GC at stage races, Kopecky is free to do what she is best at, winning one-day races. Expect fireworks.

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) *****

Making an appearance at Omloop for the first time is one of the best Classics riders of all time, Mathieu van der Poel. He is yet to race this season, but don't expect that to hold him back – he will be the hot favourite.

Startlist

Men's

*denotes unconfirmed team

Alpecin-Premier Tech
Edward Planckaert
Florian Sénéchal
Jasper Philipsen
Kaden Groves
Lennert Belmans
Mathieu van der Poel
Tobias Bayer

Bahrain Victorious
Alec Segaert
Attila Valter
Kamil Gradek
Matej Mohorič
Pau Miquel
Robert Stannard
Vlad Van Mechelen

Burgos Burpellet BH
Alexandre Mayer
César Macias
Clément Alléno
Daniel Cavia
Georgios Bouglas
Josh Burnett
Vojtěch Kmínek

Cofidis
Alex Kirsch
Alexis Renard
Dylan Teuns
Hugo Page
Jenthe Biermans
Piet Allegaert
Stanisław Aniołkowski

Decathlon CMA CGM
Oliver Naesen
Oscar Chamberlain
Rasmus Søjberg Pedersen
Sander De Pestel
Stan Dewulf
Stefan Bissegger
Tobias Lund Andresen

EF Education-EasyPost
Colby Simmons
Kasper Asgreen
Luke Lamperti
Marijn van den Berg
Mikkel Frølich Honoré
Noah Hobbs
Vincenzo Albanese

Flanders Baloise
Dylan Vandenstorme
Michiel Lambrecht
Milan Lanhove
Siebe Deweirdt
Victor Vercouillie
Vincent Van Hemelen
Ward Vanhoof

Groupama-FDJ United*
Axel Huens
Bastien Tronchon
Clément Russo
Cyril Barthe
Johan Jacobs
Thibaud Gruel
Valentin Madouas

Ineos Grenadiers
Artem Shmidt
Ben Swift
Ben Turner
Kim Heiduk
Magnus Sheffield
Michał Kwiatkowski
Samuel Watson

Jayco Alula
Amaury Capiot
Anders Foldager
Dries De Bondt
Dries De Pooter
Jelte Krijnsen
Kelland O'Brien
Robert Donaldson

Lidl-Trek
Albert Withen Philipsen
Edward Theuns
Mathias Vacek
Otto Vergaerde
Søren Kragh Andersen
Tim Torn Teutenberg
Toms Skujiņš

Lotto Intermarché
Arnaud De Lie
Cédric Beullens
Jenno Berckmoes
Luca Van Boven
Roel van Sintmaartensdijk
Sébastien Grignard
Vito Braet

Movistar
Carlos Canal
Filip Maciejuk
Iván García Cortina
Jon Barrenetxea
Manlio Moro
Orluis Aular
Roger Adrià

NSN Cycling
Biniam Girmay
Guillaume Boivin
Lewis Askey
Matis Louvel
Riley Sheehan
Ryan Mullen
Tom Van Asbroeck

Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling*
Aimé De Gendt
Brent Van Moer
Fred Wright
Frederik Frison
Kamil Małecki
Tom Pidcock
Xandro Meurisse

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
Arne Marit
Gianni Vermeersch
Jarrad Drizners
Jordi Meeus
Laurence Pithie
Mick van Dijke
Tim van Dijke

Soudal Quick-Step
Casper Pedersen
Dries van Gestel
Dylan van Baarle
Jasper Stuyven
Paul Magnier
Pepijn Reinderink
Yves Lampaert

Picnic PostNL
Frank van den Broek
Henri-François Renard-Haquin
John Degenkolb
Julius van den Berg
Sean Flynn
Timo de Jong
Timo Roosen

Visma-Lease a Bike
Axel Zingle
Christophe Laporte
Edoardo Affini
Matthew Brennan
Per Strand Hagenes
Pietro Mattio
Timo Kielich

TotalEnergies
Alexys Brunel
Anthony Turgis
Baptiste Vadic
Samuel Leroux
Sandy Dujardin
Thomas Bonnet
Thomas Gachignard

Tudor Pro Cycling*
Aivaras Mikutis
Luca Mozzato
Marco Haller
Matteo Trentin
Petr Kelemen
Rick Pluimers
Stefan Küng

UAE Team Emirates-XRG
Florian Vermeersch
Juan Sebastián Molano
Julius Johansen
Nils Politt
Rui Oliveira
Rune Herregodts
Tim Wellens

Unibet Rose Rockets
Joren Bloem
Karsten Larsen Feldmann
Lukáš Kubiš
Martijn Rasenberg
Matyáš Kopecký
Niklas Larsen
Tomáš Kopecký

Uno-X Mobility*
Carl-Frederik Bévort
Erik Nordsæter Resell
Jonas Abrahamsen
Markus Hoelgaard
Rasmus Tiller
Søren Wærenskjold
Sven Erik Bystrøm

XDS Astana*
Aaron Gate
Alberto Bettiol
Alessandro Romele
Arjen Livyns
Davide Ballerini
Lev Gonov
Mike Teunissen

Women's

*denotes unconfirmed team

AG Insurance - Soudal Team
Alana Castrique
Gladys Verhulst-Wild
Ilse Pluimers
Letizia Borghesi
Marthe Goossens
Shari Bossuyt

Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto
Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka
Anastasiya Kolesava
Chiara Consonni
Kasia Niewiadoma
Tiffany Cromwell
Zoe Bäckstedt

Citymesh Customm Pro Cycling Team*
Britt De Grave
Britt Knaven
Cleo Kiekens
Eline van Rooijen
Femke Van Goethem
Yonna van Dam

Cofidis
Kristýna Burlová
Malwina Mul
Marion Borras
Martina Alzini
Valentine Fortin
Victoire Berteau

EF Education-Oatly
Alexandra Volstad
Alexis Magner
Babette van der Wolf
Cédrine Kerbaol
Mirre Knaven
Nina Berton

FDJ United-SUEZ*
Demi Vollering
Elise Chabbey
Eva van Agt
Franziska Koch
Juliette Berthet
Vittoria Guazzini

Fenix-Premier Tech
Christina Schweinberger
Evy Kuijpers
Flora Perkins
Lotte Claes
Marthe Truyen
Millie Couzens

Human Powered Health
Daria Pikulik
Kathrin Schweinberger
Lily Williams
Maggie Coles-Lyster
Marta Jaskulska
Thalita de Jong

Laboral Kutxa Fundación Euskadi
Arianna Fidanza
Idoia Eraso
Irati Aranguren
Marjolein van 't Geloof
Naia Amondarain
Sara Fiorin

Lidl-Trek
Anna Henderson
Elisa Balsamo
Fleur Moors
Loes Adegeest
Margot Vanpachtenbeke
Shirin van Anrooij

Liv AlUla Jayco
Caroline Andersson
Jeanne Korevaar
Letizia Paternoster
Noa Jansen
Quinty Ton
Ruby Roseman-Gannon

Lotto Intermarché Ladies
Anna van Wersch
Katrijn De Clercq
Lani Wittervrongel
Lea Lin Teutenberg
Linda Riedmann
Marieke Meert

Ma Petite Entreprise*
Alison Avoine
Clémence Latimier
Ilona Rouat
Margot Marasco
Noémie Abgrall

Mayenne Monbana My Pie*
Allison Mrugal
Constance Valentin
Fiona Mangan
Justine Gegu
Kiara Lylyk
Natalie Quinn

Minimax Cycling Team*
Camilla Rånes Bye
Clara Lundmark
Émilie Fortin
Gwen Nothum
Katja Verkerk
Ursula Linden

Movistar
Arlenis Sierra
Aude Biannic
Carys Lloyd
Cat Ferguson
Liane Lippert
Sheyla Gutiérrez

Picnic PostNL
Audrey De Keersmaeker
Daniela Hezinová
Josie Nelson
Lucie Fityus
Mara Roldan
Mia Griffin

SD Worx-Protime
Anna van der Breggen
Elena Cecchini
Femke Markus
Lorena Wiebes
Lotte Kopecky
Mischa Bredewold

St Michel-Preference Home Auber93
Alicia Gonzalez
Alison Jackson
Caroline Wreszin
Clémence Chéreau
Elyne Roussel
India Grangier

UAE Team ADQ
Brodie Chapman
Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini
Elynor Bäckstedt
Karlijn Swinkels
Lara Gillespie
Megan Jastrab

Uno-X Mobility*
Alessia Vigilia
Ingvild Gåskjenn
Laura Tomasi
Linda Zanetti
Susanne Andersen
Teuntje Beekhuis

Visma-Lease a Bike*
Daniek Hengeveld
Imogen Wolff
Katharina Sadnik
Nienke Veenhoven
Rosita Reijnhout

VolkerWessels Cycling*
Amber van der Hulst
Anne Knijnenburg
Esmée Peperkamp
Maud Rijnbeek
Quinty Schoens
Sophie von Berswordt

This weekend's racing was decimated by the weather, with a stage of the Setmana Valenciana stage race cancelled and the two-day Vuelta a la Región de Murcia reduced to a quarter of that.

Extreme weather protocols were put in place in both races in the face of high-speed wind conditions that saw riders blown off the road and made continuing too hazardous.

The races were run off in the neighbouring regions of eastern Spain, where weather warnings and forecasts of 80kph (50mph) wind speeds had been issued, meaning some sort of disruption was always on the cards.

However, the organisers of the Vuelta Murcia in particular probably did not bank on their race being decimated in the way it was. On stage one after less than 10km of racing it became obvious that conditions were simply not safe to continue, and thus the riders were relocated in buses to Fortuna, further along the planned route, where the race restarted. This left just 83km – around half of the original planned 178.5km of the race.

This didn't stop riders taking what remained by the scruff of the neck though, with a break quickly forming and a strong Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) attacking with, and then dropping, team-mate Julius Johansen, and Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) attacking from the chase group to take third.

These GC standings remained exactly as they were at the end of the following (and final) stage, which was neutralised after just 10km of racing and no GC given.

The women's Setmana Ciclista Volta Feminina de la Communitat Valenciana was less badly hit, with Saturday's third stage of four cancelled altogether but the only stage affected. The three remaining stages provided enough substance for double stage and overall winner Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) to demonstrate her early season form, while Cat Ferguson (Movistar, winner of stage two and seventh on stage four) and Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ, 2nd on GC and stage one and 3rd stage four) also showed well.

Right on cue, the weather in eastern Spain has returned this week to something resembling normality – warm with a breeze that will slowly die down over the next few days.

However, with a greater focus on rider safety and extreme weather protocols forming a significant part of that – along with climate change effects that seem to be making themselves heard ever louder – this weekend is unlikely to be the last time we see races shortened and cancelled this season. Stage one of the men's UAE Tour, on Monday, was also shortened due to the wind.

Gather round and gaze into our crystal ball – that's right, we've gone a bit Nostradamus for the New Year and tried to work out what's coming down the tracks this year.

I think you'd be a bit disappointed to open your fortune cookie and get 'bikes might be more affordable', but hey, that's what you're getting in our restaurant. Just know that we will not be held liable should these predictions not pay off...

This is the final piece in a series of pieces where we have compiled thoughts from across the CW staff about 2025, after our riders of the year, moments of the year, our alternative riders of the year, our bike rides of the year, our races of the year, and our favourite places to ride full stop. Please let us know your thoughts!

Pogačar will win Roubaix – Tom Davidson, senior news and features writer

Standing on the artificial grass in the middle of the Roubaix Velodrome this April, there was a feeling that cycling fans had been starved of an all-time finale. Inside 40km, Tadej Pogačar had misjudged a corner on a cobbled sector, and toppled into the dirt at the side of the road. The time it took him to change his bike and remount cost him his shot at a showdown with Mathieu van der Poel, the eventual winner. Who knows what might have happened?

As those of us who watch a lot of bike racing know, Pogačar is a rider who rarely makes mistakes; only his crashes at Roubaix and Strade Bianche this year spring to mind, and he still won the latter. I can’t see him slipping up next spring.

Roubaix is a race he’s so determined to win that he’s spent his off-season in northern France testing the cobbles. How do I think he’ll do it? The same way he always does – riding away from everyone from range. The last Tour champion to win Roubaix was Bernard Hinault in 1981 (Pauline Ferrand-Prévot had not won the Tour when she won Roubaix). Forty five years on, I think that statistic will be reset.

Demi Vollering will win the Tour and return to her unstoppable best – Adam Becket, news editor

Demi Vollering finished top of the Women's WorldTour rankings at the end of 2025, which feels a bit odd, even though the Dutchwoman was clearly the most consistent rider over the season. The second-place at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift for a second year in a row dampened the whole year, even though it shouldn't have.

Vollering had a great 2025 at her new team, FDJ-SUEZ, and I back her and them to deliver even more in 2026. This is the rider who won the Ardennes triple in 2023, and surely has a Tour of Flanders in her, and the Giro d'Italia Women route suits her too. I think there could be a special Vuelta Femenina, Giro and Tour triple up her sleeve...

