The queen stage of the Giro d’Italia Women was dramatically shortened on Saturday and it certainly screwed up some of the rider’s plans, especially Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ). The riders were told an avalanche now blocked the upper slopes of the Colle delle Finestre. That forced organizers to move the finish to one kilometre below the summit.
Despite the last-minute route change, the battle for the overall title still delivered plenty of fireworks. Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ) won the stage after a showdown with Antonia Niedermaier, Oro-Medonte, Ont.’s Isabella Holmgren and maglia rosa Anna van der Breggen.
The shortened stage
The 105-km stage began with a large breakaway that included national champion Alison Jackson, but the escapees were gradually reeled in as the peloton approached the Finestre, the race’s toughest climb.
With the stage shortened while the riders were already on the mountain, attention quickly turned to the favourites. Vollering launched several attacks in an effort to crack Van der Breggen and cut into her one-minute deficit in the general classification. Niedermaier matched the accelerations, while Holmgren rode a composed climb to work her way back into the lead group.
… and she attacks!#GirodItaliaWomen #WonderfulWomen @LidlTrek https://t.co/mJ2gbf64Es pic.twitter.com/tvLT5VGl99
— Giro d’Italia Women (@girowomen) June 6, 2026
Van der Breggen responded to every move and showed no signs of weakness despite hitting the deck the previous day. Vollering was the fastest to reach the makeshift finish line, while Holmgren impressed again with a strong second-place finish on one of the toughest stages of the race. The Canadian was especially impressive as at one point she fell off the pace, but fought her way back to the leading trio. She even launched an attack in an effort to try and grab the win.
Despite the win, Vollering seemed disappointed after the stage. With the day being shortened, it certainly didn’t help her be able to claw any time back on Van der Breggen. The GC remains relatively the same.
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The Giro wraps up tomorrow with Stage 9. Although it’s not as tough as today, there are still three categorized climbs. Is it enough for Vollering, or even Holmgren, to shake-up the GC? On paper, maybe not. But as we’ve seen so much this year in pro cycling, nothing seems to follow the script anymore.
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