[analyse_image type=”featured” src=”https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yho3cizkbuCvXcv7DuFFGY-1024-80.jpg”]
Tour of Flanders Women: Demi Vollering sails to victory after shedding rivals with a solo attack on Oude Kwaremont
Follow us
Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) won the women’s Tour of Flanders in style, attacking on the Oude Kwaremont with 18km to go for a solo victory. Behind Vollering, Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) dropped Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) on the Paterberg, but the Frenchwoman returned on the run-in to the finish. After cooperating to hold off the chasing group, Ferrand-Prévot came past Pieterse in the sprint for second place.
A front group of 20 riders had formed on the Koppenberg, and Vollering’s teammates Franzi Koch, Elise Chabbey, and Célia Gery worked hard to keep the pace high into the Oude Kruisberg, where Koch pushed hard before Vollering attacked on the Hotond climb that immediately followed.
Pieterse, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), Ferrand-Prévot, and Koch could just follow the European champion’s acceleration, but there was a regrouping on the descent before the Oude Kwaremont.
Article continues below
After another lead-out by Koch, Vollering went all-in as soon as she hit the cobblestones, quickly dropping everyone else to go solo. Ferrand-Prévot hung on the longest, lost ground on the upper slopes, but could stay with Pieterse when she came past.
“It was really difficult today because we had headwind and the bunch was going pretty slow. That made it hard to stay in position, because if you’re taking the front, you’re killing yourself. That’s what Amber [Kraak] did before the Koppenberg. It is a job that is super necessary.
“Sometimes people don’t really see how important teammates are, but they make sure that you’re as fresh as possible in the final. Everybody in the team was just so important for the win here,” Vollering continued, thanking her team for the effort that put her in a position to attack on the Kwaremont.
“I have dreamt of that moment so many times last night. I knew that the Kwaremont is the longest effort, that’s what suits me the most. And it’s in the end, so everybody feels the fatigue already. I knew that I just had to push without looking behind, and that’s what I did until I finally turned off the cobbles, and then I realised I was alone,” Vollering said.
How it unfolded
Starting and finishing in Oudenaarde, the women faced six flat cobblestone sections and nine climbs, seven of which were cobbled, on a 164.1km course snaking through the so-called Flemish Ardennes.
Two groups of four combined to form an eight-rider breakaway that included Anastasiya Kolesava (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), Teuntje Beekhuis (Uno-X Mobility), Allison Mrugal (Mayenne Monbana MyPie), Sophie von Berswordt (VolkerWessels), Yurani Blanco (Human Powered Health), Ilken Seynave (Lotto-Intermarché), Caroline Wreszin (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93), and Yonna van Dam (Citymesh-Customm).
Their advantage ballooned out to over five minutes with 92km to go before slowly coming down again. Blanco and Seynave lost contact soon afterwards, while Van Dam and Mrugal were dropped on the cobbled Kerkgate, leaving four riders in front.
On the steep, cobbled Molenberg climb, 70km from the finish, an acceleration by Marlen Reusser (Movistar) split the peloton, with Reusser, Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), Vollering, Backstedt, and Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) having a small gap at the top. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) quickly closed that gap to make it a group of twelve, and the headwind contributed to the regrouping on the Marlboroughstraat that followed.
Kolesava dropped her last three companions on the Eikenberg, where Chabbey and Gery pushed hard in the peloton, and on the run-in to the Koppenberg, Kolesava was finally reeled in. Just before the climb, there was a big crash that took out Reusser and Kim Le Court-Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal), among others. Earlier crashes had already forced Victoire Berteau (Cofidis), Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ), and several other riders to abandon.
Koch led the way up the Koppenberg, and at the top, only Vollering, Longo Borghini, Kopecky, Ferrand-Prévot, Pieterse, Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco), Backstedt, and Fleur Moors (Lidl-Trek) remained in her wheel. The next group caught back up on the main road before the Mariaborrestraat to form a group of 20 that also included Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime), Lieke Nooijen (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly), Chabbey, Gery, Millie Couzens (Fenix-Premier Tech), Balsamo, Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek), Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic PostNL), Swinkels, and Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ).