Phat tyres – Hannah Bussey, tech writer

Tyre sizes on gravel bikes have become a hot topic in the tech team of late. We've been watching the cycling community, in general, becoming more curious about all-terrain Frankenstein bikes that incorporate dropped bars, front suspension, and dropper posts, and wonder if there really is any space for them in an already pretty crowded bike market.

Adding 50mm tyre options (for the bikes that can take them) to the mix has challenged the naysayers even more, with many "just get a hardtail mountain bike" retorts. But given that every bicycle innovation received a similar 'what's the point?' response, it could be a sign that this is one trend that sticks in 2026.

Bold colours – Aaron Borrill, tech writer

Bolder colourways. There was a time when inconspicuous, stealthy paint was de rigueur, but my prediction for 2026 is the rise of bolder colours and brazen graphics. While we’ve seen a few brands trial this in 2025, I foresee more bikes outfitted in wilder graphics and colours come the new year.

More gravel and more bikepacking – James Shrubsall, senior news and features writer

With British Cycling having taken over the British Gravel Championships for next year, I can see gravel racing and riding – and its cousin bikepacking racing – taking another step towards the mainstream. Bikepacking racing in particular is more accessible than many realise, and riders just need to have that demonstrated to them. Oh, and Tadej Pogačar to win a fifth Tour de France.

Tech changes – Andy Carr, tech editor

E-pumps will get less boxy. Tyres will get greener, and browner. Saddle set-back and stem length will be back on the performance handling agenda. And we will lament the loss of the steel spoke in performance cycling. Hell, I might even stop talking about it.

The return of affordable cycling, and someone beating Tadej - Matt Ischt-Barnard, ecomm and tech writer

All the ingredients are in place for more affordable cycling: alloy and steel frames are surging, more affordable groupsets from the likes of Microshift are on the rise, the cost-of-living crisis and tariffs are weighing in, and Chinese bicycle manufacturers are entering the mainstream. I dearly hope that affordable cycling is once again on the horizon.

Finally, just for fun, to counter James: 26 is the year someone figures out how to beat Tadej, I can’t say who, but someone.

At this point, in the tail-end of November, is it fair to say we’re in the run-up to Christmas? I found myself gently humming along to ‘Jingle Bells’ in the supermarket yesterday before clocking the festive earworm that had entered my subconscious, catching me off-guard.

Whether you are brimming with festive-fever or not, the Cycling Weekly instagram feed has been coloured by a cold-snap induced snowscape, as Demi Vollering and Michał Kwiatkowski ride out into the snow. But it's turned up some golden nuggets too - could 2026 be the year we see Mathieu van der Poel pick up another cycling discipline? And what role did bikes play in the fight for women's freedom?

We have had eyes off the ball for social media roundups for a while, but we are BACK. Tweets of the week is gone though, sadly. It has kicked the bucket, it has shuffled off its mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleeding choir invisible. Welcome to the new era!

1. John Lewis Christmas advert eat your heart out! Demi Vollering partners with Gobik in this winter tale of a chilly cyclist turned cosy snow-rider.

2. Polish rider Michał Kwiatkowski too tackles snowy training roads on Continental Terra Speed tyres.

3. It’s confirmed: Mathieu van der Poel will be doing an Ironman. At least, that’s what he promised his followers he’d do if this reel reached 100,000 likes. It’s just passed 101k.

4. UAE Team Emirates are testing their speed on the ‘Dubai auto drome.’ But who is fastest on four wheels?

5. There is a sleepy theme among athletes this week - but just remember folks: even when you’re relaxing, don’t forget to do it in full cycling kit.

6. If you don’t have a freshly unboxed mattress to chill out on, fear not! You can do it on a sofa instead! ‘Off-season mode ON: fewer pedals, more couch.’

Off-season mode ON: fewer pedals, more couch 😴Off season mode ON: menos pedales, más sofá 😴

— @lavuelta.bsky.social (@lavuelta.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-11-30T15:11:24.968Z

7. Daisy Adams, aka the seven-year-old ‘pint size cyclist’ races up the Cobble Wobble in Frome after winning the afternoon’s cross race. After this effort, she finished third in the under 16 girls - well done Daisy!

8. What is the bicycle’s role in women’s empowerment? From the evolution of the hoop skirt to the “less cumbersome clothing” that enabled women to cycle more freely, the bicycle was deemed a “dangerous technology,” but one that “released the human spirit in tangible ways.”

9. How long can you hold a wheelie for? In my dreams, I pop my front wheel up effortlessly - it doesn’t matter what bike I’m riding: my full suspension mountain bike or a Santander city bike, I’m that skilled. In reality my skills, unlike Oscar Delaite, who just wheelied for a record-breaking 93.4 miles, are non-existent.

10. America’s favourite bike-bus leader, Sam Balto, has just partnered with Stranger Things and Netflix to put on a themed bike bus. He spoke to Anne-Marije Rook last month about how he rallied hundreds of kids, Justin Timberlake and Benson Boone to bike to school.

Cycling is a cruel sport. Most of the time, only winning matters. That might be different things, that could be a stage win, or a GC win, or a result in a minor classification, but it is the winning that counts. Of course, podium finishes do matter, as do significant placings, and UCI points are increasingly important, but it is so often about the win, especially at the highest level of the sport. You will hear the refrain “second place won’t matter to them” when commentators are talking about certain riders, because it’s true.

It is, ostensibly, a team sport, but there remains only one winner. Compare it to other team sports, from football to cricket, and there are so many more opportunities to perform, to show your worth. To the fan, to the scout looking at the stats, to the commentator, only first will do.

There are not many opportunities to win either, especially in the era of Tadej Pogačar and his super-team, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, who have won 90 races this season, with 18 of them going to the world champion. In women’s cycling, wins feel like they’re shared around a bit more, although SD Worx-Protime’s Lorena Wiebes has won 25 times this season, and is arguably the most dominant sprinter of all time.

There are only so many times a rider, even a world-class rider, can win. Pogačar and Wiebes are the exceptions. This is something I think about often when I see people being disappointed in a rider’s performance, or even that rider speaks about their disappointment in themselves. The expectation does not match the reality of racing at elite level.

There are many examples of riders having stunning seasons that simply do not cut through because of a couple of off days, or missed opportunities. Demi Vollering, for example, has had a fantastic first season for FDJ-SUEZ. For the third year in a row, her win tally is in double figures, and she remains the rider to beat, she's now European champion. However, because she missed out again on the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, and didn't impact the road race at the World Championships to the extent she could have done, it’s not seen as exceptional.

Marlen Reusser has won more than ever before in her career this year, taking two WorldTour stage race victories, but she was pipped at the Giro d’Italia and was forced out of the Tour de France, so again, the same sheen isn’t there.

In men’s cycling, there is a lot of expectation on the shoulders of Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard, two riders who have excelled at times this year, but because they simply can’t win as much as Tadej Pogačar, they’re seen as disappointing by some.

None of these seasons should be seen as disappointing. I don’t really know what could be done, but it’s almost as if we need to value performances more. Wins are a valuable commodity, and those who do it often deserve praise, but there is more to cycling than the top step.

I think that more empathy is needed when a performance doesn’t go the exact way it is expected to do. When a rider can’t follow Pogačar, or something unexpected happens, like Magdeleine Vallieres’ victory at the World Championships, it should be seen less as a failure on the person who missed out, although that is the easiest road to go down for the journalist and the fan. Perhaps it’s just a stunning performance, not a mishap.

Expectations simply can’t match reality. Only so many people can win, that’s the nature of pro cycling. I will continue to try and celebrate those who succeed even when not winning, and sometimes these are the best stories. Not every rider can win them all.

This piece is part of The Leadout, the offering of newsletters from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here.

If you want to get in touch with Adam, email adam.becket@futurenet.com, or comment below.

With the last answer in her runner-up press conference, Demi Vollering had the final say on the war of words that has played out behind the scenes of this year's Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, saying she’s noticed a “stigma" around her that she's "a little bit of a drama queen".

Tension first flared at the race when Vollering’s FDJ-SUEZ team boss Stephen Delcourt complained of a lack of respect in the peloton, after the Dutchwoman was brought down in a pile-up on stage three.

Delcourt’s comments were then dubbed “ridiculous” by Visma-Lease a Bike sports director Jos van Emden, who in turn accused Vollering of believing she’s in a “gilded cage”.

“[Delcourt]’s just been influenced by Demi – by her dramatic behaviour,” Van Emden told De Telegraaf. “Demi really thinks she's in a gilded cage. Yes, she's the best cyclist. But that doesn't mean everyone should make way for her.”

Asked how she responded to Van Emden's remarks during her closing press conference in Châtel, Vollering said: “I’m being hunted for this, I think a little bit. Especially in the Netherlands, I have the feeling I have this stigma around me that I’m a little bit of a drama queen. But in the end, I think, if you ask my teammates, they will always say different.

“I think it’s also someone who doesn’t know me who says something like this. I cannot blame [Van Emden], because he doesn’t know me, so he can say that from the outside.”

For the second edition in a row, Vollering finished runner-up at the Tour de France Femmes, having won the race in 2023. Last year, she missed out by four seconds to Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto). In this year’s edition, she came in at almost four minutes behind the runaway winner, Visma-Lease a Bike’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.

“Everything went really well as a team, so I'm really proud of that, and at this moment, that makes me very happy,” Vollering said.

The Dutchwoman added that she will now go “back to the drawing board” in her pursuit of returning to the top step. “This Tour de France was maybe a bit more for the pure, pure climbers,” she said. “But you don't know what's next year, so never say never.”

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won an emotional Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift stage nine on Sunday to seal an historic overall victory.

The Visma–Lease a Bike rider powered home in a sensational win to become the first French winner of the men’s or women’s Tours since Jeannie Longo in 1989.

The 33-year-old rode solo to the finish in Châtel ahead of 2023 champion Demi Vollering (FDJ–Suez) and defending champion Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney who rounded out the podium

Ferrand-Prévot resets the nation’s long wait for a victor at their home race and did so in sensational fashion with a second stage win in the Alps.

Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney moved onto the GC podium after a difficult day on the bike saw Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance–Soudal) dropped, ending her hopes of a podium place.

But it was day all about Ferrand-Prévot who earned the opportunity to carve her name into history after Saturday’s race flipped the GC on its head.

After a nightmare day for former yellow jersey holder Kim Le Court (AG Insurance–Soudal) as she suffered a major crash on Stage 8, she lost her grasp on the yellow jersey and moved into eleventh overall, leaving Ferrand-Prévot with the nation's hopes on her shoulders.

On the ninth stage of the ever-growing event, the riders faced 124km of a different style of mountain stage, with a massive 11.6km climb at the mid point in the race, before another technical ascent and a final battle to Châtel on the French-Swiss border.

How it happened

From the outset, it was a sensational battle in the finale, as Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) went out hard in her bid for the green jersey, entering the day with a 30-point lead over Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) and 25 points on offer in Morillon.

Wiebes' effort was short-lived, but it was a rapid start to racing. A steep 7km descent broke up the field as SD Worx-Protime’s Anna van der Breggen and Femke Gerritse shot off, creating a 15-second gap from the peloton, and were quickly joined by Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek) and world champion teammate Lotte Kopecky.

With 100km to go and at the base of the climb, the peloton had reeled in the leading quartet, but the intact peloton barely lasted a kilometre as Van der Breggen went off with her third attack of the day.

She dropped the group with Ferrand-Prévot and quickly built up around a half a minute gap over the field, with the white and green jersey riders around a minute behind that.

The Dutch rider’s dominance continued through to the summit of the climb, building her advantage to around 55 seconds ahead of the yellow jersey group, and clinching 10 points in the Queen of the Mountains classification.

With 73km remaining, the fractured peloton reformed 90 seconds behind Van der Breggen, with the group containing Wiebes managing to bridge with the yellow jersey group.

It was in the nick of time, too, as Wiebes worked her way to the front for the intermediate sprint to add another 20 points to her green jersey tally, with Van der Breggen claiming the full points now over 2 minutes ahead.

Van der Breggen entered the foot of the monster Col de Joux Plane with an advantage of 100 seconds, but it was a fierce 11.6km ascent at 8.5% ahead and a charging peloton behind.

GC podium contenders Cedrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly) and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) suffered under the pace and went down on a sharp corner at the base of the Joux Plane, putting them under pressure to come back after losing over 30 seconds on the pack.

From there, the yellow jersey group split, with the difficulty of the climb evident. An attack from Gigante splintered the chasing group, with Ferrand-Prévot, Vollering, Niewiadoma-Phinney, and Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl–Trek) stuck on the Aussie’s back wheel in a bid to catch Van der Breggen.

Injections in pace by Vollering and Ferrand-Prévot kept the splinter group in touch, and by the summit, they were only 48 seconds in arrears.

