'My finish line was on the top of that climb', Demi Vollering reveals how FDJ United-SUEZ's all-in gamble delivered the maglia rosa

'My finish line was on the top of that climb', Demi Vollering reveals how FDJ United-SUEZ's all-in gamble delivered the maglia rosa

Vollering explained the tactical raid that turned a 49-second deficit into a Giro d'Italia Women title, describing how she told Niedermaier to go up the road, accepted the risk of losing even her podium place, and treated the final climb as the only finish line that mattered.

By Tim Bonville-Ginn · · 6 min read

Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) overturned a 49-second deficit to Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) on the final stage of the Giro d'Italia Women, taking the maglia rosa after a pre-planned tactical raid that she and her team designed over dinner the previous evening. Speaking in the post-race press conference in Saluzzo, Vollering described a strategy that required her to risk losing second place overall to create a scenario in which she could still win.

Stage 9 covered 145km from Saluzzo to Saluzzo with three classified climbs, including the Montoso and the Colletta di Brondello. Vollering finished the day as overall winner, 30 seconds clear of Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM) in second and 1:37 ahead of Van der Breggen, who dropped from first to third. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) won the stage from the front group that formed after the decisive GC moves.

Results

Saluzzo › Saluzzo • Jun 7 • 145km

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Elisa Longo Borghini
UAE TEAM ADQ3:45:09
🥈
Niamh Mary Fisher-Black
LIDL - TREK+0:00
🥉
Antonia Niedermaier
CANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO+0:02
4
Demi Vollering
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+0:03
5
Femke de Vries
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+2:23
6
Anna van der Breggen
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+2:23
7
Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset
UNO-X MOBILITY+5:59
8
Lauren Dickson
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+5:59
9
Isabella Holmgren
LIDL - TREK+6:01
10
Magdeleine Vallieres Mill
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+6:01
11
Lore de Schepper
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+7:17
12
Urška Žigart
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+7:17
13
Valentina Cavallar
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+7:17
14
Thalita de Jong
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+9:23
15
Nina Buijsman
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+9:23
16
Mireia Benito Pellicer
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+9:23
17
Cecilie Ludwig
CANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO+9:23
18
Margarita Victoria Garcia Cañellas
UAE TEAM ADQ+9:23
19
Rosita Reijnhout
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+9:23
20
Barbara Malcotti
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+9:28
21
Emilie Morier
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+13:35
22
Maya Kingma
AROMITALIA VAIANO+13:38
23
Caroline Andersson
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+14:29
24
Tiril Jørgensen
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+14:29
25
Monica Trinca Colonel
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+14:29
26
Yuliia Biriukova
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+14:31
27
Fariba Hashimi
VINI FANTINI - BEPINK+14:31
28
Matilde Vitillo
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+14:31
29
Erica Magnaldi
UAE TEAM ADQ+14:31
30
Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini
UAE TEAM ADQ+14:31
31
Silvia Persico
UAE TEAM ADQ+14:31
32
Carlotta Cipressi
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+14:31
33
Nadia Gontova
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+14:31
34
Lucinda Brand
LIDL - TREK+14:31
35
Marte Berg Edseth
UNO-X MOBILITY+14:31
36
Justine Ghekiere
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+14:31
37
Mie Bjørndal Ottestad
UNO-X MOBILITY+14:31
38
Debora Silvestri
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+14:31
39
Gaia Segato
VINI FANTINI - BEPINK+14:31
40
Marion Bunel
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+14:38
41
Ana Vitoria Gouvea Vieira Almeida Magalhaes
MOVISTAR TEAM+14:38
42
Mareille Meijer
MOVISTAR TEAM+14:38
43
Marlen Reusser
MOVISTAR TEAM+14:38
44
Francesca Barale
MOVISTAR TEAM+14:38
45
Viktória Chladoňová
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+14:38
46
Eva van Agt
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+14:38
47
Amber Kraak
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+14:38
48
Amanda Spratt
LIDL - TREK+14:38
49
Célia Gery
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+14:38
50
Julie van de Velde
