She has two Liège-Bastogne-Liège wins, two Strade Bianche victories, a La Flèche Wallonne title, a Tour de France Femmes yellow jersey and this year’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad triumph on her palmares, and on Easter Sunday Demi Vollering added Ronde van Vlaanderen to her impressive list. Like Pogacar earlier in the day, the European champion made the decisive move on the Oude Kwaremont.
Preliminaries
Last year Lotte Kopecky set the Ronde van Vlaanderen record with her third title, and Alison Jackson raced into the top-20. Kopecky was back to defend after victory in Milan-Sanremo. Kopecky faced resistance from Dwars doors Vlaanderen winner Marlen Reusser and runner up Vollering.
Jackson returned, and Emilie Fortin made up the other half of a Canadian duo.
The Course
The final two of 11 mostly-cobbed climbs across 164 km was comprised of the famed cobbled Oude Kwaremont–Paterberg duo. The Paterberg crested 14 km from the finish line on the Minderbroedersstraat in Oudenaarde.
The day’s breakaway started off as a quartet, with another four riders chasing. By the time they hit the first climb, Wolvenberg, the fugitives’ gap was 5:45. It took the Koppenberg to bring the final escapee to heel and create an elite platoon containing Vollering, Kopecky, Puck Pieterse, Elisa Longo Borghini, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Elisa Balsamo.
On the Oude Kruisberg/Hotond, Ferrand-Prévot, Pieterse, Vollering, Kopecky and Franziska Koch bounced clear but there was a re-grouping just before the Oude Kwaremont.
Vollering attacked on the Oude Kwaremont, Ferrand-Prévot the closest chaser with Kopecky and Pieterse just behind. Pieterse and Ferrand-Prévot linked up to pursue.
Vollering would not be denied. Pieterse and Ferrand-Prévot toiled to ensure their podium places.
Paris-Roubaix is next Sunday.
2026 Ronde van Vlaanderen
1) Demi Vollering (The Netherlands/FDJ United-SUEZ) 4:16:38
2) Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (France/Visma-Lease a Bike) +0:42
3) Puck Pieterse (The Netherlands/Fenix-Premier Tech) s.t.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…