Vollering’s all-or-nothing final-day ride seals Giro d'Italia Women victory: 'Had to dare to lose everything'
CyclingSunday, 07 June 2026 at 18:15
Demi Vollering took the overall victory in spectacular fashion on the final day of the Giro d'Italia Women. She dropped Anna van der Breggen on the final climb, then more than made up the deficit to her compatriot and took the pink jersey.
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Vollering needed to claw back 49 seconds on Van der Breggen in the final stage to win overall. The rider and her team went after that task with complete commitment. The race eventually developed in Vollering’s favour after Antonia Niedermaier — then third in the general classification — rode clear and built a substantial lead over Van der Breggen.
Vollering then took advantage of that situation and dropped Van der Breggen on the final climb, before riding on her own in impressive fashion to erase a deficit of more than a minute to Niedermaier, Elisa Longo Borghini and Niamh Fisher-Black.
Continue reading below the video.
Vollering: 'I had to dare to lose everything'
“It is unreal. I still cannot find the words,” begins a visibly happy Vollering in the flash interview. “Last night, as a team, we made a plan. Lars (Boom, red.) among others joked during dinner that we had to prepare well, because tomorrow was going to be a very important and long day for us.”
“And the rest of the team was like: let’s go!” Vollering saw a committed and motivated team ahead of the final stage. “From the start they were on fire. They absolutely wanted to be in the breakaway. Unfortunately, that did not work out. But on the longest and hardest climb they immediately set a high pace. Lauren (Dickson, red.) in particular was amazing today. She just kept going.”
“Today was purely about daring to lose,” Vollering said. “I had to dare to lose everything, and I did. I let Antonia (Niedermaier, red.) go,” she explains, describing a crucial moment in the race. That put all the pressure on Van der Breggen. Vollering herself then increased it a little more. “I told Anna: I am also happy with third place. Second or third makes no difference to me, now it is up to you.”
Vollering: “My legs were completely cramped”
“Then I had to see her off. And on that last climb I really gave everything. It was the time trial of my life,” Vollering says, describing her effort beautifully. “After that, there was still a long way to the finish. It just worked for me and for us,” she says, visibly emotional.
Although Vollering quickly built a reassuring gap over Van der Breggen, it took a long time before she felt safe. “Only when the lead was two minutes did I dare to believe it. Also because my legs were completely cramped. I just hoped I would make it to the finish.”
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Latest Comments
- - Love the narrative arc here: puncture on stage 1, podium in the rain on stage 2, caught in the split on stage 3, then leader’s jersey on stageShades of Corbin Strong last year. If Sheehan pulls this off, that Wallonie-Arctic double template could be in play again.tourdeforce905-06-2026
- - Three seconds over Oliver and De Lie is nothing with one stage left. If NSN wants to keep the jersey, they’ll have to patrol every move and mop up sprint bonuses. Curious whether Sheehan goes defensive or tries another punch on the climbs—his style seems to suit the parcours.patriciaw05-06-2026
- - De Lie needed that one. You could see the weeks of frustration come off his shoulders when he collapsed on the bars. Classic Belgian timing on home roads. Also, credit to NSN—seven guys riding strong and still brave enough to attack for bonus seconds. That’s racing.raceready705-06-2026
- - What a rollercoaster finish. Sheehan emptying the tank solo on the Côte de Frankendelle and then De Lie launching that last-gasp sprint… absolute heartbreak and brilliance in the same frame. Still, orange jersey earned. Tomorrow’s going to be tense with those intermediate sprints.cyclechamp4505-06-2026
- - Slimme keuze om de overgang na de Tour te doen. Continuïteit is key. Dankjewel, Luca, voor 16 jaar toewijding. Benieuwd of we onder Schleck een nog agressievere koersstijl gaan zien met dezelfde warmte achter de schermen.bikebuffj05-06-2026
- - Helemaal eens over Mads Pedersen en dat Monument. Hij rijdt zo consistent en neemt altijd verantwoordelijkheid voor het team. Hopelijk valt het dit jaar of volgend voorjaar eindelijk eens goed. Hij verdient het zonder twijfel.andrewf05-06-2026
- - Het raakt me nog steeds als ik denk aan “Forza Luca”. Dat zegt alles over de cultuur binnen Lidl-Trek. Als die teamspirit behouden blijft onder de nieuwe leiding, kan dit echt een volgende stap worden.tourdeforce905-06-2026
- - Wat een einde van een tijdperk. Guercilena heeft echt de ziel van dit team mee gevormd, zeker door die focus op zorg en structuur. Petje af dat hij na zijn ziekte zo sterk terugkwam. Ben benieuwd wat Andy Schleck en Niermann gaan brengen.samanthak05-06-2026
- - Hij heeft etappes in Tour én Vuelta, en nu sluit hij z’n Grand Tour-hoofdstuk af met waardigheid. Geen Giro-etappe verandert echt niets aan zijn status. Nog twee jaar tothopelijk zien we hem nog een keer stunten in eendagskoersen of een bergtrui-jacht.samanthak04-06-2026
- - Leuk detail over de slotrit in Rome: “gevouwen over je fiets” en ondertussen nadenken over het programma na de Giro. Eerst afmaken, dan pas plannen — echte profmentaliteit. En Groenewegen net naast het podium, zonde!robert6504-06-2026
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