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+14:38
51
Aude Biannic
MOVISTAR TEAM+14:38
52
Lara Gillespie
UAE TEAM ADQ+18:10
53
Alena Amialiusik
UAE TEAM ADQ+18:10
54
Quinty Ton
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+18:10
55
Alessia Vigilia
UNO-X MOBILITY+18:10
56
Nina Berton
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+18:10
57
Becky Storrie
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+18:10
58
Femke Gerritse
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+18:10
59
Marina Garau Roca
VINI FANTINI - BEPINK+22:12
60
Giulia Bisso
ISOLMANT - PREMAC - VITTORIA+22:12
61
Sharon Spimi
TOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO+22:12
62
Mirre Knaven
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+22:12
63
Pfeiffer Zara Georgi
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+22:12
64
Ilse Pluimers
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+22:12
65
Chiara Reghini
TOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO+22:12
66
Marthe Truyen
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+22:12
67
Solène Muller
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+22:12
68
Flora Perkins
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+22:12
69
Giulia Giuliani
TEAM MENDELSPECK E-WORK+22:12
70
Caroline Wreszin
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+22:12
71
Anastasiya Kolesava
CANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO+22:12
72
Elisa Balsamo
LIDL - TREK+22:12
73
Justyna Czapla
CANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO+22:12
74
Christina Schweinberger
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+22:12
75
Millie Couzens
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+22:12
76
Chiara Consonni
CANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO+22:12
77
Vittoria Guazzini
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+22:12
78
Ally Marée Wollaston
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+22:12
79
Andrea Casagranda
VINI FANTINI - BEPINK+22:12
80
Sofia Arici
VINI FANTINI - BEPINK+22:12
81
Soraya Paladin
CANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO+22:12
82
Naia Amondarain Gaztañaga
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+22:12
83
Cristina Tonetti
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+22:12
84
Elena Cecchini
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+22:12
85
Teuntje Beekhuis
UNO-X MOBILITY+28:47
86
Elisa de Vallier
TOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO+28:47
87
Gaia Masetti
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+28:47
88
Susanne Andersen
UNO-X MOBILITY+29:20
89
Arlenis Sierra Canadilla
MOVISTAR TEAM+29:20
90
Petra Zsankó
AROMITALIA VAIANO+29:20
91
Marta Pavesi
TOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO+29:20
92
Alessia Zambelli
TOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO+29:20
93
Irene Cagnazzo
VINI FANTINI - BEPINK+29:20
94
Alexis Magner
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+29:20
95
Gladys Verhulst Wild
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+29:20
96
Robyn Clay
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+29:20
97
Stina Kagevi
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+29:20
98
Sara Luccon
TOP GIRLS FASSA BORTOLO+29:20
99
Camilla Bezzone
TEAM MENDELSPECK E-WORK+29:20
100
Alexandra Volstad
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+29:20
101
Alison Jackson
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+29:20
102
Josie Nelson
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+29:20
103
Rachele Barbieri
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+29:20
104
Eleonora Deotto
TEAM MENDELSPECK E-WORK+29:20
105
Alicia Gonzalez Blanco
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+29:20
106
Maggie Coles-Lyster
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+29:20
107
Marit Raaijmakers
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+29:20
108
Fleur Moors
LIDL - TREK+29:20
109
Lily Williams
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+29:20
110
Evy Kuijpers
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+29:20
111
Maria Apolonia van 't Geloof
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+29:20
112
Maike van der Duin
CANYON//SRAM ZONDACRYPTO+29:20
113
Daniek Hengeveld
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+29:20
114
Mylene de Zoete
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+29:20
115
Lara Crestanello
ISOLMANT - PREMAC - VITTORIA+29:20

"Yesterday evening Lars Boom, our DS, and Lieselot (Decroix) came to our table and they said to us, okay girls, make yourselves ready for a very big and long fight tomorrow because we're going to take the pink," Vollering said. "First I was like, wow, how the hell are we going to do that? But then the girls directly showed the belief. They said, oh yeah, let's do it. From that moment I really changed my mind."

