Unstoppable Vollering powers clear on Oude Kwaremont to seal Tour of Flanders victory

Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) soloed to a commanding victory in the 2026 Tour of Flanders in Oudenaarde, claiming the Ronde for the first time in her glittering career.

After being set up by her FDJ United-Suez teammates, Vollering made the race-winning move on the slopes of the Oude Kwaremont with 18km remaining. 

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma | Lease a Bike) initially tried to follow the European champion, but she was unable to match the pace of Vollering. She would be joined by Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech) in the chase on the run-in to Oudenaarde, and the Frenchwoman would win the sprint for second. 

Behind, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-ProTime) outsprinted Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon//Sram Zondacrypto) to seal fourth place.

It’s Vollering’s fifth victory of the 2026 season, and second on the cobbles following success at Omloop Nieuwsblad. Both the magnificent performance and result will give the European champion great confidence ahead of the upcoming Ardennes Classics.

Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) crashed in the early stages of the race, but the Dutch champion was quickly up and back in the peloton, seemingly unscathed. 

There were two different four-rider groups at the front of the race. The first featured Teuntje Beekhuis (Uno-X Mobility), Anastasiya Kolesava (Canyon//Sram zondacrypto), Allison Mrugal (Mayenne Monbana My Pie), and Sophie von Berswordt (VolkerWessels).

Meanwhile, the chasse group included Iurani Blanco (Human Powered Health), Ilken Seynave (Lotto-Intermarché), Caroline Wreszin (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93) and Yoanna van Dam (Citymesh-Customm).

Eventually, Wreszin and Van Dam would be able to bridge across, forming a six-rider breakaway which built an advantage that reached over four minutes.

There was another crash in the peloton with around 80km remaining, involving many riders after a collision with some road furniture. Most riders involved were able to remount and continue, but one rider who had to abandon was former French champion, Victoire Berteau.

Marlen Reusser (Movistar) tried an attack on the slopes of the Molenberg and saw some splits within the peloton. However, these splits were quickly sewn back together.

Ahead of the Koppenberg with just over 50km remaining, Kolesava went solo in the breakaway, but there was a significant crash in the chasing peloton involving the likes of Reusser and Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal). 

FDJ Suez-United pushed the pace on the Koppenberg, and eventually a group of 18 riders formed at the front of the race. Elise Chabbey, Franziska Koch and Celia Gery, in particular, in the finale (FDJ United-Suez) worked to the maximum for their team leader and European Champion Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez).

Over the top of the Hotond, Koch, Vollering, Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-ProTime), and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma | Lease a Bike) went clear. The group were caught once by the chasing group, before the same five riders pushed clear before being caught once more with 24km.

Vollering launched a seated acceleration on the lower slopes of the Oude Kwaremont, which Ferrand-Prévot could briefly match, before the European Champion opened daylight on the competition. 

Pieterse joined Ferrand-Prévot in the chase, and the duo were 20 seconds behind Vollering over the crest of the Kwaremont.

However, the race win was heading out of sight, as Vollering expanded her advantage over the Paterberg and on the run-in to Oudenaarde to seal the Tour of Flanders for the first time.