But after a monstrous climb up the Joux Plane, a technically challenging descent followed, which saw GC contender Gigante be distanced after struggling with the pace.

With less than 50km to go, the chasing yellow jersey group continued their hunt for Van der Breggen, reining her in to under 40 seconds.

At the base of the third climb, the chasers edged closer, with only 15 seconds between them at the front of the race. But as they drew closer, Gigante was dropped even further, sitting at over 2 minutes behind and her podium hopes firmly at risk.

It was not long before the six-rider yellow jersey group, including Niewiadoma-Phinney, Vollering, Juliette Labous (FDJ–Suez), Fisher-Black, and Dominika Wlodarczyk (UAE Team ADQ) bridged the gap to Van der Breggen, who, after a long day on her own, was unable to respond, quickly dropping to over a minute behind.

The group were now invigorated at the front of the race, with the knowledge of a potential stage win on the cards, and more importantly, the opportunity of a podium after Gigante was dropped and Kerbaol sat at almost five minutes in arrears following her crash earlier in the race.

At the summit, Vollering claimed the maximum 10 points, ahead of a winding and difficult descent which allowed the six riders to put further time into Gigante, who at 15km to go was three minutes behind.

It was a nervy build-up in the final moments of the race, but the hammer finally dropped with 7km to go as Vollering launched a fierce attack, and Labous was the first to crack.

Despite Vollering’s bold move, the remaining five dug deep and reeled her back in. But when no one expected it, Ferrand-Prévot went all out in an iconic way, as the French woman opened the gap to 12 seconds over the next 2 kilometres and with a nation willing her on.

The maillot de jaune rode up the valley climb, without a meaningful response from the Vollering-led group, who trailed by over 20 seconds with less than a kilometre remaining.

Ferrand-Prévot rode solo to victory ahead of Vollering and Niewiadoma-Phinney to take the emotional win on Stage 9, welcomed with the raucous cheers of a nation full of pride.

Tour de France Femmes stage nine: Praz-Sur-Arly > Châtel (124.1KM)

1. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Fra) Visma-Lease a Bike, in 3:38:23
2. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ-SUEZ +20s
3. Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (Pol) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto +23s
4. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) Lidl-Trek +23s
5. Dominika Włodarczyk (Pol) UAE Team ADQ +33s Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, at same time
6. Juliette Labous (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ +1:49
7. Sarah Gigante (Aus) AG Insurance-Soudal +3:53
8. Cédrine Kerbaol (Fra) EF Education-Oatly +9:22
9. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck +9:23
10. Nadia Gontova (Can) Winspace Orange Seal +9:42

Tour de France Femmes general classification after stage 9

1. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Fra) Visma-Lease a Bike, in 29:54:24
2. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ-SUEZ, + 3:42
3. Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (Pol) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto, +4:09
4. Dominika Włodarczyk (Pol) UAE Team ADQ +5:45
5. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) Lidl-Trek +6:25
6. Sarah Gigante (Aus) AG Insurance-Soudal +6:40
7. Juliette Labous (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ +9:13
8. Cédrine Kerbaol (Fra) EF Education-Oatly, +13:43
9. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +13:59
10. Evita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ, +15:50

At the summit of the Col de la Madeleine, 2,000m in the sky, Demi Vollering tosses her bike across the finish line. The pre-race favourite has won a two-up sprint against Fenix-Deceuninck’s Yara Kastelijn. Breathless and exhausted, she bows her head over her handlebars. There will be no victory celebrations, though. The dash was for fourth place.

On the gantry above the two riders the clock ticks to three minutes and three seconds; it’s the time Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has had to toast her win on the Queen stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, and start to come to terms with the fact that she is now the yellow jersey. It’s also the time that Vollering has lost to her GC rival, a gap that will be difficult to overcome on the final day.

Many penned stage seven as the day Vollering would take flight, as she had done on the Col du Tourmalet two years prior. Instead, she found herself chasing, suffering on the slopes of the Alps.

“I just feel not really myself,” the FDJ-SUEZ leader said, swarmed by TV cameras beyond the finish line. “I just missed some power in the legs – my heart and lungs were ok, but my legs were just finished today.”

Over the first week of racing at the Tour – in spite of Vollering's day three crash – seconds separated her from her GC rivals. She went into stage eight just 31 seconds off the top step. The gaps have now blown out to minutes.

Ferrand-Prévot leads by 2:37 to AG Insurance-Soudal’s Sarah Gigante, who climbed six places with her move on the Madeleine. Vollering occupies the final podium spot, just 22 seconds ahead of last year’s winner Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), but still 3:18 adrift of yellow.

What went wrong on the Madeleine? “Actually, I felt good in the beginning, but I just didn’t have an answer to Gigante’s attack,” Vollering said. “Normally I should be able to follow. I'm very disappointed in myself, of course, but it is how it is.”

Gigante’s attack came inside 12km to go. “I was definitely dreaming of winning this stage,” the Australian said afterwards, “but I’m happy with second.”

The move ripped the GC group apart, dragging Ferrand-Prévot with it, but distancing Vollering, who then had to close a small gap to Niewiadoma. For the rest of the stage, Vollering was forced to chase by herself – after all, who would pace the pre-race favourite? – but her engine could only get her so far.

“I rode flat out to the finish in the final kilometre,” she said. By that point, though, Ferrand-Prévot was already necking her recovery drinks. “I didn't have much left, but it was at least enough to drop Kasia. Maybe I can get a podium finish in the GC, but we'll see… At the moment, I'm pretty rotten. Let's recover first, then look at tomorrow.”

Stage nine, it’s certain, will be no procession. The road to Châtel is mountainous, with almost 3,000m of climbing before the race closes, and the yellow jersey is crowned.

The GC battle has finally opened up – there’s room yet for some last-minute changes. But, as Ferrand-Prévot’s celebrations at the summit of the Madeleine showed – the fist-pumping, the beaming smile, the tears of joy – the Frenchwoman knows her buffer is comfortable.

France should soon have its yellow jersey. Vollering may have to wait another year for hers.

Demi Vollering is one of women's cycling's A-list stars, with a palmarès containing everything from major Classics to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

A superb all-round rider in the mould of the great Annemiek van Vleuten, Vollering excels in the hilly stage races and Classics. She spent much of her career at the high-achieving SD Worx team, before switching to French set-up FDJ-Suez for 2025.

She has also been open about her mental health difficulties, which on occasion have come to the fore in high-pressure race scenarios.

But she remains super popular with fans and continues to compete at the highest level – there are almost certainly many more victories to come for the Dutch rider.

1. Demi is not her full name – she was born Adriana Geertruida Vollering.

2. Vollering has always ridden bikes, but also has a speed skating background. She used cycling as part of her skating training, before ditching the ice to concentrate on bike racing.

3. Her sisters Bodine and Nena are also bike racers, with Bodine having just signed a pro contract with the VolkerWessels team.

4. She took her first victory the year she turned pro, winning the very short and sweet prologue at the Festival Elsy Jacobs. She also placed third at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and fifth at Flèche Wallonne. Not a bad start.

5. Vollering is an animal lover and has a dog called Flo, one of the rare stabyhoun breed. Flo often appears on her social media posts – sometimes in a backpack as she rides.

6. She is an avid practitioner of yoga and uses it regularly as part of her cycling preparation and recovery, both mental and physical.

7. Her family has a background in the flower industry selling hydrangeas, and Vollering herself is qualified in flower design and worked as a florist before turning pro.

8. One of Vollering's personal creeds is 'Move to Dream'. "When we move… we shake off the noise. We feel strong, alive and inspired," she says on her personal website.

9. She has spoken openly about her mental health, specifically her struggles with anxiety during last year's Tour de France Femmes, where she felt overwhelmed by pressure.

10. After an emotional victory on stage five of this year's Vuelta España Femenina, she dedicated the win to "all the people out there who are finding it tough mentally", in a nod to her own struggles.

11. Vollering excels in stage races, and her GC win tally in smaller such events stretches into double figures.

12. She has won both the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and the Vuelta Femenina, but has not ridden the Giro d'Italia Women since 2021, when she took her best result – third overall.

13. Switzerland has become her home. She moved there early in her career and finds the mountains perfect for training. "I'm loving the Swiss life," she has said.

14. She is probably best known for the time she spent at the SD Worx team, and more recently FDJ-Suez. But her first pro contract was with the Dutch Parkhotel-Valkenberg outfit, with whom she rode in 2019 and 2020, notching up two wins.

15. Vollering has been known to venture off road, and as well as being spotted riding a mountain bike on her social media, has ridden the Gravel World Championships – she was third in 2023 behind winner Kasia Niewiadoma and runner-up Silvia Persico.

16. At the 2023 Strade Bianche, during a solo break, a horse ran on to the course in front of Vollering, who could be heard to scream. However, she eventually passed the errant animal without incident, and went on to win at, um, a canter.

17. She is engaged to long-term partner Jan de Voogd, who is also her manager.

18. Vollering has won numerous races more than once, but she is perhaps most successful at the Itzulia Basque Country stage race. In four editions she has won seven of 12 available stages and won three times.

19. Her professional win tally reached the half-century mark this year (2025) when she won the Vuelta Femenina in May.

20. She loves the outdoors – not just cycling but also cross-country skiing and hiking too. Beyond the physical challenge, she says it helps balance her mentally.

21. An Olympic veteran, Vollering competed on the road at both the Tokyo 2021 and Paris 2024 Games, with her best result fifth in the Paris time trial.

For a rider who had just fallen off the provisional podium at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Demi Vollering cut a relaxed figure after stage six.

Beyond the finish line in Ambert, the Dutchwoman reached for a fan’s bottle, and signed it with a smile. She then laughed up at one of the locals, who bellowed down to her from the window of a house nearby.

The stage had been, compared to the previous days, an easier ride for the FDJ-SUEZ leader. Her day three crash now a memory, she finished alongside her GC rivals, with little to separate them over the climbs, and only bonus seconds bumping her down to fourth.

The gap to the yellow jersey, Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal) has now stretched from 23 to 31 seconds. Just one saw the reigning champion Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) jump into third.

And still, despite the time losses, the race had panned out in the “perfect situation”, Vollering said.

“We didn't have to do anything, while AG [Insurance-Soudal] lost all their domestiques,” she said. “Our plan was to send Elise [Chabbey], or at least some of our team’s riders, ahead. That way, we could put pressure on the other teams to chase."

With UAE Team ADQ’s Maeva Squiban solo up the road, it was Le Court’s AG who took on the charge. The Mauritian’s plan for the day was to take all six bonus sprint seconds and the stage win, as she had done the day before. She settled for four seconds and third.

"I mean, in the end, you try to grab what you can grab,” Vollering said of the scrap for seconds. “But, yeah, Kim, I mean, she's so explosive, so I could not hold the wheel yesterday and today. I didn't want to totally kill myself, because the Tour is still long.

“If every time you go all out for these bonuses, you can maybe feel it a bit towards the end.”

It’s these bonus seconds, though, that have made the difference so far between a closely matched field. Without her 34, Le Court would be fourth overall; instead, she leads the race by 25 to Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike).

“I think the micro-accelerations can add up,” Le Court said afterwards, “but the seconds at the bonus sprints can also add up... For me it’s important to gain as many seconds as possible, because I don’t know how I’ll do in the big mountains stages.”

As the race now heads uphill, the GC gaps are expected to open up. Friday’s seventh stage will finish in Chambéry, a town placed at the gateway to the Alps. A weekend finale in the mountains will then follow. Come the finish line in Châtel on Sunday, Vollering’s 31-second deficit to yellow could well prove inconsequential.

“Everybody looks very good uphill, so I’m looking forward to the coming days to see what we can do in these kinds of finishes,” the Dutchwoman said.

But beware her rivals; Ferrand-Prévot is yet to be tested, Niewiadoma is racing with vim, and fifth-placed Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) is only seconds away. What about race leader Le Court? “I felt really, really good, better than I really expected. So no, no signs of weaknesses on my side so far,” the yellow jersey said.

The fighting talk is out. It’s time for the contenders to enter the Alpine ring.

On Tuesday afternoon, Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ) rolled across the stage 4 finish line in Poitiers unscathed and visibly relieved. After a hard crash the previous day, it had been uncertain whether the Dutch GC favourite would be able to continue the nine-day Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

The FDJ-SUEZ leader was caught in a mass pile-up with 4km to go on Monday’s stage, and she was among the last to get back on her bike. With a torn kit and in evident pain, Vollering was escorted to the finish line by her teammates. She underwent an initial medical evaluation that evening, with further assessments scheduled for the following morning.

It wasn’t until just hours before the start of Stage 4 that her team confirmed she had cleared a second concussion protocol and would continue her bid for the yellow jersey.

“I was really relieved. This morning I had a lot of pain in my neck. I could barely hold my head up,” Vollering said after the stage. She sported kinesiology tape on her neck and was attended to by the team’s medical staff upon her return to the team bus.

“Luckily, it went well on the bike, which gave me a good feeling. No headache either, so that was good news," Vollering commented.

