Demi Vollering won Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes on Sunday, having gone decisively clear of her rivals on the Côte de la Redoute. It’s the Dutchwoman’s third victory in the prestigious Monument.
Vollering, 29, is enjoying a stunning classics season, having already triumphed at Omloop Nieuwsblad, the Tour of Flanders, and, just five days ago, at La Flèche Wallonne.
“It’s incredible,” she said post-race. “I really love this race. It brings back so many good memories, riding here as a club rider. I was already dreaming about it before even knowing if there would be a women’s race. I’m super proud. Women’s sport deserves so much more.”
Vollering’s victory also speaks to the strength of her FDJ-Suez team. Elise Chabbey won Strade Bianche, Franziska Koch took Paris-Roubaix, while 20-year-old starlet Célia Gery has also tasted victory twice this month.
Led out by Chabbey, Vollering’s seated acceleration came in the climb’s last 800m. Though Puck Pieterse, Isabella Holmgren, and Niamh Fisher-Black tried to follow, Vollering had a lead of over 20 seconds by the top of the climb.
🏁 34 km
🚀 Demi Vollering attaque dans la côte de La Redoute et s’envole en solitaire !
Demi Vollering attacks on the Côte de La Redoute and goes solo! 🔥#LBLwomen pic.twitter.com/mCHMXEw9FR
— Liège-Bastogne-Liège (@LiegeBastogneL) April 26, 2026
“That was the plan,” said Vollering afterwards. “I wanted to go all out for this victory and have no regrets afterwards. We planned to have a team mate out front, but that didn’t work. Still, I went and it was a long way from there, but I managed to find the finish line and finish it off.”
The margin only grew over the following 33km, eventually winning by one minute and 29 seconds.
Pieterse outsprinted Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney to take her second second-place finish of the week, having been pipped by Vollering at Flèche on Wednesday.
Last year’s winner, Kim Le Court, did not start after breaking her wrist at the Tour of Flanders earlier this month.
What has the 2026 classics season taught us?
Analysis by Jessica Hopkins
Demi Vollering has been on fire this season.
Taking the race by the scruff of the neck, riding her competitors off the wheel on La Redoute, meant she did what she said she wanted to do before Sunday’s race — win in style.
The Dutchwoman was the favourite going into the race, having won on Wednesday at Flèche Wallone and was targeting a third Liege crown after her wins in 2021 and 2023.
The 2026 Liege was additionally its toughest iteration yet, extended to 156 kilometers.
The manner in which she closed out the women’s spring classics season, however, has set the scene perfectly for the upcoming stage races, leaving the question — can she bring this form into the summer?
Vollering has dominated several races so far in 2016 (DAVID PINTENS / Belga / AFP via Getty Images)
Stage races are different beasts to one-day races, but Vollering has form in both — having won the Tour de France Femmes in 2023 and finishing second in the general classification last year.
The FDJ-Suez rider will be looking to go one better this year, but is also targeting next month’s Giro d’Italia. Given that she has never won the latter, it is unclear which one she is going to prioritize.
However, her main GC competitors have not hit their peak form in this early part of the season, which may count against Vollering later in the year.
Last year’s TdFF winner Pauline Ferrand-Prevot said before Liege that she was not yet at her best, despite a second place in Flanders and a third-place finish in Paris-Roubaix.
Puck Pieterse has also emerged as a threat to be reckoned with, the 2024 TdFF white jersey winner topping off a strong spring season with a second-place finish on Sunday.
Niewiadoma rounded up the podium, a pleasing sight after her crash at Milan Sanremo, and is another Grand Tour contender after her GC podium finish behind Vollering in the Tour last year.
It may be too soon to predict the summer’s results, but the sheer quality of the classics season has left fans with much to get excited about.
Vollering has dominated the spring, but can she carry that form into the summer? (ERIC LALMAND / Belga / AFP via Getty Images)
Results
- Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) 04:10:22
- Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) +1.29s
- Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM) same time
- Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) same time
- Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ) +1.48
