Demi Vollering delivered a commanding display to win her first European road title in Guilherand-Granges, attacking with 37 kilometres to go and holding off all challengers to secure a decisive solo victory. The Dutch leader struck on the long Côte de Saint-Romain-de-Lerps climb, distancing every rival and finishing more than a minute clear of Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, with Anna van der Breggen completing a dominant day for the Netherlands in third.
Early attacks and a controlled opening phase
The 116.1-kilometre course through the Ardèche region immediately offered selective terrain. The peloton began climbing almost from the gun with the Col du Moulin à Vent, 4 kilometres at 5.1 per cent, before moving into a rolling middle section and a technical finishing circuit featuring the short but steep Côte de Val d’Enfer. Both the Montee de Costebelle (300 metres at 9 per cent) and the Val d’Enfer (1.6 km at 9.7 per cent) were tackled multiple times, with Saint-Romain-de-Lerps and Val d’Enfer combining to form the decisive sequence late in the race.
After a cagey opening hour, the first successful breakaway formed around the 30-kilometre mark. Christina Bragh Lorenzen of Denmark, Carina Schrempf of Austria and Nora Jenčušová of Slovakia broke clear and quickly built a gap that reached one minute and fifteen seconds. The trio cooperated well, but with the pace rising in the bunch, their advantage started to dwindle as the race hit the first ascent of Val d’Enfer. By 58 kilometres from the finish they were caught by a reduced peloton that was already feeling the pressure of the repeated climbs.
Dutch dominance builds before Saint-Romain-de-Lerps
On the descent that followed, Anna van der Breggen briefly accelerated, testing the reaction of the field and stringing out the group, but no decisive move stuck. Once the race settled again, Margot Vanpachtenbeke of Belgium took her chance to attack solo. She began the Saint-Romain-de-Lerps climb with a slender lead, but the Dutch team had by then assumed full control of the peloton. With Mischa Bredewold and Pauliena Rooijakkers driving the pace, Vanpachtenbeke’s move was swiftly neutralised.
At this point only 18 riders remained in the lead group. The Netherlands were still heavily represented, with six riders – Bredewold, Rooijakkers, Shirin van Anrooij, Riejanne Markus, Van der Breggen and Vollering – compared to just one or two from other nations. They were joined by key rivals including Niewiadoma-Phinney for Poland, Elisa Longo Borghini for Italy, Elise Chabbey and Noemi Rüegg for Switzerland, Marion Bunel, Cédrine Kerbaol, Juliette Labous and Evita Muzic for France, Mavi Garcia for Spain, and Antonia Niedermaier and Franziska Koch for Germany.
As the gradients of Saint-Romain-de-Lerps increased, Vollering’s teammates ramped up the tempo, preparing the launch for their leader. Near the summit, Vollering made her move. Her acceleration immediately split the remnants of the front group. Only Niewiadoma-Phinney and Longo Borghini could follow her initial surge, while Van der Breggen controlled the reaction behind.
Vollering attacks again and goes solo
Sensing hesitation in the group, Vollering attacked a second time just before the top of the climb. This time, no one could respond. She crested Saint-Romain-de-Lerps alone, with Longo Borghini fading rapidly on the descent and Niewiadoma-Phinney left to chase alongside Van der Breggen. At that point, the gap hovered around 30 seconds, but the dynamic of the chase was already tilted in Vollering’s favour – Van der Breggen marking Niewiadoma while refusing to share the workload.
Behind them, Longo Borghini slipped back toward the chasing remnants, eventually falling outside the top four, while Franziska Koch of Germany, Chabbey of Switzerland, Labous of France and Garcia of Spain organised themselves in a second chase group.
The chase fades as Vollering powers clear
Vollering pressed on across the final 30 kilometres, facing two further ascents of the Val d’Enfer. Her time trial preparation for the recent World Championships paid off as she maintained a smooth, powerful rhythm. On the penultimate climb, her advantage over Niewiadoma-Phinney and Van der Breggen stretched beyond a minute.
Niewiadoma dug deep but could not close the gap. With Van der Breggen firmly on her wheel, the chase lost momentum. “It was frustrating to have her there,” the Pole admitted later. “I chased for nearly 40 kilometres, but Demi was too strong.”
By the final lap, Vollering’s victory was effectively secured. She descended safely and rode the last kilometres with composure, entering Guilherand-Granges with a comfortable margin to celebrate her first elite European title.
Dutch dominance confirmed on the podium
Behind, Niewiadoma-Phinney crossed the line for silver, while Van der Breggen declined to sprint, accepting bronze as acknowledgement of her teammate’s dominance and her own role in executing the Dutch plan. Franziska Koch won the sprint from the second chase group to take fourth ahead of Chabbey, Labous and Garcia.
For Vollering, it was not only her first European crown but also the first major championship victory of her career, confirming her status as the continent’s pre-eminent all-rounder. “I wanted to go early and do the last part on my own,” she said. “I felt strong, and the whole team rode perfectly. We made the race, and I wanted to finish it off for them.”
2025 UEC Road European Championships Women’s Road Race result
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