Stage 4 presented another sprint day with the same crash risks as the stage before. The peloton was tense at times, especially when crosswinds split the group and riders scrambled to hold position. But Vollering’s team kept her well protected near the front.

“The team did a great job keeping me hidden and protected all day,” she said. “Today’s finish was a little chaotic again, so that tension was definitely there. Everything was going fine until a rider slammed into my side, and I came to a complete stop for a moment. But I made it through and luckily didn’t lose any time.”

As in Stage 3, the 5km safety zone was in effect for Stage 4, meaning Vollering retained her position in the General Classification.

Still, the crash brought back difficult memories. In last year’s Tour de France Femmes, Vollering suffered a similar fall and ultimately lost the race by just four seconds—the narrowest margin in Tour de France history. Monday’s crash left her both physically sore and mentally shaken.

“A crash like that always affects you,” she admitted. But her confidence appears to be returning. “I think the shock has faded a bit now.”

With the mountains looming at the end of the week and the GC battle about to ignite, Vollering is now focused on what’s ahead. With the crash behind her and her composure restored, she said she’s “looking forward to a battle.”

Demi Vollering’s bid to win this year’s Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is still alive, after she was cleared to continue the race following a crash on stage three.

The FDJ-SUEZ leader came down in a mass pile-up inside 4km to go during Monday’s stage. One of the last to get up, she was helped to the finish by her teammates, and was later tested for concussion.

Vollering’s team manager, Stephen Delcourt, also confirmed she suffered pain in her knee and back. She has now been deemed fit enough to ride on.

Less than three hours before stage four, FDJ-SUEZ issued the following update: “Further medical examinations and a second concussion protocol Demi Vollering underwent this morning with the team doctor, ruled out the risk of concussion.

“With the support of FDJ-SUEZ team, Demi Vollering is determined to take part in today's stage. The team remains vigilant and will further follow her situation during the efforts (warming up and race).”

"I feel OK," Vollering said to the media before stage four. "I hit my head also a bit but the team did a really good examination and for now it doesn't look like I have concussion so that's the good news.

"When I was on the ground I had some throwback to last year but luckily this time it was in the last kilometres, for the rule, so I didn't lose time. My team was there with me, so I'm really glad."

Beyond the finish line in Angers on Monday, Vollering was captured by SBS telling her soigneur that she had a “headache” when she was on the ground. She then returned, limping, to her team bus, where she and her team staff examined her helmet for signs of damage.

FDJ-SUEZ issued a statement at 11pm after the stage to confirm that Vollering had suffered “multiple contusions” and had undergone an initial concussion assessment. She did not go to hospital, but instead was scheduled to have a second concussion test in the morning, “to rule out any suspicion”.

As her crash came within the 5km safety zone, Vollering was given the same finishing time as the front group on the stage and did not suffer any losses in the GC.

Speaking ahead of the race, she said she was “looking forward to a battle” for the yellow jersey she won in 2023. The Dutchwoman lost out on the overall victory on her title defence last year by just four seconds to Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), in what is the narrowest winning margin in Tour history.

Stage four of this year’s nine-day edition is expected to finish in a bunch sprint in Poitiers. The race will have its first mountains test on Thursday, stage six, in the Massif Central.

Demi Vollering’s continuation in th oTour de France Femmes avec Zwift hangs in the balance after a heavy crash in the final kilometres of Stage 3 left the race favourite battered, and awaiting medical clearance to stay in the fight for yellow.

Late on Monday evening, her team revealed that Vollering had not been taken to a hospital but that further medical tests, including a second concussion protocol, will be conducted on Tuesday morning.

“These [test] results will enable Demi and the team to confirm whether or not she will be at the start line tomorrow,” FDJ-SUEZ announced.

Stage 3 saw the peloton tackle the second-longest stage of this year's Tour with a relatively flat 163 kilometres between La Gacilly and Angers. After a four-rider breakaway was caught within the final 8 kilometres, a full peloton headed into the finishing town preparing for a sprint showdown.

As reported earlier, the crash happened just 3.7km from the finish line, as the peloton surged through a fast, narrowing bend en route to a sprint finale.

A large number of riders hit the deck in the pile-up, including Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM), and Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek). But it was last year’s runner-up, Vollering, who was among the last to rise from the tangle, visibly shaken and slow to get to her feet.

With a torn kit and evident pain, Vollering remounted with the help of her teammates, who surrounded and supported her all the way to the finish line, even pushing her along at times.

The 5km safety zone was in effect for the sprint stage, which means that Vollering hasn't lost any time in the General Classification, but the physical toll was apparent.

“She has pain in her knee, pain in her glutes, and pain in her back," FDJ-SUEZ manager Stephen Delcourt tallied up.

Initial assessments by the team doctor revealed multiple contusions but ruled out the need for a hospital visit. Vollering also underwent an evaluation for a suspected concussion.

“She’s really positive and wants to continue, but we just need time,” said Delcourt.

As evening fell, the team issued a statement confirming that follow-up tests scheduled for Tuesday morning will determine whether Vollering is able to continue in the race.

Stage 4 is another sprint day for the peloton. The pack will traverse the 130 kilometres between Saumur and Poitiers.

There is just one categorised climb, the Côte de Marigny (0.9km at 5.4%), which comes at 29km from the finish. But unless a breakaway manages to stay away, another sprint finish is likely.

Startled and limping, Demi Vollering arrived back to her FDJ-SUEZ bus in Angers. She hobbled past the team staff, beyond her turbo trainer, and holding back tears, planted herself into the arms of her partner, who had been waiting anxiously with their dog on a lead. He wrapped a comforting arm around her shredded jersey. The hug, silent, lasted almost a minute.

Stage three was supposed to be a straightforward day at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift for the GC favourite – a routine sprint, where she would stay out of trouble. Instead, on a fast bend inside 4km to go, the Dutchwoman hit the floor in a mass pile-up. She was one of the last to get back on her feet.

The mood at the team bus after the stage was sombre. Yes, Vollering had remounted and made it to the finish line, flanked by her teammates pushing her. Yes, the crash was inside the 5km safety zone, and she hadn’t suffered any time losses. But her condition, dazed and battered, struck fear in her team.

“She’s completely shocked,” said FDJ-SUEZ manager Stephen Delcourt. “She has pain in her knee, pain in her glutes, and pain in her back. We need to wait, because we never know if it’s just a shock because she crashed and she needs time.”

After climbing slowly onto her turbo trainer, Vollering spun her legs as she examined the extent of her injuries. She looked down at her skinned elbow, and held her lower back, the same area she suffered a fracture at last year’s race. She then checked her helmet, worried to have hit her head.

“We have the concussion check, but we want another one in an hour,” Delcourt said. “She’s really positive, she wants to continue, but we just need time to go to the hotel, exam[ine], go to the hospital, and after one night, we can come back to you and tell you.”

There was also frustration breaking through the FDJ-SUEZ manager’s voice. Unprompted, and without singling out any specific teams or riders, he opened up his concern about what he felt caused the crash.

“I just want to say,” Delcourt began, “it’s not normal the attitude of many teams and many riders. They are disrespectful. We lost the respect in the last year in men’s and women’s cycling. How is it possible everybody wants to play with their life like this?

“You can see during the stage, we are always at the front. Demi says, ‘I want to be at the front’, and many teams are really [dis]resepectful. They cut the line, etc. ASO, this morning, said to all the teams, ‘Please, respect the motos. They need to come back to the front for the safety of the riders.’ Today it’s the fault of the riders – it’s not the fault of ASO. Now it’s time to respect, and to respect the safety of everyone.”

Vollering, too, spoke in frustrated tones as she warmed down with her teammates. All of the FDJ-SUEZ riders were spared the task of speaking to the media by their team press officer.

“There’s a big frustration for Demi first, because she wants to win this Tour de France,” Delcourt said. “We work a lot for the Tour de France, and Demi has worked a lot herself for that. We just want to respect the woman before the rider. Now she just needs time and we want to continue to be positive.”

The first flash of optimism arrived minutes after Delcourt finished speaking. Vollering stepped down from the team bus and, given the option to drive or to ride back to her hotel, reached for her bike. She then got back in the saddle and pedalled away up the road.

The favourite may have been shaken, but she’s still in the race yet.

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) sprinted to victory from a reduced group on stage three of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in Angers after a big crash took out Demi Vollering (FDJ Suez) in the final four kilometres.

The crash split the race in two as the sprinters' teams battled for control at the front of the main field. SD Worx had the strength in depth in the front group to ensure that Wiebes came out on top ahead of Marianne Vos after an impeccable leadout from Lotte Kopecky.

Vos took second place after pulling clear with Wiebes in the final few hundred metres. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider claimed six bonus seconds behind Wiebes which meant that she reclaimed the yellow jersey from Kim Le Court (AG Insurance Soudal). Ally Wollaston (FDJ Suez) took third and rounded out the podium.

As well as Vollering, several high profile riders went down in the crash during the finale. Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), Dygert and Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco) were also involved in the pile up. None of the injured riders lost any time due to the crash occurring within the final five kilometres of the stage.

Vollering initially sat at the roadside to catch her breath before being helped to stand up by another FDJ Suez rider. Juliette Labous and Amber Kraak stayed by her side as she crossed the finish line more than six minutes behind the stage winner, Wiebes.

Vos now leads the race by six seconds ahead of Le Court with Pauline Ferrand-Prévoy in third, 12 seconds down on her teammate.

How it happened

After an undulating opening two stages, stage three was tailored towards the sprinters in the peloton as the race left Brittany and headed towards Angers. The riders faced just one categorised climb - the Côte de la Richardiere - with the rest of the terrain relatively flat across the 163 kilometres.

An early break formed containing four riders: Alison Jackson (EF Education-oatly), Clemence Latimer (Arkea-B&B Hotels), Sara Martin (Movistar), and Catalina Soto (Labora Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi). The quartet soon had an advantage of almost three minutes over the chasing peloton as Jackson took maximum points in the mountains classification on the category four ascent, and in the intermediate sprint after 130 kilometres of racing.

A series of small crashes in the bunch raised the tension levels as the sprinters' teams began to get organised and attempt to get back on terms with the four attackers. Demi Vollering (FDJ Suez) put in an unexpected dig from the main field, right after the intermediate sprint, which briefly increased the intensity in the peloton even further.

With 21 kilometres to go, the Jackson-led break saw their advantage cut to just 50 seconds as all of the overall favourites began to move to the front of the peloton in a bid to keep out of trouble at the finish. Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto’s Chloé Dygert put in a huge turn on the front of the peloton before the SD Workx-Protime train took over with the aim of keeping both Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes well placed.

Despite the efforts of both Dygert and SD Worx, the breakaway held on and still had 34 seconds advantage as the race ticked under the 10 kilometres to go banner. However, the four leaders soon started to attack one another which disrupted their momentum. Martin was the first woman to attempt to split the break, before Jackson then took over and launched a flurry of aggressive moves in a bid to address the waning cohesion amongst the four leaders. The disharmony amongst the group proved to be its downfall as Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime) brought the race back together for what was anticipated to be a high octane dash for the line.

A big crash took out several riders, including Demi Vollering, at the three kilometre to go point. The race then split with both Marianne Vos and Lorena Wiebes well placed in the front group. Wiebes had the firepower in the final few hundred metres and launched a powerful sprint which Vos couldn't match to ensure she took the win.

Results

Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift stage 3, La Gacilly > Angers (163km)

1. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, in 3:41:47
2. Marianne Vos (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike,
3. Ally Wollaston (Nze) FDJ Suez,
4. Megan Jastrab (Usa) Picnic PostNL,
5. Lianne Lippert (Ger) Movistar,
6. Shari Bossuyt (Bel) AG Insurance-Soudal,
7. Eline Jansen (Ned) VolkerWessels,
8. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon/?SRAM zondacrypto,
9. Noemi Ruegg (Swi) EF Education-Oatly,
10. Lucindaa Brand (Ned) Lidl-Trek, all at same time

General classification after stage three

1. Marianne Vos (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, in 8:19:06
2. Kim Le Court (Mau) AG Insurance-Soudal, +6s
3. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Fra) Visma-Lease a Bike, +12s
4. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Pol) Canyon-SRAM-zondacrypto, +16s
5. Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, at same time
6. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ-SUEZ), + 19s
7. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +21s
8. Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, at same time
7. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, at same time
9. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +25s
10. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZ) Lidl-Trek, at same time

They were four seconds that changed everything. At the summit of Alpe d’Huez, as Kasia Niewiadoma pushed herself across the line, the clock stopped with moments to spare. The narrowest winning margin in the history of the Tour de France had fallen in the favour of the Canyon-SRAM rider. She lifted her bike above her head in glory. Sat on the floor up the road, Demi Vollering, the stage winner and second overall, burst into tears.