Gery and Chabbey did most of the work for the next 12 kilometres to extend the gap to the groups behind. Georgi and Couzens lost contact on the Taaienberg, and on the Oude Kruisberg, Koch put on the pressure to set up Vollering’s attack on the Hotond.
After things came back together after the climb, Bredewold launched a short-lived attack on the descent towards the Oude Kwaremont, where Vollering went all-in from the start of the climb, and it quickly became clear that she would not be caught until the finish.
Pieterse passed Ferrand-Prévot on the Oude Kwaremont, and they set off behind Vollering together, followed by a group with three riders from UAE Team ADQ – Longo Borghini, Persico, and Swinkels – as well as Kopecky and Backstedt.
On the Paterberg, Vollering increased her advantage while Pieterse left Ferrand-Prévot behind, and Backstedt had to dig deep to stay in touch with the chasing group. Ferrand-Prévot made it back to Pieterse with 12km to go, but Vollering was 27 seconds up the road and out of their reach, finishing 42 seconds ahead. Instead, they worked together to hold off the group of five behind them, defending a 15-second gap that grew to 22 seconds at the finish.
Pieterse led out the sprint for second place from the 500-metre mark, and when she looked behind to gauge the gap to the chasers, Ferrand-Prévot used the moment to launch her sprint that a tired Pieterse could not reply to, settling for third place.
2026 Tour of Flanders Women results
|
Pos |
Rider |
Time |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ United-SUEZ |
4:16:37 |
|
2 |
Pauline Ferrand Prevot (Fra) Visma-Lease a Bike |
42 |
|
3 |
Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Premier Tech |
42 |
|
4 |
Lotte Kopecky (Bel) SD Worx-Protime |
1:04 |
|
5 |
Zoe Backstedt (GBr) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto |
1:04 |
|
6 |
Karlijn Swinkels (Ned) UAE Team ADQ |
1:04 |
|
7 |
Silvia Persico (Ita) UAE Team ADQ |
1:07 |
|
8 |
Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ |
1:07 |
|
9 |
Mischa Bredewold (Ned) SD Worx-Protime |
1:58 |
|
10 |
Franziska Koch (Ger) FDJ United-SUEZ |
1:58 |
|
11 |
Lieke Nooijen (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike |
1:58 |
|
12 |
Noemi Rüegg (Swi) EF Education-Oatly |
1:58 |
|
13 |
Elisa Balsamo (Ita) Lidl-Trek |
3:45 |
|
14 |
Letizia Paternoster (Ita) Liv AlUla Jayco |
4:55 |
|
15 |
Elise Chabbey (Swi) FDJ United-SUEZ |
4:55 |
|
16 |
Fleur Moors (Bel) Lidl-Trek |
4:55 |
|
17 |
Shirin van Anrooij (Ned) Lidl-Trek |
4:55 |
|
18 |
Célia Gery (Fra) FDJ United-SUEZ |
4:55 |
|
19 |
Cat Ferguson (GBr) Movistar Team |
6:53 |
|
20 |
Millie Couzens (GBr) Fenix-Premier Tech |
6:53 |
|
21 |
Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka (Pol) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto |
6:53 |
|
22 |
Shari Bossuyt (Bel) AG Insurance-Soudal |
6:53 |
|
23 |
Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Aus) Liv AlUla Jayco |
6:53 |
|
24 |
Liane Lippert (Ger) Movistar Team |
6:53 |
|
25 |
Quinty Ton (Ned) Liv AlUla Jayco |
6:53 |
|
26 |
Ingvild Gåskjenn (Nor) Uno-X Mobility |
6:53 |
|
27 |
Cedrine Kerbaol (Fra) EF Education-Oatly |
6:53 |
|
28 |
Pfeiffer Zara Georgi (GBr) Picnic PostNL |
6:53 |
|
29 |
Marieke Meert (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché |
6:53 |
|
30 |
Lily Williams (USA) Human Powered Health |
6:53 |
|
31 |
Malwina Mul (Pol) Cofidis Women Team |
6:53 |
|
32 |
Arianna Fidanza (Ita) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi |
6:53 |
|
33 |
Eline Jansen (Ned) Volkerwessels |
6:53 |
|
34 |
Nina Berton (Lux) EF Education-Oatly |
6:53 |
|
35 |
Cecilie Ludwig (Den) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto |
6:53 |
|
36 |
Mackenzie Coupland (Aus) Liv AlUla Jayco |
6:53 |
|
37 |
Jeanne Korevaar (Ned) Liv AlUla Jayco |
6:53 |
|
38 |
Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (Ita) UAE Team ADQ |
6:57 |
|
39 |
Chloe Dygert (USA) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto |
7:03 |
|
40 |
Lucinda Brand (Ned) Lidl-Trek |
7:07 |
|
41 |
Cleo Kiekens (Bel) Citymesh – Customm Pro Cycling Team |
10:06 |
|
42 |
Anna van Wersch (Ned) Lotto-Intermarché |
10:06 |
|
43 |
Marta Jaskulska (Pol) Human Powered Health |
10:06 |
|
44 |
Dina Boels (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché |
10:06 |
|
