Domestique Awards 2025: Most Entertaining Race Women - From Roubaix to Kigali

The Women’s WorldTour calendar consistently delivers unpredictable, high-octane racing. As with the men, narrowing a full season of edge-of-the-seat action down to just four race days is almost impossible. From the ferocious pace of the Classics to the endurance and tactical skill of the Grand Tours, 2025 had it all. It was a year that raised the level once again, as women’s cycling continued to go from strength to strength.

With the help of a panel of Domestique creators, and based on suggestions from across social media, we’ve compiled a shortlist of four unforgettable race days from the 2025 season. 

Which was your favourite? Cast your vote on X or Instagram.

All eyes were on Lotte Kopecky in this year's edition of the Hell of the North, as the Belgian looked to seal a second year of triumph in both the Holy Week Monuments, a week after winning her third consecutive Tour of Flanders. Visma | Lease a Bike's refreshed classics team had challenged Team SD Worx-ProTime throughout the spring, with the legend Marianne Vos looking to add one of the few races missing from her palmares on the pavé of northern France.

Paris-Roubaix never fails to produce drama, and this year was no different. A crash on the entrance to sector 12 brought down a number of the Visma riders, including Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, blazing a comeback trail following several years away from road cycling.

Her late move to follow lone leader Emma Norsgaard proved to be the decisive attack. Riding alone into the Roubaix velodrome, Ferrand-Prévot sealed a stunning victory, her first since her return to the road, to become the first Frenchwoman to win the race.

A surprise second place for Letizia Borghesi, who jumped the reduced bunch waiting for the sprint, was the cherry on top of a thrilling end to the cobbled classics season.

Year in, year out, the women’s race at Liège-Bastogne-Liège is one to remember, and 2025 was no different. In a season defined by riders who took their chances, backed themselves, and believed in the possibility of success despite what the form guide suggested, a bold breakaway quartet attacked on the Côte de La Roche aux Faucons and distanced the rest of the bunch, including many of the pre-race favourites.

With less than 10 km to go, it became clear that Cédrine Kerbaol, Kim Le Court, Puck Pieterse and Demi Vollering had enough of a gap to assure that they would fight for the win.

It came down to the wire, but the fastest in the resulting bunch sprint was Le Court. In winning the race, she sealed her first Monument victory just one year after beginning her road cycling career, having taken a step away from mountain biking.

She also made it a first win for an African rider at the race, riding to victory in her distinctive Mauritian champion's jersey.

The Queen stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia Women was a long, gruelling challenge with a summit finish atop Monte Nerone. With Marlen Reusser leading the GC at the beginning of the day, it was to be all change in the overall standings, as Elisa Longo Borghini took the initiative, attacking from the group ahead of the final climb and creating distance between her and her rival.

Meanwhile, fan favourite Sarah Gigante was building on her earlier success at the race, attacking from the lead group to join Longo Borghini on the final ascent before striking out solo to take her second stage victory. She sealed the QOM jersey and put herself in contention to finish on her first Grand Tour podium.

It was a majestic performance that truly underscored the huge potential so many fans have seen in the young Australian, and brilliantly demonstrated her raw climbing talent.

Kigali played host to one of the toughest road races in recent memory. For the elite women, all eyes were on the Netherlands, who led with Demi Vollering and, as always, brought a stacked team of support riders including Vollering’s former DS Anna van der Breggen. France were united behind Tour de France Femmes victor Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who had dazzled the world of cycling on her return to the road in 2025. 

The demanding circuit, with its repeated ascents of the Côte de Kigali Golf and Côte de Kimihurura, invited an open and unpredictable race, with several moves going but nothing holding. With around 22 km to go, a bold late breakaway was instigated by Mavi Garcia. It seemed destined to be brought back by the bigger teams, but the unwillingness of the major players to commit their resources to the chase allowed the lead group to move clear.

When Canadian Magdeleine Vallieres struck out on the final ascent, she left Garcia and the final member of the trio, New Zealand’s Niamh Fisher-Black, in her wake. Her courageous and well-timed attack was strong enough for her to stay away and seal perhaps the most stunning and unexpected victory of the championships.

Also have a look at the other categories of the Domestique Awards!

Most Entertaining Race Men
Most Entertaining Rider Men
Most Entertaining Rider Women
Breakthrough Rider Men