Those four seconds have been spoken about a lot since. For Niewiadoma, they’ve been precious – life-changing even – while, for almost a year, the ticking clock has haunted Vollering. To the surprise of neither, as they sit together in a joint press conference on the eve of this year’s Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, those seconds are the topic of conversation again.

It was the smallest of gaps that separated the pair last year. Now, in an exhibition hall in Vannes, all that sits between them is EF Education-Oatly's Cédrine Kerbaol, a local Breton rider, plonked in the middle of the top riders’ roundtable.

Asked what she thinks of the duo beside her, Vollering begins to laugh. “I can only say good things now, I think” the FDJ-SUEZ rider smiles. But there’s no masking her desire to reclaim the yellow jersey she earned in 2023. “It’s a really big goal for me, so I want to win it, of course, very, very much,” she says firmly.

The Dutchwoman’s challenge last year unravelled on day five, when she crashed inside 7km to go, and lost almost two minutes to Niewiadoma. Vollering later revealed that she broke her tailbone on impact. Over the next few stages she’d claw back time, but would ultimately, and famously, fall four seconds short.

Does the heartbreak give her extra motivation this time round? “I don’t know if it’s a motivation, really. But of course it’s something that can help me, maybe, if I’m really suffering this year,” Vollering says. “I think I never suffered as much as last year with a broken back. Of course, when I’m suffering this year I can always think back on this that it can always be worse.

Still, she adds, “I’m more living in the now at the moment. It’s just something I really want to do now, and I’m focused on now, not so much thinking about last year.”

It’s this same attitude that Niewiadoma is taking into her title defence.

“I feel like I’ve been asked about that day so many times,” the Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto rider says of 2024’s finale. “It was a great memory we made, it was a great celebration for the whole team, but it’s a new year, a new beginning. To be honest, in a couple of days, everyone will forget last year’s edition. It only matters what’s ahead and what’s now.”

All three riders, Kerbaol included, are expecting a tough edition this year. At nine days and 1,165km, the race is longer than any of the previous three vintages; it opens with a punchy weekend in Brittany, and closes with two dizzying days in the Alps. There's little space for let-up in the middle.

The spread of talent across the peloton has reached a new level, too. Alongside the two previous yellow jerseys on the start list are the recent Giro d’Italia Women winner Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), former world champions Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime), as well as last year’s third-placed rider Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck), Marlen Reusser (Movistar), and Kerbaol, France’s new GC hope, wedged between the two favourites.

“I do believe that this year’s edition will be the hardest,” says Niewiadoma. “It’s going to be hard because of the course, but also there are a lot of teams that are able to stay in the front and make everything hard for others.”

With a smile on her face, Vollering says she’s “looking forward to a battle”.

Four seconds made the difference last year. It might not be so close come next Sunday, but there will have to be a winning margin. Niewiadoma, Vollering, and all of their rivals will do their best to make it swing for them.

When Demi Vollering stood atop the podium at the Tour de France Femmes in 2023, it wasn’t just the culmination of years of relentless training and sacrifice; it was the realisation of a dream that began as a child among rows of hydrangeas in her family’s greenhouses in the Netherlands.

Raised in Pijnacker, a small town just outside The Hague, Vollering grew up immersed in the flower industry. Following in her family’s footsteps, she studied floral design, but her passion lay far from greenhouses and flower petals. Her dream was on the wide-open road. Her passion was sports.

From an early age, Vollering combined cycling and speed skating. But as her talent on the bike began to outpace everything else, she gave up on ice skating, quit work and went all in on chasing her two-wheeled dream.

She turned professional in 2019, and the rest, as they say, is history. In just a few short years, Vollering has become one of the greatest female cyclists of her generation.

Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Amstel Gold, La Flèche Wallonne Féminine, Strade Bianche Donne, The Women’s Tour of Britain, Vuelta España Femenina, and the Tour de France Femmes. She has won some of the most prestigious races in cycling, and many of them more than once. A dream turned into reality.

To honour Demi’s achievements and inspire fellow dreamers, Specialized has unveiled a limited edition S-Works Tarmac SL8 frameset, titled Demi Dreaming. This collector’s item pays tribute to Vollering’s beginnings, with colour and design elements pulled straight from those greenhouses where her cycling dreams first took shape.

The Demi Dreaming edition of the Tarmac SL8 features a colourway of deep purples, reds, blues and greens; not unlike the hydrangeas in her parents’ greenhouses. Underlying floral motifs are seen throughout, and Vollering’s mantra, It All Starts with Dreaming, is printed on the seatstays.

“I really like it,” said Vollering. “It’s the perfect bouquet.”

Topping the list in our best road bikes guide, the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8 is praised as one of the lightest production frames on the market (685 grams in a size 56cm), with fast, decisive handling and a surprisingly compliant ride quality for long days in the saddle. Our reviewers all agree it’s an excellent weapon for those seeking top-tier performance.

To own this limited edition Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8, however, you’d best act quickly. Only 400 individually numbered framesets are available at Specialized.com, priced at $6,000 USD / €5,999 / £5,499.

And be sure to look for Vollering and her FDJ-Suez team riding the bike in pursuit of victory at the Tour de France Femmes, starting Saturday, 26 July.

Demi Vollering (FDJ-suez) has won the three-day Itzulia Women after attacking on the final climb of the race and taking the decisive stage in dominant fashion.

Vollering needed to overcome a 19 second deficit on overnight leader Mischa Bredwold after the SD Worx-ProTime rider had won the first two stages on Friday and Saturday.

The recent La Vuelta Feminina winner continued on from her strong start to the season with a third Spanish stage race win of the year after a brutal acceleration on the Mendizorrotz climb with 14km to go, tapping her head in now trademark style as she rounded the final few corners into the finish in Donostia.

Ceratizit's Sarah Van Dam escaped from the chasing group in the closing kilometre to take second on the final stage, with 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift polka dot jersey winner Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) finishing third. The chasers were almost a minute behind Vollering at the finish line.

Bredewold finished in the chasing group to secure the runner-up spot 48 seconds behind Vollering in the General Classification, while Van Dam's late surge netted the Canadian a first WorldTour GC podium.

"I needed to get some time on Mischa so I could not wait," said Vollering in the TV interview after the race when asked about her solo raid.

"When there is a climb I know how strong I am. Even though I cramped yesterday and still have muscle pain, I have done worse with a broken back in the Tour de France so I know I can do it and I just really need to trust myself and go for it."

"The whole team was so strong. Amber [Kraak] was riding the whole day in the front, Léa [Curinier] did a really strong pull on the first part of the climb to make it as hard as possible from the bottom, Évita [Muzic], perfect job to follow the second group. It was perfect teamwork today," she added.

Earlier in the race, Bredewold had claimed the opening two stages. She won the opening stage into Agurain in a bunch sprint, edging out Great Britain's Millie Couzens (Fenix-Deceuninck), who claimed a career-best result with second place.

Anna van der Breggen, who was touted to be Vollering's toughest rival at Itzulia Women, crashed with eight kilometres to go of the first stage, sustaining a possible wrist injury. After finishing the stage gingerly, Van der Breggen pulled out of the race before stage two.

The second stage ran to a similar script, with Bredewold taking the final sprint ahead of Liane Lippert (Movistar) in Igorre. With the bonus seconds, she held a good overall lead going into the third and last stage which was the most difficult of the race.

Bredewold was unable to resist the power of Vollering on the final day, and finished second overall at Itzulia Women for the second year running, missing out on what would have been a first WorldTour stage race win.

"It's a nice race. It suits me well," Vollering concluded. "It's always a bit curious because you never know, maybe a group goes out at the start and you're not able to control it with the team, for example. Before the start you never know how it will turn out."

"A victory is always nice. It's the best feeling there is in the world."

Demi Vollering has shed light on her emotional interview after she won stage five of the Vuelta Femenina on Thursday, where she dedicated her victory to people who are ‘finding it really hard mentally at the moment’.

The Dutchwoman pointed to her head as she crossed the finish line at Lagunas de Neilas, later stating in an interview that her celebration was to raise further awareness of mental health issues across Europe.

Vollering has always been very open regarding her own struggles with her mental health, and in a Linkedin post on Friday morning, the 28-year-old explained that her winning gesture was for those who ‘fight battles we don’t always see.’

She wrote: "Mental strength helped me win yesterday’s stage. But not everyone wins the battle with their mind. As athletes, we often talk about how mindset makes the difference. But for many people - especially young people - the mind becomes too strong in the wrong way. It overwhelms, it isolates, it wins quietly. This win in the Vuelta was for them."

She went on to list some stats, from a variety of sources, regarding mental health issues amongst young people in her home country of the Netherlands, including that suicide is the leading cause of death among people under 30. Other stats she mentioned included that 75% of mental health problems are reported to have developed before the age of 25 in most cases.

According to the UK-based mental health awareness charity Mind, one in four people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year. One in six people also report experiencing a common mental health problem such as anxiety or depression in any given week in England. It happens to be mental health awareness week in the UK next week, fittingly.

Meanwhile in the US, Mental Health America says that nearly one in five American adults will have a diagnosable mental health condition in any given year and 46% of Americans will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition sometime in their lives.

Vollering added: "As someone with a platform, I feel a growing responsibility to speak up - and to act. Let’s make sure we are supporting young people, not just in sport, but as well in any other industry. Support them in building resilience, confidence and mental strength."

In the UK, Mind offer a suite of resources if you are struggling with your mental health. Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org.

"Happy" and "proud" were the emotions Demi Vollering listed after she got off to the perfect start as an FDJ-Suez rider: One race, one victory.

On her team debut on Thursday afternoon, the Dutchwoman attacked solo at the Setmana Valenciana, winning emphatically for the first time in blue and red.

Her stage-winning move came inside 20km to go, and with it, she shook off her former coach, two-time road world champion Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime), who made her return to the peloton after three years of retirement.

As Vollering crossed the finish line in Gandia, she smiled, lifted her arms in celebration, and flexed her muscles. She now leads the general classification at the race by 30 seconds ahead of Marlen Reusser (Movistar) and Van der Breggen, who finished in pursuit.

“The [FDJ-Suez] girls did a really, really strong job,” Vollering said afterwards. “I had to finish it off, but I’m just very happy. I have a really good feeling and I feel really good on the bike, so I’m happy I could finish it off.

“When I saw Marlen and Anna together behind, I knew to give everything until the finish line, of course. Actually, I’m very proud that I could do it today already. It’s still so early in the beginning, and I still have some work to do, but I’m already here in this shape. I think it’s a good sign for the season. It gives me some confidence that I sometimes lost last year.”

The race marked the first time Vollering faced SD Worx-Protime since she announced she was departing the squad for FDJ-Suez last October. Speaking in a press conference on Tuesday, the 28-year-old said she was not out for “revenge” against her former employer this season.

Still, there were no pleasantries exchanged between Vollering and Van der Breggen when the Dutch pair led the race together on the final climb. The moment ended up being short-lived, as the 2023 Tour de France Femmes champion attacked a kilometre later, dropping her former coach.

Reusser then bridged across to Van der Breggen, meaning Vollering was being chased by two former teammates. She held them both off on the descent to the finish.

Afterwards, Vollering thanked her new teammates for helping set up her move. “They gave me a lot of confidence by being there for me and doing their job,” she said.

“I’m really grateful that they worked so hard and that they had 100% trust in the plan we made. It’s just really cool to see everybody stick to the plan, and wanting to finish it off today.”

The Setmana Valenciana is a four-stage race, held in the eastern region of Spain, which concludes on Sunday.

Demi Vollering has played down talk of a rivalry with her old team, SD Worx-Protime, as she prepares to face them in her first races with FDJ-Suez.

The 28-year-old signed for the French squad last October, amid rumours of tension between her and co-leader Lotte Kopecky.

Speaking at a team press conference on Tuesday morning, Vollering said she will not be out for revenge when she meets her former teammates on the road.

“First of all, I don’t see it as a battle between the two teams. I think it’s a battle between the whole peloton,” she said. “I think a lot of teams are stepping up with strong riders, so it’s a very nice spread this coming season. I think we will have competitors in all kinds of teams in the peloton at the moment.

“It doesn’t feel for me like I want to take revenge on [SD Worx-Protime] or something, because I left there with good feelings. It’s not that I want to take revenge on them. Of course, we want to win from them, but that’s another thing.”

The Dutchwoman will begin her season this Thursday at the four-stage Setmana Ciclista Valenciana. There, she is expected to ride against SD Worx-Protime’s Anna van der Breggen, her former coach, who is returning to racing after three years of retirement.

Her first meeting with Kopecky is scheduled to be Milan-San Remo, the inaugural edition for women, on 22 March.

“All the public want a big fight,” said FDJ-Suez manager Stephen Delcourt about the prospect of facing SD Worx-Protime. “As Demi says, it’s not a fight between SD Worx and us, because if we think about that, for sure the two teams will lose a lot.

“Everyone says, ‘FDJ-Suez is a smart team. They’re a French team. They’re not a killer team.’ But we don’t want to kill the others, we just want to win and create something together.”

