June 7/26 21:47 pm - Vollering Wins Giro, Holmgren Best Young Rider

Posted by Editoress on 06/7/26
 

Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) was crowned the overall winner of the 2026 Giro d'Italia Femminile on Sunday after a spectacular ninth and final stage starting and finishing in Saluzzo. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE-ADQ) took the stage win, while Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) lost the pink jersey on a decisive 145-kilometre stage with 2,119 metres of elevation gain.

The final stage was no walk in the park, a true mountain challenge with three categorized climbs: Montoso (category 1), Colletta di Paesana (category 3), and Colletta di Brondello (category 2). Vollering launched a decisive attack 39 kilometres from the finish, catching the leading group and ultimately securing her overall victory in the Giro d'Italia.

Longo Borghini, the reigning Italian champion and winner of the last two editions of the race, took the stage win with a time of 3:45:09, ahead of Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) at the same time, and Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM) in third, 2 seconds behind. Vollering finished fourth, 3 seconds back, enough to seal the overall victory with a 30-second margin over Niedermaier and 1:37 over Van der Breggen.

A relentless final stage from Montoso
The day began in Saluzzo, with the first significant attack coming at 118 kilometres by a small group consisting of Thalita de Jong (Human Powered Health), Josie Nelson (Picnic-PostNL), Mie Bjørndal Ottestad, and Alessia Vigilia (Uno-X Mobility). The attempt was neutralized after 2km just before the race entered the truly decisive terrain.

SD Worx-Protime and FDJ United-Suez upped the pace before the first major climb of the day, an 8.7-kilometre ascent at 9.5%, located at kilometre 54.5 into the stage. RIders began to abandon.

The first major move of the day came on Montoso. Demi Vollering attacked 95 kilometres from the finish, with Anna van der Breggen and Elisa Longo Borghini responding. The group of favorites was reduced to about ten riders, including Longo Borghini, Antonia Niedermaier, Magdeleine Vallieres, Vollering, Lauren Dickson, Niamh Fisher-Black, Isabella Holmgren, Van der Breggen, Valentina Cavallar, and Femke de Vries.

Marlen Reusser (Movistar) and Vallieres began to struggle on that section, while Vollering crested Montoso in the lead, ahead of Niedermaier, Van der Breggen, De Vries, Holmgren, and Fisher-Black.

After Montoso, Elisa Longo Borghini accelerated, leading the group of favorites, and the race completely shattered. With 73 kilometres to go, Longo Borghini, Niedermaier, and Fisher-Black were riding at the front, with Femke de Vries 44 seconds behind, Lauren Dickson 1:18 back, and the pink jersey group, containing Van der Breggen, Vollering, and Holmgren, 2:12 behind.

On the 3.4-kilometre climb of Colletta di Paesana, at 5.8%, Niedermaier crested the summit first, ahead of Longo Borghini, Fisher-Black, and De Vries. Behind them, Vollering and Van der Breggen caught up with Lauren Dickson with 65 kilometres remaining, before the pink jersey group regrouped on the approach to the final mountain section.

With 55 kilometres to go, Longo Borghini, Niedermaier, and Fisher-Black were alone in the lead, with the group containing Van der Breggen, Vollering, Dickson, and De Vries 1:41 behind. Further back were Urška Žigart, Lore De Schepper, Magdeleine Vallieres, Isabella Holmgren, Marlen Reusser, Valentina Cavallar, and Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset.

The gap began to close before the Colletta di Brondello, a 5-kilometre climb of 7.4%, where the race changed decisively. Dickson cracked with 41 kilometres to go, and shortly after, Vollering launched the attack that would ultimately decide the Giro.

Vollering attacks with 39 kilometres remaining and virtually takes the pink jersey.

With 39 kilometres to go, Demi Vollering accelerated from the group containing the maglia rosa. Femke de Vries and Anna van der Breggen couldn't keep upwere dropped by the race leader.

The Dutch rider began to close the gap on Longo Borghini, Niedermaier, and Fisher-Black. With 30 kilometres to go, Vollering was the virtual leader of the general classification, and with 28 kilometres remaining, she caught the leading trio. Behind them, De Vries caught Van der Breggen, who saw the pink jersey slip away on the final stage.

The intermediate sprint at Colletta di Rossana, located at kilometre 120.8, further strengthened Vollering's position. The Dutch cyclist crossed the line first and earned 6 bonus seconds, ahead of Longo Borghini, who gained 4, and Niedermaier, who added 2. Fisher-Black completed the points-scoring positions.

With the overall lead now firmly in Vollering's favour, the leading group maintained a good working relationship in the final kilometres. Longo Borghini, Fisher-Black, Niedermaier, and Vollering took turns at the front, while Van der Breggen tried to minimize losses alongside De Vries.

The stage win was decided in a sprint between the four leaders. Niedermaier worked in the final kilometre, Vollering took over the lead 500 metres from the line, and Fisher-Black launched her sprint about 100 metres from the finish. Longo Borghini responded strongly in the final stretch and took the victory, closing out the Giro with a prestigious win. Fisher-Black finished second with the same time, Niedermaier was third, 2 seconds behind, and Vollering crossed the line fourth, 3 seconds back.

Van der Breggen finished sixth, 2:23 behind, alongside Femke de Vries, and lost the pink jersey she had defended since her dominant performance in the Nevegal time trial. 

Vollering, who won the stages to Santo Stefano di Cadore and Colle delle Finestre, completed a decisive comeback in Saluzzo. The FDJ United-Suez rider finished the Giro d'Italia Femminile with a total time of 29:54:19, ahead of Antonia Niedermaier, second by 30 seconds, and Anna van der Breggen, third at 1:37.

Elisa Longo Borghini finished fourth overall, at 2:44, while Niamh Fisher-Black finished fifth at 3:26 and Femke de Vries rounded out the top six at 5:07.

Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) finished 9th on the stage, 7th overall and held onto the young Rider GC.

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