Vollering claims Finestre but Van der Breggen keeps pink on ice-shortened Giro queen stage

Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) conquered the Colle delle Finestre to claim victory on stage 8 of the Giro d’Italia Women. 

The queen stage was set to feature the Colle delle Finestre and a summit finish to Sestriere. However, midway up the HC ascent, news broke that the stage would finish on the Finestre, removing the descent and initial summit finish to Sestriere. 

“Due to an unstable sheet of ice that could fall onto the road, for safety reasons, the stage will finish approximately 1km before the Colle delle Finestre GPM," confirmed the race organisers while the riders were tackling the mythical climb.

Despite the stage shortening, there was still an explosive battle on the gravel slopes of the Finestre with an elite quartet forming including race leader Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime), Vollering, Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//Sram) and Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek)

The quartet remained together inside the final kilometre, led by Van der Breggen, before the European champion rocketed her way to a second stage victory ahead of Holmgren in second, Niedermaier in third and Van der Breggen in fourth respectively. 

It marks Vollering’s second victory of the 2026 Giro after she claimed stage 5.

The queen stage began in Rivoli, with the first 60km predominantly flat before the climbing began.  

On the fast approach to the Colle delle Finestre, a 16-rider breakaway forced its way clear. The move contained: Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ), Célia Gery and Eva van Ant (FDJ United Suez), Barbora Malcott and Lily Williams (Human Powered Health), Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek), Caroline Andersson (Liv AlUla Jayco), Francesca Barale and Arlenis Sierra (Movistar), Alison Jackson (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93), Gaia Masetti and Becky Storrie (Picnic PostNL), Rosita Reijnhout (Visma | Lease a Bike), Susanne Andersen and Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset (Uno-X Mobility), and Fariba Hashimi (Vini Fantini-BePink).

However, the escapees were never given much leash, running out of tarmac to establish a meaningful gap before hitting the base of the climb. 

As the gradient bit on the lower slopes of the Colle delle Finestre, the peloton immediately began to fracture. Marlen Reusser (Movistar) and Marion Bunel (Visma | Lease a Bike) were among the first to be distanced, dropping out of the main group with 43km and 42km remaining, respectively, as FDJ United Suez set the pace and swept up the breakaway riders. 

Reusser maintained her own rhythm and stayed within touching distance of the maglia rosa group over the next couple of kilometres. With 40km (original stage distance) to go, the maglia rosa group had been whittled down to under 20 riders, with Reusser still dangling just off the back. 

The World Champion Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Oatly) was also distanced, and passed by Reusser, who continued to set her own tempo. 

Gery finished pulling in the front, handing over to Lauren Dickson, which saw Valentina Cavallar (SD Worx-Protime), Urška Žigart (AG Insurance-Soudal) and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) also distanced. 

With news coming through of the stage shortening, the race lit up as the front riders reached the gravel. 

An acceleration from Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) was matched by Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime), Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//sram), and Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek) but saw Femke de Vries (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) distanced. 

Youth classification leader Holmgren would have to relent, but the Canadian was able to maintain her composure, eventually returning to the group and even launching an attack inside the final 3.5km of the new stage finish distance. 

Van der Breggen hit the front with 2km remaining, setting a strong tempo in the attempt to deter any of the remaining three riders from attacking. The maglia rosa remained on the front inside the final kilometre, before the final sprint was launched by Vollering to the makeshift finish line.