Riding for SD Worx-Protime last year, Vollering collected 15 wins – all at WorldTour level – including the overall at the Vuelta Femenina, Itzulia Women and the Tour de Suisse. She also won two stages of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, eventually missing out on retaining her yellow jersey by just four seconds.

Now, as she heads into her FDJ-Suez debut, Vollering said she feels “much more ready than what I felt last year”.

“This winter was way more relaxed, way more calm. Last winter, I had so many decisions I needed to make, so much stress I had in that period,” she said.

“I already feel very much at home in the team. It was of course really scary to join a new team with so many new people around me, but the first camps made it easy because I felt fast in my place. Everybody was really nice and it’s just a very relaxed atmosphere, nothing to prove.

"Of course, the Tour de France is always a very big goal of mine, and also the team now, of course. It's a really nice goal to work together towards, but there will be other goals also on the road already. First the other goals, and then of course, the big goal."

Demi Vollering has opened up on her struggles with mental health during last year’s Tour de France Femmes and says she battled with anxiety on the penultimate stage due to Le Grand Bornand due to being "weighed down by pressure".

Vollering was one of the hot favourites for victory in last year’s race but was involved in a crash on stage five which left her with a fractured tailbone. She also lost the leader’s yellow jersey to the eventual race winner, Kasia Niewiadoma, and found herself more than a minute down in the general classification.

Vollering revealed in a social media post that the pressure she felt going into the final two stages of the race was too much to cope with at times. However, despite winning the final stage to Alpe d’Huez, the comeback didn’t materialise and Niewiadoma beat her to overall victory by four seconds.

Nevertheless, the 28-year-old revealed that simply finishing the stage at Le Grand Bornand was a triumph in itself given her personal anguish on the road.

"This was one of the toughest days of my career," Vollering wrote. "Physically, I was still recovering from a crash earlier in the week. Mentally, I was weighed down by pressure—from the media, my team, my loved ones, and from myself. Everyone kept asking how I was feeling, and while I tried to stay positive, inside I was scared and uncertain.

"During the race, I hit a breaking point. It’s hard to describe what it felt like, but anxiety took over, and my thoughts spiralled. I couldn’t focus. I felt like I was letting everyone down. For the first time, I couldn’t just pedal through it alone."

She continued: "Even though I couldn’t fully explain what I was feeling, just saying ‘I’m not okay’ helped ease the weight I was carrying. Mischa didn’t try to fix it or brush it off; she simply stayed with me, reminding me that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed and that I wasn’t alone.

"That day, I realized how important it is to talk about what we’re going through. Anxiety can make you feel stuck and isolated, but sharing your feelings—even when it’s hard—can be the first step toward relief.

"Looking back, I realize this was one of my biggest wins—not just because I finished 3rd, but because I overcame one of the hardest moments I’ve faced. For me, this might have been my most meaningful personal victory in the entire Tour de France Femmes."

Vollering explained that later that day she got her period which complicated the experience further.

"Hormones can amplify emotions, and with the pressure I was already feeling, it was a lot to handle,” she said. “ It’s a reminder that our bodies and minds are deeply connected, and sometimes, things are just beyond our control."

"I’m sharing this because I know many, especially young people, carry the weight of expectations and pressure. It’s not easy to talk about these things, but the more we do, the more we can break down the stigma around mental health," she added.

"We’re all human. We all face battles. And no matter how big or small they seem, they matter."

The Dutchwoman moved to FDJ Suez in one of the most talked about transfers of the cycling off-season and is likely to lead her new team at the Tour de France Femmes this year. The 28-year-old also shared three pieces of advice "to anyone struggling with anxiety or pressure".

"If you can, talk to someone you trust. Even a small conversation can make a difference," Vollering said. "Be kind to yourself. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed, and you don’t need to have it all figured out. Remember, it’s not about fixing everything at once—it’s about taking small steps forward, at your own pace."

There was a surreal moment during the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year ceremony this week that I need to discuss with you all.

It came late in the evening’s proceedings, when Mark Cavendish received his Lifetime Achievement award. If you’ve missed this story, or you’re from across the pond, let me bring you up to speed.

The ceremony, hosted by Britain’s public service broadcaster, recognises the top British athletes of the past year. Cavendish was snubbed for the main prize, which he previously won in 2011, but was lauded for his career contribution to sport. It made for a fitting tribute.

When the sprinter made his way up to the stage, he was greeted by a who’s who of British cycling. There, dressed in their most dapper attire, stood Bradley Wiggins, Chris Hoy, Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny. Four legends with 21 gold medals between them.

They applauded and congratulated the Manxman, and watched on as a highlight reel of his career was broadcast into the room. Cavendish did his speech, a particularly endearing one. Then it was time to look back at the big screen for a special message.

A special message? I wondered. But from who? All the legends are there, I thought. Maybe it’s Mark Renshaw, or Michael Mørkøv, one of Cavendish’s trusty lead-out men? No – that would be too niche for the British general public.

What about his family, his wife, Peta, who has supported him throughout his career? Probably not, she was standing on the stage, wedged between Wiggins and Hoy. Could it be Geraint Thomas? I was stumped.

The camera panned up to the big screen, and the special message began. The video cut away. A Liverpool Football Club training shirt flashed up on the television. It’s Virgil van Dijk. What on earth is Virgil van Dijk doing here?

Well, it turns out, the Dutchman’s a cycling fan, and a big admirer of the Manx missile. “Yes Cav,” he began, “it’s Virgil here.” So surprised was I to see the Liverpool captain, that I scarcely paid attention to the next words out of his mouth, but I’m sure at one point he called Cavendish “a true GOAT of cycling”.

I Googled ‘Virgil van Dijk cycling’ after the show, and there’s little to suggest the pair are close friends. In fact, Google was so sure I’d searched the wrong thing, that it started giving me results for Ellen van Dijk, the three-time world time trial champion. Was it all a fever dream? The mystery continues.

Elsewhere on social media this week, Olympic champion Emma Finucane holds a koala, Demi Vollering learns some useful French, and we find out how aero-optimised a reindeer is.

1. Come to think of it, Virgil van Dijk would make a decent rouleur. I could see him towing the bunch into a cobbled section at Paris-Roubaix, or tearing through the sunflower fields at the Tour de France

2. Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish reunited. It makes you nostalgic for that Champs-Elysées finish in 2012, doesn't it?

3. Emma Finucane's been busy meeting the locals on her trip to Australia

4. MAAP's new partnership with Jayco AlUla promises to be one of the coolest collaborations on the WorldTour. The cap's a bit boy scout-y, though

5. Demi, you'd be surprised how far you can get with une grande bière, s'il vous plaît

6. You don't need to be able to speak French to know what Lilian Calmejane thinks of the new Jayco AlUla jersey. Perhaps he could give Demi Vollering some lessons?

6. 'Harrie, the taxi's here. No, I told you the bike won't fit. Just put it down, mate.'

7. Tom Dumoulin's back racing. I hope there's a bathroom in that shopping centre behind him

8. Ever wanted to see some of the best track cyclists in the world test their reaction times? Your prayers have been answered

9. I have a lot of questions about this Monopoly board, in particular: why is the trophy the top prize? I could've sworn that race was all about the jersey

10. Tuck your elbows in, Rudolph

11. It appears the man destined to unseat Tadej Pogačar is... Uncle Bryn. Who knew?

12. And finally, I'll leave you with something Christmassy to take you into next week. Here's how blind Paralympic champion Lizzi Jordan wraps and keeps track of the presents she's giving. It's brilliant

Lotte Kopecky has hit back at “completely unnecessary” comments made by her former SD Worx-Protime teammate Demi Vollering, after the Dutchwoman said the pair had become evasive of each other.

In an interview with NRC last month, Vollering said that Kopecky “tried to avoid me a bit” during her final year with SD Worx-Protime. “She was more focused on herself,” said the 28-year-old, who has since signed for FDJ-Suez.

“I can understand that, with all the expectations they have of her in Belgium. But she was very focused on next year when I am no longer there.”

According to Vollering, the pair’s relationship came to a head at the Tour de Romandie in September, where they sprinted against each other on stage two, as they did at Strade Bianche in 2023. Vollering won the stage, but lost out on the overall to Kopecky by six seconds.

“I noticed that the communication was only one-sided. In Romandie we avoided each other a bit," the Dutchwoman told NRC. "Then I thought, 'Now it's just over.'"

Responding to Vollering’s comments in an interview with HLN, Kopecky said it was “completely unnecessary to start kicking people now”.

“I think Demi should remember that this team has given her a lot. Demi is a really good rider, but this team has brought her to where she is now and I hope she is very grateful for that and then she should show a bit more respect for that,” the world champion said.

This season, the two leaders competed together in eight races for SD Worx-Protime, seven of which came in the spring.

“Things didn’t go great for Demi,” Kopecky said of the early-season races. “She was fortunately able to make up for that in the Spanish races afterwards, but I think it’s not my fault that she didn’t perform well in the spring. Afterwards we rode separate programs. She aimed for the Tour, I for the Giro and the Games.”

Kopecky added that it was September’s Tour de Romandie where she believes “it went wrong for Demi”.

“Demi said she was aiming for the general classification and I also said I wanted to go for the overall victory,” the Belgian said, adding of the recent comments: "I think it's a shame that she makes these statements.”

“I've always had a good relationship with Demi,” Kopecky continued. “I hope that we can still treat each other with respect in the future, at least that is certainly the case for me. I hope that Demi will do that, too.”

Specialized has announced a new partnership with women’s WorldTour team FDJ-Suez which will start in 2025.

With relationships with SD Worx-Protime and AG Insurance-Soudal in place, the American brand will now supply bikes to three teams on the WorldTour at the top level of women’s professional cycling.

The move also means that Dutch superstar Demi Vollering, winner of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 2023, will also remain on S-Works bikes after moving to the French team from SD Worx in October.

According to a press release from Specialized, the likes of Vollering and Juliette Labous will “benefit from top-tier cycling technology as well as Specialized’s expertise and support in developing high-performance bikes” next year.

"We are extremely proud to enter into this collaboration with Specialized, an undisputed leader in the cycling world," said FDJ team boss Stephen Delcourt. "This partnership represents a tremendous opportunity for our team to reach new heights by combining our strengths and expertise to achieve our ambitious goals.

"This is a relationship built on trust, driven by innovation, and dedicated to supporting the ambitions of our athletes and the sport of cycling as a whole."

In October, the team announced the end of an eight-year partnership with bike brand Lapierre. The switch came as the men's team, Groupama-FDJ, swapped from Lapierre to Wilier after 22 years with the French manufacturer.

Specialized's Scott Jackson said: "FDJ-SUEZ immediately impressed us with their dynamic international approach to racing, bold vision for the future and rich history in French cycling.

"Together, we look forward to elevating the future of women’s sport, driving innovation, and sharing our passion to pedal the planet forward."

The acquisition of Vollering in the autumn represented a massive coup for FDJ after SD Worx boss Danny Stam revealed in March that the Dutchwoman’s contract would not be extended.

"This is a great day and a new step for the team. Demi is an immense champion and we can't wait to work on her development and see her compete in the team's blue white and red jersey," Delcourt said in October when the signing of Vollering was confirmed.

"With our sponsors, FDJ and SUEZ, as well as our historical partners, we have been working for several years to build a competitive world team on a healthy and stable foundation. Let's ride."

If you saw a goat trapped in a well, would you jump in and save it? That was the conundrum Demi Vollering faced earlier this week when, on holiday in the Greek islands, she stumbled upon an animal in need.

Now, we all know the 27-year-old is a great bike racer, one of the best in the world. She’s also an adept florist, having worked as one for several years. But what are her animal rescue skills like? The answer, it turns out, are extraordinarily good.

In a video posted on her Instagram, complete with audio commentary and English captions, Vollering hops into the well and confidently seizes the goat. What follows is a remarkable feat of efficiency. Dressed head to toe in Nike sports gear, courtesy of her personal sponsorship deal, she lifts the animal above her head and places it on the sunbathed rocks.

The whole action, from the moment her feet touch the floor of the well, to the goat’s sweet liberation, lasts six seconds – yes, I timed it. “For a second, I thought he would die,” Vollering wrote. “Luckily he got up quickly and ran away to his friends.”

The ordeal, she added, was “very disgusting”. To save the goat, she had to plunge herself into a pit of flies, dust, and carcass remains of other animals, those not lucky enough to be discovered by a pro cyclist. And yet, despite it all, she waited and watched, to ensure her new friend was safe at last.

This is just one of the happenings in what has been a big week for Vollering. Prior to her animal rescue, the Dutchwoman was officially announced as an FDJ-Suez rider, in a musical reel of Hollywood-level production.

Sadly though, piano playing is not among her arsenal of talents. It is with no pride that we reveal that Vollering did not record the piano segments in her unveiling video, instead pretending to tickle the keys in the montage. We’ll forgive that, though. But had she not saved an animal’s life this week, perhaps we would have gone in harder there.

