Resurgent Demi Vollering Seals Historic Liège-Bastogne-Liège Success

Demi Vollering showed she is back to her very best on Sunday, following up her uphill victory on Wednesday in Flèche Wallonne with a stomping solo success in Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

The Dutch FDJ United-Suez rider attacked the other race favorites on the climb of La Redoute and dropped the likes of Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM Zondacrypto), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) and the talented young Canadian Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek).

The latter was replaced in the chase by former world champion Anna van der Breggen, a double Liège winner, but while the SD Worx-ProTime rider added some pace Vollering responded in turn and reached the finish well ahead.

Van der Breggen led out the sprint but was passed by Pieterse and Niewiadoma, who sealed the remaining places on the podium 1’29 after Vollering’s emphatic victory salute.

In-form Spanish rider Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ) outsprinted Holmgren for fifth, continuing what is her best season thus far.

Vollering’s victory means she becomes the first woman to win three editions of the race since it was introduced in 2017.

“It is incredible. I really wanted to win again here, I really love this race,” she said.

“It brings back for me so many good memories, being still a club rider, riding here. Without even having a women’s race yet, I was already dreaming about it without knowing if there would ever be a women’s race. But then finally we got one.

“I became a pro and I win for the third time here. It is incredible, I am super proud. Women’s sport deserves so much more.”

Gambling big, pulling it off

Vollering has long been one of the strongest in women’s cycling and won the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 2023. She lost out to Niewiadoma one year later after losing considerable time in a crash, and last year had to accept second again when Pauline Ferrand-Prévot dominated the race.

Returning to the top has been a clear mission and, this spring, she appears to be well on her way.

She had won six times prior to the start, including her wins in the Tour of Flanders and Flèche Wallonne, and was one of the most closely watched.

Early on the focus was on another Dutchwoman, with Femke Gerritse (Team SD Worx – Protime) attacking 40km in and staying out front until the Côte de la Haute-Levée. That was followed by a seven woman move containing Holmgren and others, but these were reeled in prior to the start of La Redoute.

Vollering was looking impressive and hit the gas 600 m from the summit, putting in repeated accelerations and blowing the other riders away. Holmgren, Niewiadoma and Pieterse emerged as the best of the rest and were 22 seconds back with 30km to go, trying but failing to make inroads into that lead.

Vollering increased her advantage to 1:09 with 10.2 km left, at which time Van der Breggen bridged to the chasers and put Holmgren out the back.

The former world TT champion gave a boost to that group but Vollering responded in turn and actually increased her lead.

“I really wanted to go all out for this victory and not have any regrets afterwards,” she said, speaking about her attack. “So we made a plan to go from La Redoute. Actually we wanted really to have a teammate in the front before, but that didn’t really work out. Still I went.

“It was a long way from there but I managed to finish it off.”

She did, and the manner plus the margin of the victory makes it one of the best wins of her career.