45 |
Marthe Goossens (Bel) AG Insurance-Soudal |
10:06 |
|
46 |
Thalita de Jong (Ned) Human Powered Health |
10:06 |
|
47 |
Rosa Klöser (Ger) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto |
10:06 |
|
48 |
Kristýna Burlová (Cze) Cofidis Women Team |
10:06 |
|
49 |
Fiona Mangan (Irl) Mayenne Monbana My Pie |
10:06 |
|
50 |
Alison Jackson (Can) St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93 |
10:06 |
|
51 |
Arlenis Sierra Canadilla (Cub) Movistar Team |
10:06 |
|
52 |
Marthe Truyen (Bel) Fenix-Premier Tech |
10:06 |
|
53 |
Lea Rondel (Fra) Mayenne Monbana My Pie |
10:06 |
|
54 |
Annelies Frieda Bart Nijssen (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché |
10:06 |
|
55 |
Emilie Fortin (Can) Minimax Cycling Team |
10:06 |
|
56 |
Anneke Dijkstra (Ned) Volkerwessels |
10:06 |
|
57 |
Titia Ryo (Fra) Human Powered Health |
10:06 |
|
58 |
Julie Bego (Fra) Cofidis Women Team |
10:06 |
|
59 |
Flora Perkins (GBr) Fenix-Premier Tech |
10:06 |
|
60 |
Amber Kraak (Ned) FDJ United-SUEZ |
10:06 |
|
61 |
Daniek Hengeveld (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike |
10:06 |
|
62 |
Imogen Wolff (GBr) Visma-Lease a Bike |
10:06 |
|
63 |
Margaux Vigie (Fra) Visma-Lease a Bike |
10:06 |
|
64 |
Anastasiya Kolesava (Blr) Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto |
10:06 |
|
65 |
Katharina Sadnik (Aut) Visma-Lease a Bike |
10:06 |
|
66 |
Blanka Vas (Hun) SD Worx-Protime |
10:11 |
|
67 |
Femke Gerritse (Ned) SD Worx-Protime |
10:11 |
|
68 |
Britt de Grave (Ned) Citymesh – Customm Pro Cycling Team |
11:28 |
|
DNF |
Catalina Soto Campos (Chi) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi |
Row 68 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Heidi Franz (USA) St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93 |
Row 69 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Constance Valentin (Fra) Mayenne Monbana My Pie |
Row 70 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Natalie Quinn (USA) Mayenne Monbana My Pie |
Row 71 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Allison Mrugal (USA) Mayenne Monbana My Pie |
Row 72 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Justine Gegu (Fra) Mayenne Monbana My Pie |
Row 73 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Ilken Seynave (Bel) Lotto-Intermarché |
Row 74 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Cristina Tonetti (Ita) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi |
Row 75 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Elyne Roussel (Fra) St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93 |
Row 76 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Idoia Eraso Lasa (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi |
Row 77 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Alice Maria Arzuffi (Ita) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi |
Row 78 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Irati Aranguren Carbayeda (Spa) Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi |
Row 79 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Valentine Fortin (Fra) Cofidis Women Team |
Row 80 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Victoire Berteau (Fra) Cofidis Women Team |
Row 81 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Linda Riedmann (Ger) Lotto-Intermarché |
Row 82 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Julie Stockman (Bel) Citymesh – Customm Pro Cycling Team |
Row 83 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Clara Lundmark (Swe) Minimax Cycling Team |
Row 84 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Jade Linthoudt (Bel) Minimax Cycling Team |
Row 85 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Camilla Rånes Bye (Nor) Minimax Cycling Team |
Row 86 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Lauren Bates (Aus) Minimax Cycling Team |
Row 87 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Eline van Rooijen (Ned) Citymesh – Customm Pro Cycling Team |
Row 88 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Alicia Gonzalez Blanco (Spa) St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93 |
Row 89 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Yonna van Dam (Ned) Citymesh – Customm Pro Cycling Team |
Row 90 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Karolina Kumiega (Pol) St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93 |