Elsewhere on social media, the cycling season has ended and given way to silly season; Wout van Aert – the same one returning from a knee injury – has been singing and dancing on national television dressed as a squirrel, and Mark Cavendish has swapped his bike for aikido robes in Japan. You've got to see it to believe it.

1. Long live Demi Vollering, goat saviour

2. The Dutchwoman is a person of many talents, but piano playing isn't one of them

3. For those in need of evidence, here is the proof that Vollering's no Elton John

4. Wout van Aert appeared on The Masked Singer in Belgium last weekend. Could you imagine a high-profile rider like Geraint Thomas doing the same in the UK? Yes, actually, you probably could

5. From saving them, to dressing up as them, to racing against them, it's a real animal appreciation theme here on World Vegan Day

6. Mathieu van der Poel is fed up of competing against mortals, so he's taking on supercars instead

7. You don't need 20:20 vision to read what it says on this bike's top tube

8. Rodri may have won the Ballon d'Or, but I'd like to see him navigate a tricky sprint finish into Torino

9. Remco Evenepoel everybody, double Olympic champion, and expert tea pourer

10. The spookiest thing about Ineos Grenadiers' Halloween edits is the absence of Tom Pidcock

11. Sweets are temporary, bike maintenance can last forever

12. Flick through to the second picture here to see Pfeiffer Georgi's mummy costume for Halloween (get well soon, Pfeiffer!)

13. Are there any aikido records Mark Cavendish can now go after?

14. And finally, here's Lotte Kopecky, enjoying what is clearly a calm and relaxing off-season in South Africa

After months of speculation, the 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift winner Demi Vollering has joined FDJ-Suez, the team has confirmed.

The Dutchwoman, who spent the past four seasons with SD Worx-Protime, will begin riding for the French team from 2025 onwards. She will join her new teammates on a training camp this autumn, and will remain with the team for two years, until the end of 2026.

In a press release shared on Monday, Vollering said she “immediately had a good feeling” after her first meeting with FDJ-Suez.

“I couldn't get the smile off my face,” she said. “I'm happy to be embarking on this adventure, to experience something new and to rediscover myself in this team. I've always liked the collective fighting spirit of FDJ-SUEZ and its attacking mentality during races. We're going to have a great team and I'm convinced that great things await us.”

Vollering’s departure from SD Worx-Protime was first rumoured in March this year, when team manager Danny Stam told GCN that the rider’s contract would not be extended.

The Dutchwoman finished this year as the second best cyclist in the UCI world rankings, behind her current teammate Lotte Kopecky.

She recently finished second in the time trial at the UCI Road World Championships, having won the Vuelta Femenina and finished second at the Tour de France Femmes this year.

In 2023, Vollering completed a historic treble at the Ardennes Classics, winning Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Commenting on the team’s new signing, FDJ-Suez general manager Stephen Delcourt said: “This is a great day and a new step for the team. Demi is an immense champion and we can't wait to work on her development and see her compete in the team's blue white and red jersey.

“With our sponsors, FDJ and SUEZ, as well as our historical partners, we have been working for several years to build a competitive world team on a healthy and stable foundation. Let's ride.”

Vollering is one of six new signings for FDJ-Suez for 2025, alongside Juliette Labous, Elise Chabbey, Ally Wollaston, Eglantine Rayer and Célia Gery.

At the end of this season, the team will lose three of its most successful riders in the retiring Olympic and world time trial champion Grace Brown, Marta Cavalli, and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, who is joining Canyon-SRAM.

On paper, the Dutch team was by far and away the strongest for the elite women's road race at the UCI Road World Championships on Saturday. There was a double world champion in Marianne Vos, a Tour de France Femmes winner in Demi Vollering, solid domestiques who could also be leaders in Riejanne Markus and Pauliena Rooijakkers, and the coming things in Puck Pieterse and Mischa Bredewold.

With 20km to go of the race, the Dutch were in an excellent position. Vollering, Markus and Vos were still there, and rarely does anyone bet against the latter in a sprint. However, 20km later, Lotte Kopecky of Belgium won the sprint, and Vollering finished fifth. Vos and Markus finished eighth and ninth. There was consolation in Pieterse winning the race for the under-23 jersey, but this will do little to stop the thought that the Worlds was there to be won.

There was often Dutch orange at the front, but moves were often chased down by riders in the same jerseys, all in the apparent hope of delivering Vollering to victory. Perhaps another tactic would have resulted in success, but we'll never know.

The world champion, Kopecky, predicted some confusion ahead of the race: "They are starting with a very strong team, but it has already been shown several times that they do not always get along well," she said.

"You see that on paper there is one clear leader, but there are also others who are eyeing the world title. There are several women in the Dutch team who can and want to win."

Despite appearing to be onto something, post-race, she was less willing to put the boot in, graciously.

"I’m now really wondering how it looked from television, because I’m getting so many questions about this," Kopecky said. "There were riders with clear roles. Tactically they did not do it that bad, but also you know if Demi is the leader she is not going to be the one in the break.

"Having Marianne in the break, she was probably the fastest ,they could have played it differently, but that also means you have to have Demi sitting in the bunch, which is very hard to do. I have to see the race myself to say something about it, but I think the way they rode was pretty logical.

"I don’t know if there’s something really different. Demi was just trying to get rid of us [with her attack on Zurichbergstraase on the final lap] and ride solo to the finish."

However, all Vollering's attacks did were drop Vos and Markus, who didn't return to the front of the race again.

"We were in a super good situation with me and Marianne in the breakaway, and of course Demi behind," Markus said after finishing ninth. "We tried to make it over the big climb, we knew that the favourites would attack on the last climb, we just tried to make it over the climb so we would be there in the last group with three, but I think we just missed it by like five or ten seconds. It's really disappointing because I think if we have three in the final then it's a different game, but Demi was alone, and it was just a little bit too hard for her.

"It was always the plan for her to attack on the climb, I think for her the race needs to be as hard as possible, so I don't think it's a mistake, but the ideal situation would be that we make it in my opinion, so it's just shit that we're not there."

For Ruby Roseman-Gannon, the Australian who finished sixth, it is a "blessing and a curse to have such a dominant team, because everyone looks to them".

"It's a real challenge for the Dutch to win with Kopecky there, she's a real all-rounder and it's really really difficult," she said.

"I think sometimes the Dutch can work very well together, and I think sometimes they don't," Chloé Dygert of the USA, who finished second, added. "I think their biggest strengths are sometimes their biggest weaknesses. I think everyone on that team wants to win, and that sometimes means everybody loses."

Viewers and pundits were not the only ones startled by the Dutch tactics. Every time you looked at the television, it appeared that the Dutch were on the front of the break and also of the chase. Something had to give, and it did.

"I was surprised with how the race played out as I expected fireworks from the Dutch from the start and also that they would attack full," Liane Lippert of Germany, who finished fourth, said. "But it was honestly not super hard until the last lap so I was a bit surprised about that.

"I was surprised by their tactics, but it’s not the first time it’s like this."

If the tactics had come off, if Vollering or Vos had won, then there would be less discussion over how strange it looked. As it is, the Dutch left the elite race empty handed, and with confusion reigning over what happened. It is only two years since a Dutchwoman won the rainbow jersey, but as the winners of five of the previous six, this feels like an eternity.

Two power naps and racing with feelings. That’s what was behind Demi Vollering’s surprise time trial win at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

The defending champion was heavily favourited to slip the yellow jersey back around her shoulders this year, but not necessarily this soon. And no one was more surprised than she was herself. 

“I cannot really believe it myself. It's crazy because I really didn't expect it. So that makes it also so special for me,” said a teary-eyed Vollering in the press conference post-race. 

The race had concluded 45 minutes earlier with Charlotte Kool losing just enough seconds in the time trial for Vollering to take over the leader’s jersey. And still, emotions ran high for Vollering. Her eyes ringed red. The first tears fell when her victory was confirmed and continued throughout the media appearances. 

With 42 UCI wins to her name, Vollering isn’t exactly new to standing on the top step of the podium, but this victory hit deep. The Dutch fans had come out in droves, including her loved ones, lining the streets in South Holland to cheer on the women in this historic race and hoping for one of their own to wear the iconic yellow jersey.

“We never saw so many people on the side of the road, only for us,” Vollering commented. “It's really cool to see, and I'm really grateful for all the people for us.”

The victory was also a big sigh of relief for her SD Worx-Protime team. The Dutch powerhouse squad had failed to secure a win in the first two stages, for which they had been considered a shoo-in. First, a mechanical derailed sprinter Lorena Wiebes’ dash to the line. Then, on stage 2, they simply came up short despite an excellent lead-out. Stage 3, then, came as a much-needed confidence and morale booster. 

So yes, Vollering was feeling emotional. And she’s got no qualms about letting the emotions run free. Better yet, she takes strength from it.

“I'm just a pretty sensitive person. I really go in the moment and I do everything on feeling. I always put all my emotion in the sport. I train with my feelings. I race with my feelings. Emotions may be my power,” she said.

“Sports is emotion for me. You work so hard towards goals. You have so many people around you who support you and dedicate so much for you. I think sport is emotion and why not show it?”

The second day of racing at the Tour de France Femmes was a rather unpopular split-stage—two races in one day. After an unsuccessful first stage, which saw the team fall short of the win, Vollering revealed she fell asleep—not once but twice.  

“After the first stage, when we came back in the hotel…and then in the bus here after the recon. I wanted to do some meditation but then fell asleep again, so I think I was a bit too relaxed today,” she said.

“I thought to myself it’s not going to go so good, because I'm too relaxed, and it’s such a short time trial, so you need to be very awake, but maybe power naps are very good for me.”

The Tour de France Femmes continues on Wednesday, August 14, with Vollering’s favourite stage, a hilly 122.7-kilometre road race between Valkenburg and Liège that resembles an Ardeness Classic. Learn how to watch it live here, and stay tuned for our coverage.  

Demi Vollering sprinted to her third stage victory in four opportunities at the Tour de Suisse, as the Dutchwoman also took overall victory in Switzeland.

The SD Worx-Protime rider out-sprinted Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) and Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM) at the end of a lumpy day in Champagne, which ended in a four-up sprint. Fourth was Bradbury's teammate, Kasia Niewiadoma.

Vollering has now won four Women's WorldTour stage races in a row, including eight stages at the Vuelta España Femenina, Itzulia Women, the Vuelta a Burgos, and now the Tour de Suisse.

Bradbury finished second overall on general classification, 1:28 behind Vollering, the second time she has finished second overall at a WWT race, and Longo Borghini came in third, a further two seconds back.

"Today, I didn't expect it, but it was really nice to sprint again," Vollering said post-race. "I didn't do it for a long time, and I really like to sprint in a final like this, It was a really nice, a nice battle with the girls in front. A strong battle.

"It's really nice, because it's kind of a home race of course. I'm really happy I could win. It was a really nice feeling before the Tour de France. It's always nice to win climbing races before your big goal. 

"Today I could really gamble, it was not up to be. It was a really easy position for me today. Once Lidl-Trek started to work it was nice, and it was nice that all the girls fought to come from the back, and I'm really thankful for them."

How it happened

A lumpy day in western Switzerland promised some brutal racing on Tuesday, and so it proved. Early attempts to establish a breakaway failed, but after the first climb of the day, the second-category Col des Etroits, just 30 riders remained in a severely reduced peloton.

With 99km to go, Urška Žigart (Liv AlUla Jayco) attacked, followed by Nienke Vinke (dsm-firmenich PostNL). On winding terrain soon after, a split in the peloton saw seven riders form a group in front of the bunch: Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM), Brodie Chapman (Lidl-Trek), Évita Muzic (FDJ-SUEZ), Rosita Reijnhout (Visma-Lease a Bike), Steffi Häbberlin (Switzerland), Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx-Protime), and Aniek van Alphen (Fenix-Deceuninck). They were soon joined by Juliette Labous (dsm-firmenich PostNL).

The presence of Labous and Niedermaier threatened the position of Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM) and Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) on the virtual podium. SD Worx-Protime controlled the race from the peloton, in the service of race leader Demi Vollering.

With 61km to go, Vinke was caught by the chasing eight, with Žigart soon after also following suit.

Labous attacked from group one on the second classified climb of the day, the La Vue des Alpes, as Longo Borghini attacked from the group of favourites behind.

Thanks to some heroic work from Brodie Chapman (Lidl-Trek), the group of favourites was united with the lead group with 13km to go.

Immediately, there were attacks from Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM), who was followed by Vollering, Bradbury, and Longo Borghini.

This quartet kept racing to the finish, with multiple attacks coming from Niewiadoma, in an attempt to distance the trio, and also secure Bradbury's second place overall.

In the final, Longo Borghini launched first, but Vollering came round her in the closing metres to win. Behind, Bradbury secured third place on the day to get the bonus seconds needed to stay in second overall.

