The Dutchwoman Demi Vollering launched an attack 18 km from the finish line, in the old Quaremont, to win solo on Sunday in Audenarde (Belgium).
Published on 05/04/2026 at 17:52, updated on 05/04/2026 at 17:57
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La Néerlandaise Demi Vollering has added another line to her impressive resume. The reigning European road champion won the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, April 5th, in Audenarde (Belgium). Second in 2023, the FDJ United rider launched her attack in the old Quaremont, 18 km from the finish line, to triumph solo ahead of the Frenchwoman Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, already 2nd in 2025, and the Dutchwoman Puck Pieterse. At 29 years old, Demi Vollering now boasts 60 career victories, the first on the “Ronde”.
“It was crazy, it was super tough, I just thought I had to go as fast as possible. I knew the old Quaremont was a long effort, it suited me the most. I was already tired, I saw that the others were too. I really had to push hard without looking back,” reacted the winner of the 2023 Tour de France to the event’s microphone. “The team also did a great job. My teammates were truly exceptional and crucial for my victory.”
In a race that gradually unfolded, the climb of Koppenberg, 42 km from the finish line, allowed 18 riders – including the main favorites, except for Marlen Reusser and Kim Le Court, who fell 5 km before the start of the ascent – to break away.
While there were 13 riders at the foot of the old Quaremont, 18 km from the finish line, Demi Vollering made the difference from the first meters of the climb, with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot being the last one to give in. Under the threat of a chasing group, including defending champion Lotte Kopecky, the Rhenish rider ultimately secured her second place in the sprint, ahead of Puck Pieterse.
Earlier in the day, Anastasiya Kolesava, Teuntje Beekhuis, Allison Mrugal, and Sophie Von Berswordt had enlivened the race by launching an escape 144 km from the finish line. They held up to a five-minute lead over the peloton before gradually being caught up 48 km from the finish.