Row 91 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Sophie von Berswordt (Ned) Volkerwessels |
Row 92 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Lonneke Uneken (Ned) Volkerwessels |
Row 93 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Laura Molenaar (Ned) Volkerwessels |
Row 94 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Anne Knijnenburg (Ned) Volkerwessels |
Row 95 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Caroline Wreszin (USA) St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93 |
Row 96 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Francesca Pellegrini (Ita) Uno-X Mobility |
Row 97 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Femke van Goethem (Bel) Citymesh – Customm Pro Cycling Team |
Row 98 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Letizia Borghesi (Ita) AG Insurance-Soudal |
Row 99 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Carina Schrempf (Aut) Fenix-Premier Tech |
Row 100 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Vittoria Guazzini (Ita) FDJ United-SUEZ |
Row 101 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Babette van der Wolf (Ned) EF Education-Oatly |
Row 102 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Alexis Magner (USA) EF Education-Oatly |
Row 103 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Kristen Faulkner (USA) EF Education-Oatly |
Row 104 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Martina Alzini (Ita) Cofidis Women Team |
Row 105 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Alexandra Manly (Aus) AG Insurance-Soudal |
Row 106 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Katia Ragusa (Ita) Human Powered Health |
Row 107 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Kimberley le Court de Billot – Pienaar (Mri) AG Insurance-Soudal |
Row 108 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Marlen Reusser (Swi) Movistar Team |
Row 109 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Carys Lloyd (GBr) Movistar Team |
Row 110 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Aude Biannic (Fra) Movistar Team |
Row 111 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Elena Cecchini (Ita) SD Worx-Protime |
Row 112 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Lorena Wiebes (Ned) SD Worx-Protime |
Row 113 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Ilse Pluimers (Ned) AG Insurance-Soudal |
Row 114 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Gaia Masetti (Ita) Picnic PostNL |
Row 115 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Gwen Nothum (Lux) Minimax Cycling Team |
Row 116 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Alberte Greve (Den) Uno-X Mobility |
Row 117 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Teuntje Beekhuis (Ned) Uno-X Mobility |
Row 118 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Anniina Ahtosalo (Fin) Uno-X Mobility |
Row 119 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Megan Jastrab (USA) UAE Team ADQ |
Row 120 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Brodie Chapman (Aus) UAE Team ADQ |
Row 121 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Evy Kuijpers (Ned) Fenix-Premier Tech |
Row 122 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Josie Nelson (GBr) Picnic PostNL |
Row 123 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Iurani Blanco Calbet (Spa) Human Powered Health |
Row 124 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Daniela Hezinová (Cze) Picnic PostNL |
Row 125 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Robyn Clay (GBr) Picnic PostNL |
Row 126 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Caroline Andersson (Swe) Liv AlUla Jayco |
Row 127 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Emma Cecilie Norsgaard Bjerg (Den) Lidl-Trek |
Row 128 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Lauretta Hanson (Aus) Lidl-Trek |
Row 129 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Alessia Vigilia (Ita) Uno-X Mobility |
Row 130 – Cell 2 |
|
DNF |
Lucie Fityus (Aus) Picnic PostNL |
Row 131 – Cell 2 |
[analyse_source url=”https://www.cyclingnews.com/pro-cycling/womens-cycling/tour-of-flanders-women-demi-vollering-sails-to-victory-with-solo-attack-on-oude-kwaremont/”]