Results

Tour de Suisse 2024 stage four: Champagne > Champagne (127.5km)

1. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, in 3:17:53
2. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek
3. Neve Bradbury (Aus) Canyon-SRAM
4. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM, all at same time
5. Steffi Häbberlin (Sui) Switzerland, +42s
6. Evita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ
7. Juliette Labous (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL
8. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) SD Worx-Protime
9. Rosita Reijnhout (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike
10. Urška Žigart (Slo) Liv AlUla Jayco, all at same time

General classification after stage four

1. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, in 9:03:17
2. Neve Bradbury (Aus) Canyon-SRAM, +1:28
3. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +1:30
4. Kasia Niewiadoma (Pol) Canyon-SRAM, +2:24
5. Juliette Labous (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL, +3:47
6. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger) Canyon-SRAM, +4:11
7. Gaia Realini (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +5:33
8. Kim Cadzow (NZl) EF Education-Cannondale, +5:44
9. Urška Žigart (Slo) Liv AlUla Jayco, +6:00
10. Evita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ, +6:49

Tour de France Femmes champion Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) added a second Grand Tour victory to her palmarès on Sunday, triumphing at the Vuelta Femenina. 

The Dutchwoman, who already led by 52 seconds going into the eighth and final stage, attacked with 6km to go on the finishing climb, and soloed to a second stage win. Her climbing heroics meant she dominated the general classification, securing the red jersey by one minute and 49 seconds. 

Riejanne Markus (Visma-Lease a Bike) finished second overall, overtaking Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek), who closed out the podium in third. 

Vollering's victory comes a year after she ended the Vuelta Femenina in tears, having come agonisingly close to the title in 2023, when she lost out to the now retired Annemiek van Vleuten by just nine seconds. 

The scene this time round was a world apart. After weaving across the road smiling, Vollering stepped off her bike after the line in Madrid, and lifted it above her head, champion at last. 

"It's really nice," the 27-year-old said post-race. "The team did a really good job all day. I was a bit nervous because I thought this last climb was not so super hard. It's difficult because it was again a headwind and it was not super steep.

"There was one part where we turned a bit," she continued. "There, I thought I needed to attack and have a gap so that the rest will also have a headwind to chase me back." 

When Vollering upped the tempo, nobody else could follow. As she did on stage five – when she took her first victory of the season – the Dutchwoman sailed clear of her rivals, crossing the line alone. Behind, stage six's winner Évita Muzic (FDJ-Suez) came home with Markus 30 seconds later.

"I'm really happy to win this stage," Vollering said. "It's really nice to finish off like this. We did a really good tour here: some podiums, two stage wins. I think we can be really proud of ourselves."

Asked what the victory meant to her, the Tour de France Femmes champion said it marked a "good start" to her season. "I hope I can do some other really nice stage races, of course," she said. "I'm looking very much forward to the rest of the season."

Vollering also sealed the mountains classification, as the race's best climber. Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), winner of two stages, wrapped up the points classification, while Mireia Benito (AG Insurance-Soudal) was declared the most combative rider. 

Results

Vuelta Femenina 2024, stage eight: Districo telefónica Madrid > Valdesquí (89.5km)

1. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, in 2-43-06
2. Évita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-Suez, +29s
3. Riejanne Markus (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +33s
4. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +53s
5. Ricarda Bauernfiend (Ger) Canyon-SRAM, +56s
6. Juliette Labous (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL, +1-00
7. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek
8. Antonia Niedermaier (Ger) Canyon-Sram, both at same time
9. Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +1-10
10. Kim Cadzow (NZl) EF Education-Cannondale, +1-28

Final general classification

1. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, in 20-30-55
2. Riejanne Markus (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +1-49
3. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +2-00
4. Juliette Labous (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL, +2-58
5. Évita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-Suez, +3-15
6. Ricarda Bauernfiend (Ger) Canyon-SRAM, +4-33
7. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) SD Worx-Protime, +5-14
8. Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +5-27
9. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +5-42
10. Kim Cadzow (NZl) EF Education-Cannondale, +6-19

Évita Muzic outfoxed Demi Vollering atop La Laguna Negra to take the biggest victory of her career on stage six of the Vuelta Femenina.

The FDJ-Suez rider has won a stage of the Giro d'Italia Women before, and finished second on a Tour de France Femmes stage, but on Friday she beat one of the best riders in the world, SD Worx-Protime's Vollering, on an incredibly tough climb.

The Dutchwoman might not have taken the second win of the race, but strengthened her grip on the red jersey, taking time on her nearest rivals Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) and Riejanne Markus (Visma-Lease a Bike). Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) finished third on the stage.

Muzic was the only rider able to follow Vollering when she moved off the front of the group of favourites at the end of stage six, and then timed her sprint to perfection to take the victory. Her FDJ-Suez team, especially Grace Brown, had put a lot of work in early on the climb to make sure her teammate was in the right place come the end.

It was a win that Muzic had foreshadowed pre-race, saying she wanted to follow Vollering and outs-print her atop the climb.

"I said this, but I was not 100% sure I could do it," the 24-year-old said. "When I looked back and I saw I was the only one on the wheel of Vollering, I was just focusing on not getting dropped. After that I got her, and I was very proud of what I’ve done, because all the team did a really good job all the race to keep me in the first position and did a leadout on the first part of the climb. They were amazing.

"It means a lot. I often finish fourth, and I wanted one big victory, and now I have. I’ll now be more confident… now I have the legs.

"For the GC, it will be hard for the victory, but I will try to gain more places, and why not one more victory."

Saturday's stage seven is largely flat but with a kick up to the line, before another summit finish completes the race on Sunday.

How it happened

Early attacks from Lily Williams (Human Powered Health), Anneke Dijkstra (VolkerWessels), Jelena Erić (Movistar), Mireia Benito (AG Insurance-Soudal), Liane Lippert (Movistar) and Olivia Baril (Movistar), later joined by Eva van Agt (Visma-Lease a Bike) threatened to shake the race up, but they were caught with 89km to go.

The day’s main break was established with 81km to go, when Aurela Nerlo (Winspace) joined Laura Molenaar (VolkerWessels), Fauve Bastiaenssen (Lotto Dstny) and Claudia San Justo (Eneicat-CMTeam) at the front of the race. Their gap reached over three minutes at times, but the peloton was always set to catch them

With 59km to go, Visma-Lease a Bike attempted to surprise the peloton with a duo attack from Carlijn Achtereekte and Van Agt, but this was soon extinguished.

As the road began to head upwards towards the day's only categorised climb, Molenaar and Bastiaenssen were left alone at the front of the race, seemingly attacking each other in an attempt to secure the combativity award for one of them. 

They were finally caught with just under 18km to go, thanks to pressure on the front from Visma-Lease a Bike, who wanted to secure maximum points for green jersey wearer Marianne Vos. Inevitably, Vos won the intermediate sprint at 17km to go.

The final climb of La Laguna Negra was the first first-category climb of the Vuelta, and Lidl-Trek and FDJ-Suez pulled the reduced bunch to begin with, but this soon ended. With 4km to go, around 18 riders remained in the lead group.

Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime), the race leader, set the pace on the front, as she had on Thursday’s stage five, which she won in similar fashion. Rather than hiding in the bunch, the Dutchwoman was keen to do all the work.

The first big name to drop was Mavi García (AlUla Jayco), who lost contact with the lead group with just under 3km to go.

The group of favourites soon thinned out, with Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek), Juliette Labous (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Riejanne Markus (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Évita Muzic among those who remained.

The first attack came from Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck), with 1.6km to go; Marlen Reusser (SD Worx-Protime) helped shut this down, and then finished her work for the day. Vollering chased on, followed by Longo Borghini and Rooijakkers’ teammate Yara Kastelijn.

Kastelijn was the next to try something, but this was quickly neutralised by Vollering as the remaining riders went under the flamme rouge.

Vollering pushed off the front, followed by Muzic; the pair distanced Kastelijn, Longo Borghini and Markus. With the line in sight, Muzic opened up her sprint, and was able to pip Vollering to the line.

Results

Vuelta Femenina stage 6: Tarazona to La Laguna Negra (132.1km)

1. Évita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-Suez, in 4:10:20
2. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, +2s
3. Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +15s
4. Riejanne Markus (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +17s
5. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +21s
6. Ricarda Bauerfind (Ger) Canyon-SRAM
7. Juliette Labous (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL, both at same time
8. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, +33s
9. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) SD Worx-Protime, +38s
10. Kim Cazdow (NZl) EF Education-Cannondale, +40s

General classification after stage six

1. Demi Vollering (Ned) SD Worx-Protime, in 17:20:01
2. Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Lidl-Trek, +56s
3. Riejanne Markus (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, +1:14
4. Juliette Labous (Fra) dsm-firmenich PostNL. +1:38
5. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZl) SD Worx-Protime, +2:42
6. Évita Muzic (Fra) FDJ-Suez, +2:42
7. Marlen Reusser (Sui) SD Worx-Protime, +2:52
8. Ricarda Bauerfind (Ger) Canyon-SRAM, +3:17
9. Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck, + 3:25
10. Kristen Faulkner (USA) EF Education-Cannondale, +3:29

Demi Vollering, the reigning Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift champion, is set to leave her current team, SD Worx-Protime, according to a report in GCN. 

The 27-year-old is the top-ranked female cyclist by the UCI, and is out of contract at the end of this season.

Speaking to GCN, SD Worx-Protime manager Danny Stam said an extension is not on the cards. 

"It’s about budget," Stam said. Last month, the team penned a four-year extension with Lotte Kopecky, keeping the world champion in its ranks until 2028. 

"Everyone knows that Lotte has signed until 2028 and we've tried hard to keep the team. But for Demi, I don’t think that it’s an option for us," Stam said. "You need to make a choice, and at one moment things can go away but I think it’s clear that we can’t have two riders from that level in our team."

Asked to confirm whether Vollering will leave the team, Stam said that it was "definitely sure". 

At the start of this year, reports emerged that Vollering had been offered a €1 million contract to join UAE Team ADQ. "It's a lot of money," Stam told GCN last month. "She's one of the best riders at the moment, so of course we want to keep her, but not for €1 million."

In a statement posted on X, SD Worx-Protime team manager Erwin Janssen said he had made the Dutchwoman a "generous offer". 

"[We] indicated that this should be responded to before a certain date," Janssen said. "Vollering's management did not respond to this. Therefore, we assume that Vollering will leave the team at the end of the year." 

It is unknown at this stage what team the 27-year-old will ride for in 2025.

Last July, the Dutchwoman took the biggest victory of her career when she won the Tour de France Femmes, over three minutes ahead of her team-mate Kopecky. "We really make each other stronger," she said of her team. 

Vollering's yellow jersey triumph followed a stellar spring campaign in which she completed an Ardennes treble, winning the Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. 

She has only raced three times this season, and was competing at Dwars door Vlaanderen when reports of her departure broke.

Cycling Weekly has contacted SD-Worx Protime for further details.

Demi Vollering believes that the revamped Strade Bianche course could give SD Work-Protime an advantage on Saturday, as they look to defend the title that Vollering won last year. 

The Dutch team head into the Italian Classic after already landing seven victories this season, including an overall win at the UAE Tour through the current world champion, Lotte Kopecky. However, they did not win on Opening Weekend, after winning both Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Omloop van het Hageland in 2023.

Vollering won Strade last season after dramatically outsprinting Kopecky in Siena’s Piazza del Campo. A photo finish was required to declare Vollering the winner, after some apparent frostiness between the pair. The day had already been dramatic, with a horse running onto the course in front of Vollering.  

"The revamped course of Strade Bianche might play into our hands," Vollering said. "We are doing the last three steep final strips twice. That means more kilometres, more altimeters and more gravel. So it will be spicy. It makes the race a lot tougher.” 

In 2023, the women’s race consisted of 136 kilometres and covered eight of the famous gravel sectors. This year, the organiser has added more gravel to the route meaning that the riders will now face 12 sectors instead. 

"It feels like Strade Bianche [last year] brought us closer together," Vollering said of the relationship between her and Kopecky. "It has strengthened our collaboration. I really enjoyed going for the highest possible result together with Lotte every race last season. 

“It also never felt like we had to 'divide' races. It went very naturally. She won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, I was the best in the Strade Bianche. She won Ronde van Vlaanderen, after which I triumphed again in the Amstel Gold Race."

“What stays with me most of all is how we dominated as a team. That's why I don't see it as my victory, but that of the whole team,” she added.

Heading into Saturday’s action in Tuscany, Vollering said that she feels comparisons with last season are fruitless and that missing out at Omloop had put the team “on edge” as they look to pick up their first victory in Europe this year.

"Everyone is starting from scratch again," she said. "We shouldn't make comparisons with last year. The goal remains the same: to improve myself and try to be the best. In the Strade Bianche, Team SD Worx-Protime will be looking for its first classic win of 2024. 

“In Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, we just missed out. If I was in the first group, it might have been different. But still we showed a strong race. So I don't feel we are weak now. We are as strong as ever.”