Canada's Bella Holmgren on trying to stay with the front group at Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Demi Vollering rightly took the headlines after winning her historic third Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes this weekend. And the supporting cast of Puck Pieterse, Kasia Niewiadoma, and Anna van der Breggen are well known to cycling fans. Even 5th place Paula Blasi, after her Amstel Gold Race win, did not raise eyebrows. We have to go down to 6th place to find a name that may not be so well known to many fans. That name is Isabella Holmgren, Lidl Trek’s 20-year-old multi-discipline talent.

That Holmgren is somewhat unknown is surprising, given her results in 2025. The Canadian finished 7th in the Giro d’Italia Women in July, and then won the Tour de l'Avenir Femmes at the end of August, beating a field that included Blasi and Celia Gery, recent Brabantse Pijl Femmes winner.

With just 3 road race days before Liège in 2026 — one of those a solid 9th place at La Flèche Wallonne — Holmgren was an unknown quantity going at La Doyenne. That she was able to go with the Vollering move on La Redoute, stay with Pieterse and Niewiadoma for a long time in the finale, shows that the young Canadian deserves recognition.

Holmgren spoke to Cycling Pro Net at the finish and was clearly pleased with her race. “Yeah it was just such a hard day. I don't think I've ever suffered like that before, but it was a nice day with the girls and some really good teamwork.”

“I think I was just trying really hard to make it over the climbs and stay with the lead group”, said the Lidl Trek rider. “After that it was just full gas and yeah, I was on the limit the whole time. I wasn't thinking much to be honest. I was just trying to hold their wheel and yeah, do as much as I could.

Sixth in her first Liege-Bastogne-Liege is a good result for Holmgren, then? “Yeah, I think of course we always race to win, but I think it was a nice day and I gave everything, so I'm happy with it.”

Isabella is not the only Holmgren in the pro peloton. She isn’t even the only Holmgren in the Lidl-Trek team, as her twin sister Ava also rides for the American/German outfit. Brother Gunnar Holmgren also races cross country mountain bike and cyclo cross in Canada.