How FDJ United-SUEZ built the raid

It was a plan from the very first kilometres. FDJ United-Suez sent their riders on the attack immediately as they tried to place riders like Amber Kraak, Celia Gery, Eva van Agt and Lauren Dickson into the break and force a race that would put Anna van der Breggen's SD Worx-Protime on the back foot. The first climb came too quickly for a breakaway to form, however. But that didn't change the plan and the aggression continued.

Vollering attacked multiple times on the climbs but Niedermaier was closing her down every time. So the European champion decided to use her German rival to her own advantage rather than just seeing her purely as a rival.

"I saw that Antonia was closing it the whole time on me," Vollering said. "So I told her, let Anna close on me, because that way you create something for yourself. I told her I will let you go, but by doing this I also risk my second place to become third. I needed to risk it to be able to be in the position for winning it."

Demi Vollering won the Giro d'Italia Women 2026

Niedermaier did exactly that and took Longo Borghini and Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek) with her. The German became the virtual leader on the road as Vollering looked to Van der Breggen to chase. Dickson came back and also paced when the gap was growing to the leaders but Vollering didn't push hard when she hit the front. It was all down to the final climb for her as she launched multiple brutal all-or-nothing attacks.

"My finish line was on the top of that climb," Vollering said, in response to a question from Velora. "It was really an all-or-nothing thing. My finish was in my head on that climb. I had cramps everywhere, but I just kept going full gas. I knew that when I came into that group I would probably make the GC win possible."

She bridged to the leaders who were starting to look at each other shortly after cresting the climb, after closing a 1:30 gap. She went straight to the front and immediately explained to the lead group what she wanted out of the day. Longo Borghini and Niedermaier were happy to work with Fisher-Black sitting on at the back.

"She wanted to win the Giro, she was going to do the job, and I wanted to win the stage," Longo Borghini said afterwards. The Italian had endured a difficult three months before the race, describing periods where she would put on her cycling shoes and then sit without going anywhere. "This means much more than a win, this is a comeback," she said. "I've been very sick the past three months and I worked very hard to come back. I'm not still 100%, but I didn't want to leave this Giro without leaving a mark."

It was the shared interests of the group that meant they cracked Van der Breggen and made it impossible for the race leader to make it back within time to regain the race lead.

Dickson, who chased hard to close the gap to Niedermaier before Vollering's decisive attack, said the team believed the plan could work from the start. "We knew it was possible if we gave it absolutely everything, like 110%," she said in an interview with TNT Sports. "Demi, she's such a nice leader. She's really encouraging. If you do a good job, even if she's not at the race with you, she'll message you. So then it makes you want to work for her."

Stephen Delcourt, the FDJ United-SUEZ boss, framed the strategy in blunter terms. "We need to destroy all, we need to accept to lose, we need to play a lot," he told TNT Sports, recounting the briefing. He said Vollering trusted the plan but that the execution exceeded even his expectations.

Vollering herself kept returning to the idea that the win required a specific kind of mental commitment as well as climbing legs. "I needed to be able to give it all up, and only like that I could place myself in a position from where I could win," she said. "Cycling is all about the mind games and the tactical games. Sometimes it's difficult, but it's also about planning and having teammates out there who can help you on the way."

Alongside the maglia rosa, Vollering took the blue QOM jersey. Elisa Balsamo won the red points classification and Isabella Holmgren held the white best young rider's jersey despite dropping to seventh overall.

The overall title makes Vollering only the second rider, after Annemiek van Vleuten, to win the Giro d'Italia Women, Tour de France Femmes and La Vuelta Femenina. Asked about what comes next, she kept it short: "I still dream of a lot of beautiful victories, but first I'm going to enjoy this very well tonight."

Cover image credit: RCS/ Marco Alpozzi

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Tim Bonville-Ginn

Pro cycling contributor

Tim Bonville-Ginn is a freelance writer who has worked in cycling for well over a decade with his articles being featured across publications such as Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Cyclist, Rouleur, Eurosport, Road cc, Domestique, and more.

As well as writing, Tim has worked as a social media and press manager for professional teams Human Powered Health, Global 6, and Saint Piran across Europe as well as commentating on races such as the African Continental Championships, Tour de Feminin and multiple rounds of the British road and circuit series for Golazo and Monument Cycling.

Expertise:Racing