‘First among losers’; Reusser wanted more support in the battle against Vollering and Pieterse
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Follow us on GoogleMarlen Reusser stood in the mixed zone after the 2026 European Cycling Championships for elite women, satisfied with her bronze medal. In an interview, the Swiss rider acknowledged that this was the best result she could have achieved, though Reusser would have liked a little more support in her attempt to thwart Demi Vollering and Puck Pieterse in the final.
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Reusser actually seemed like she wasn’t going to play any role at all in the European Championship final after she was dropped early on by the Netherlands’ incredible pace. Femke de Vries and Puck Pieterse set up Demi Vollering, who rode solo to the European Championship title. Pieterse settled into the wheel of the pack, which Reusser eventually joined as well.
Reusser managed to clinch bronze after Niewiadoma crash
Niewiadoma and Longo Borghini seemed to be the frontrunners for the podium spots, but it was actually Reusser who finished third. The Swiss rider had been dropped earlier on the final climb, but kept up her pace and eventually caught up with the chasing group.
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There, she picked up the pace considerably and took advantage of the setbacks suffered by Niewiadoma, Longo Borghini, and Germany’s Antonia Niedermaier to claim third place. “I’m the first of the losers,” Reusser laughed afterwards.
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Reusser was disappointed with European Championship tactics
"It was hard to beat the Netherlands today. I tried, and I think everyone could have been a little smarter today," he said, sounding a bit stern.
"But the Netherlands was so strong with eight riders; it was clear they were tough to beat. So I'm happy with third place."
Still, Reusser was a bit dissatisfied. She would have preferred that the four pursuers—in a group with Pieterse—had closed in on Vollering in the final stretch.
“That’s why I picked up the pace—because I didn’t want to let five more Dutch riders catch up.”
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Clarice WebsterEditor
Clarice has been following cycling her whole life, wroting about Thibaut Pinot (among others) for her university magazine while earning her masters in Journalism. She is passionate about furthering equality in sports coverage, and has taken huge inspiration from pillars of women’s cycling like Beryl Burton, Marianne Vos, and Laura Kenny.
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Latest Comments
- - Un poco corto en la parte técnica de la bici de McNulty, no? Colnago nero con detalles arcoíris suena brutal — queremos más fotos, per favore.pedalpowe2902-10-2026
- - Demi finally gets her stripes! Team Oranje tactics on point again — recon, lead-out, and that patient regroup. Textbook. Chapeau.sprocketspiny02-10-2026
- - Wait, does the world champ jersey apply to all disciplines or just road race? Can McNulty wear it in a TT too, or is that only if he won the TT worlds?davidm02-10-2026
- - Brilliant coverage. The early flight back to beat jet lag is elite-level thinking. Those marginal gains matter before a punchy Euros course.samanthak02-10-2026
- - Not sure the “surprised everyone” line about McNulty is fair. He’s been knocking on the door all season in one-day races and TTs. Emilia in rainbows is going to slap.patriciaw02-10-2026
- - Love seeing the rainbow bands back on Slovenian roads. Demi looks sharp in that kit. Hope she gets a full custom bike soon, not just a tiny stripe under the seatpost. Come on, give the champ a proper paint job!cadencekingm02-10-2026
- - Quick one: why can’t McNulty wear the rainbow at Euros? Is it only for world champs from Europe or something about national teams vs trade teams?lindae02-10-2026
- - That Dutch masterclass was something else. Vollering timed that second move perfectly after the first dig didn’t stick. Proper teamwork — Wiebes and the crew deserve as much credit as Demi.julien02-10-2026
- - Boonen’s line about trusting teammates is gold. World’s is chess, not crit. Belgium tried to cover every scenario and covered none. Harsh lesson, but needed before next year.samanthak02-10-2026
- - Great read, but the piece leans a bit too harsh on Wout for me. He wasn’t at leader-level form, true, yet the team didn’t set up a plan B well enough. Segaert the bright spot, agreed.julien02-10-2026
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