Vollering joins legend Van Vleuten in Grand Tour triple club: 'This is why we do it'

Demi Vollering is on cloud nine. Following her breathtaking grip on power at the Giro d'Italia Women, the 29-year-old leader of FDJ United-SUEZ has become only the second woman in history to have all three Grand Tours on her palmarès. On Tuesday, she marked the milestone on her social media channels.

Vollering had looked ready to write off her chances of taking the Giro overall after eight of the nine stages. But an incredible final-day turnaround delivered her the pink jersey after all. By keeping Anna van der Breggen in the leader's jersey and letting her do the work, Vollering was able to close the gap in the general classification to her compatriot far from the finish line.

And so the pre-race favourite was triumphant at the Giro after all, completing the trilogy. Vollering had already won the Tour de France Femmes in 2023, and took the Vuelta a España Femenina in both 2024 and 2025. She also finished second at the Tour on three occasions, and has been second and third at the Vuelta too.

It had been five years since her last Giro d'Italia Donne: 2021, when she finished third. On her return, she struck immediately — including two stage victories. "The magic of sport," Vollering wrote on her Instagram account. "Moments like these are hard to put into words. Emotions like these, you only find in sport."

For Vollering, only one woman had ever won all three Grand Tours before her: Annemiek van Vleuten. Van Vleuten won the Giro no fewer than four times, the Tour de France Femmes once and the Vuelta three times. So Vollering still has some way to go to match those numbers. But completing the Grand Tour triple has already seen her named among the greatest of all time.

Vollering is clearly savouring every moment, as her message to her fans made plain. "The crazy laughing, the screaming, the tears, the jumping, the hugs, arms in the air... In moments like these, time seems to stand still and the world around you fades away. Only you and the people around you know what it took to get here."

That Vollering has found her home at FDJ United-SUEZ came through clearly in the rest of the post. "Sharing these moments is so much bigger than the trophy alone. You build a bond with the people around you. You suffer together, lift each other up, and you keep believing — especially when things go against you. When everything comes together, you don't need many words. Because everyone knows what it took to overcome it all."

"I will remember and cherish these moments forever. This is why we do it."

Author: David Bavin-Hobbs - [email protected]