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Follow us on GoogleDemi Vollering has been extremely dominant all season long. After winning her very first world road title in Montreal, she proved it once again by claiming her second consecutive European title in Slovenia just one week later. Launched by her star teammate Puck Pieterse, the Dutch team had another outstanding day.
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"This is crazy," Vollering beamed during her post-race interview. Everything the Dutch rider from FDJ United-SUEZ does this year turns to gold.
Dutch team produce flawless race performance
This afternoon at the European Championships, it was the rock-solid Pieterse who really made the difference. After an excellent lead-out by Femke de Vries, Pieterse rode so hard on the final climb that she left everyone in her wake—except for Kasia Niewiadoma.
Vollering made her move after Pieterse’s turn and was immediately on her own. It seemed Niewiadoma had been on her limit thanks to Pieterse's immense turn.
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Pieterse rewarded with second place
Pieterse was able to draft behind Niewiadoma, who had little energy left and thus saw a few more pursuers fall back. In the group of five, Pieterse then disrupted enough to stop Vollering from being caught.
Vollering triumphantly took the win, before her domestique sprinted into second place
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Vollering is bummed that 2026 is almost over
"A wonderful second-place finish for Puck today," Vollering cheered for her friend and teammate at the World and European Championships.
"We have every reason to be proud," said the winner, who is disappointed that her season is almost over in its current form.
“It’s truly been a golden year; it’s a shame it’s over after Wednesday,” she said, looking ahead to the time trial at the European Championships later in the week.
"I can't wait to ride in the rainbow jersey all year long next year," Vollering added, knowing that she can hang up the European Championship jersey—which she won for the second time in a row on Saturday—in 2027.
After all, the rainbow jersey takes precedence over the European Championship jersey, which she wore with pride throughout 2026.
Vollering says she cannot wait to race in the rainbow jersey in 2027
What’s next?
Vollering will head into the winter in high spirits, and at 29, she knows she’s far from done at FDJ United-SUEZ. “I’ll keep dreaming, because I love to win. You want to get better every day and work on yourself—that’s what I love most about this job,” concluded the world’s current top female cyclist.
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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