Demi Vollering delivered a perfectly timed attack on the final descent into Siena to win Strade Bianche Women Elite, outsprinting Anna van der Breggen in a dramatic finish. The FDJ-Suez rider completed the 136 km race in 3 hours, 49 minutes, and 4 seconds, averaging 35.6 km/h. Van der Breggen, racing for SD Worx-Protime, crossed the line 18 seconds later, while Pauline Ferrand-Prévot of Visma | Lease a Bike finished third, 1 minute and 42 seconds behind the winner.
Strade Bianche’s 11th edition delivered one of its most dramatic and attritional races yet, with 136 km of racing across the rolling white roads of Tuscany. With the gravel sectors increased from eight to 13, totalling 50.3 km, the peloton faced a tougher challenge than ever before. The relentless pace meant only the strongest riders would remain in contention by the time the race hit the defining final kilometres.
Early moves and key crashes shake up the race
Despite several early attacks, the peloton remained largely together through the opening gravel sectors, with no decisive breakaway forming. Among the first riders to try their luck was Franziska Brausse, but her attempt was short-lived after she crashed out of contention. Other early moves from Eva van Agt and Femke Gerritse also struggled to gain ground as the peloton, wary of losing control, kept the pace high.
The first major shake-up came with 61 km to go when Demi Vollering suffered a puncture on the San Martino in Grania sector. The Dutchwoman calmly swapped bikes and rejoined the peloton, but the incident was an early reminder of the unpredictability of the terrain.
Photo Credit: LaPresseJust 11 km later, chaos struck again. Tour de France Femmes champion Kasia Niewiadoma crashed hard on a sweeping right-hand bend, colliding with a barrier and forcing her to abandon the race. The incident sent a ripple through the peloton, momentarily disrupting the chase, but the pace remained relentless.
With 40 km to go, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot ignited the race, responding to an attack from Mavi García. This move formed a dangerous seven-rider breakaway including Ferrand-Prévot, García, Kim Le Court, Évita Muzic, Yara Kastelijn, Marte Berg Edseth, and Gerritse. The group quickly built a lead of over a minute as the chasers hesitated, wary of burning their matches too soon.
Labous leads the chase as the gap closes
As the lead group pushed on, Ferrand-Prévot took responsibility for much of the driving. However, her aggressive riding nearly cost her—on a downhill corner, she misjudged her line and slid out, briefly hitting the ground. Undeterred, she remounted quickly and continued to push the pace, with blood seeping from her thigh and elbow.
With 20 km to go, FDJ-Suez sensed the danger and took up the chase. Juliette Labous, riding in support of Vollering, began to whittle down the gap with a powerful effort at the front of the peloton. Her relentless tempo saw the breakaway’s lead shrink from over a minute to just 30 seconds as the race approached the Colle Pinzuto sector.
Vollering seized her moment to attack, hoping to make the final selection. However, just as she launched her move, her chain dropped, halting her acceleration and allowing the chasers to regroup. Staying composed, she relied on Labous once again to pace her back to the front.
Photo Credit: LaPresseThe final selection on Le Tolfe
With the peloton closing in, Van der Breggen made her move, attacking on the descent of the final gravel sector, Le Tolfe. The 34-year-old Dutchwoman had stayed relatively quiet for much of the race but struck at the perfect moment, gaining a small advantage. Vollering, however, refused to let her former mentor ride away. She clawed her way back to the front, and the two Dutchwomen entered the final kilometre together.
As the duo hit the Via Santa Caterina, it was Vollering who took the initiative, leading under the flamme rouge. Van der Breggen briefly moved ahead, hoping to control the pace, but with 400 metres to go, Vollering unleashed her final, explosive acceleration. The FDJ-Suez rider’s kick proved unmatchable, as she distanced Van der Breggen to take a decisive 18-second victory on the Piazza del Campo.
Behind them, Ferrand-Prévot, who had been unable to follow the front duo’s acceleration on Le Tolfe, refocused on securing third. The Frenchwoman gritted her teeth and outpaced the remaining chasers in the final kilometre, finishing 1 minute 42 seconds behind the winner.
2025 Strade Bianche Donne post-race reactions
Demi Vollering was elated after securing her second Strade Bianche victory, particularly as it was her first big win with FDJ-Suez. “I’m super happy. I knew I was good beforehand, and everyone expected it from me before the race already started, but to do it is another thing. You have so much pressure, and you really want to finish it off—not only for yourself but for your teammates, family, and friends.” Reflecting on her battle with Anna van der Breggen, she admitted it felt familiar. “It’s fun to race against Anna. It feels like the old days when I started, so it’s a good reminder of how much I’ve grown over the years. It’s good to battle it out against her again.”
Vollering’s decisive move came in the final 400 metres, but her initial attack plan had been disrupted earlier in the race. “I already felt before the last gravel section that I could drop Anna, but my chain dropped and it disturbed my plan. She got a gap, and I was first to come across with Juliette. We stayed calm. It was smart to attack on the downhill, and the final battle with Anna was great.” Her move to FDJ-Suez had been a major talking point over the winter, but she now feels it was the right decision. “Strade Bianche was our first team goal, and to achieve it like this is amazing. It was a tough decision to leave SD Worx. It was scary to move to a new team, but now I feel free on the bike. My teammates were so strong, and this win really opens a new chapter for us.”
Photo Credit: LaPresseVan der Breggen, returning to the peloton after three years as a sports director, was satisfied with second place. “I’m really happy that I was able to do this until deep into the final. Maybe it wasn’t my best day, but I’m just happy that I could be up there again. Vollering is a bit more explosive, and this climb was really steep. I tried to go early, but when I went, I felt that it was over.” The performance exceeded her expectations. “This is much more than I expected. I’m just really happy. Maybe I wasn’t at my absolute best today, but I was still able to be there and make the race. That gives me confidence.” She explained her tactics in the final kilometres. “I took that descent hard, and I knew I couldn’t hesitate afterwards. I knew others would attack anyway, so I had to go for it. But Vollering is the best in the world on a finish like this, so once we hit the final climb, I knew it would be difficult.”
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who rounded out the podium, was pleased with her return to road racing. “This third place confirms that it was worth coming back as a road rider. I wanted to get back to the bunch and work with team-mates. Strade Bianche was a great race to make it happen.” She suffered a setback after a crash but didn’t let it affect her mentality. “I made the breakaway today and I didn’t know if I should go full gas or not, but not everyone was cooperating. Then I had a stupid crash, going a bit too fast in a downhill. After that, I just tried to not think about it anymore and focus on getting the best result possible.” Unable to follow Vollering and Van der Breggen on Le Tolfe, she turned her attention to securing third. “I was at my limit when Demi and Anna went, so I had to focus on third. I gave everything I had and won the sprint for the podium. It’s a great start to the season, and it gives me a lot of confidence for the races to come.”
Kim Le Court, who finished inside the top 15, was proud of her aggressive racing. “I wanted to be the one making moves. I didn’t want to just follow—I wanted to attack, take opportunities, and push myself. Maybe I did too much too early, but I’d rather try than just sit in and get dropped. I’m proud of how I raced today.”
Photo Credit: LaPresse2025 Strade Bianche Donne result
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Main photo credit: LaPresse
