Strade Bianche – Women Race Report: Demi Vollering won a memorable Strade Bianche. The FDJ-SUEZ rider fought a duel with Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) on the road to Siena. The battle was only decided on the last steep climb. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma | Lease a Bike) finished third, at well over a minute and a half.
Strade Bianche’25:
Early in the race, Franziska Brausse (Ceratizit) and Virgina Bortoli (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo) took a small lead, but Brausse crashed and by the start of the second gravel section, the peloton had already caught them. Then there was attack after attack. Marielle Meijering (Movistar) made a solo attempt, while later Eva van Agt (Visma | Lease a Bike) also tried to get away. Van Agt was briefly joined by Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime), but the peloton was letting anyone go. By halfway through the race, the pace was faster than the fastest schedule. The peloton was thinned out by this point and with 50 kilometres to go, there was only just over riders left. Pre-race favourite, Katarzyna Niewiadoma had a hard crash, after which the Polish leader of Canyon-SRAM remained on the ground for quite a while and eventually had to abandon.
The 2025 profile
Femke Gerritse (SD Worx-Protime) then took a lead of 10 seconds. She was caught after a few kilometres, but then rode away again with six other riders. Kimberley Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal), Évita Muzic (FDJ-SUEZ), Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck), Mavi García (Liv AlUla Jayco), Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma | Lease a Bike), Marte Berg Edseth (Uno-X Mobility) and Gerritse took a lead. At the start of the final 30 kilometres, the difference had already increased to more than 1 minute. In the chase group, Vollering, Van der Breggen and Elisa Longo Borghini would have a hard job with 25 kilometres and three gravel sections still to come. Little happened on the 3 kilometre long section of Montechiari, except that Longo Borghini cracked just after this section.
The Break looked like they had the win
The seven leaders hit the penultimate gravel section, the Strade di Colle Pinzuto. This gravel climb had ramps well over 10% and the groups split. In the leading group, Gerritse had to let go, but in the chasing group it was also hard. Led by Juliette Labous, the group was severely decimated. This turned out to be the impetus for an attack by her team leader Vollering, but this did not make much difference. Labous increased the pace again. The French champion managed to cross over to the leading group with a strong effort, with Vollering, Van der Breggen, Pieterse, Niamh Fisher-Black and Noemi Ruëgg on her wheel. These riders were now back in the race and could think of victory. Van der Breggen, who had been quiet until then, managed to get away in the run-up to Le Tolfe. The SD Worx-Protime rider started the steepest sections of Le Tolfe with a small lead. Vollering saw the danger and was the only one to get to her wheel.
The race came down to the final climb
The two big favourites were now in the lead. Vollering and Van Vleuten rode well together after Le Tolfe and increased their lead. With 7 kilometres to go, the lead had already increased to 45 seconds. The decision would be made on the steep Via Santa Caterina to the Piazza del Campo. Van der Breggen was the first to throw down the gauntlet. Vollering didn’t give up and waited for her moment. Her attack was too much for Van der Breggen. Vollering managed to drop her rival and take the victory in the Strade Bianche for the second time in her career. Van der Breggen had to acknowledge Vollering crowned a strong race with a first WorldTour podium since her return. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot finished in third place, just ahead of a very impressive Juliette Labous, who had worked hard all day.
The win for Vollering
Race winner, Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ): “I already felt before the last gravel section that I could dropped Anna [van der Breggen] but my chain dropped and it disturbed my plan. She got a gap and I was first to come across with Juliette [Labous]. We stayed calm. I was not only eager to beat Anna, it would have been the same if it was Elisa [Longo Borghini]. Strade Bianche was our first team goal, to achieve it like this is amazing. [Muzic] Evita crashed but kept fighting and then made the breakaway. The girls did a great job. I had a flat and as soon as I realised it, I already had a new bike. It was a tough decision to leave SD Worx that was such a winning team. It was scary to move to a new team. Last year, there was so much going on. My was full of too many worries, now I feel that I’m free on the bike and I’m happy to see all my team-mates being so strong in opening a new chapter for FDJ-Suez. The team spirit is amazing. Sanremo Women is also a very nice race to win but maybe a bit more difficult for our team. We have a good sprinter but we don’t know how the race will unfold, it’s new to us.”
2nd, Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime): “Strade Bianche was an eye-opener how stressful such a race can be from start to finish. That’s also because the course has changed compared to the Strades I used to ride. Then you had moments of rest where you could get back into position. Now it goes from one gravel strip to another and you’re constantly in the red. Just because it was such a hard race, I am really happy that I was able to do this until deep into the final. I would never have dared to think that beforehand. It went better than hoped. Of course we didn’t have the top favourite with us as we had in previous years. Our plan was to try to get into a leading group and get some girls in front that way. My job was to try to follow Demi Vollering or Elisa Longo-Borghini or if someone went. Our team rode strong today. Unfortunately, we lost Blanka Vas at a crucial moment when she punctured, because she was very good. It was full course from the start. That made it super tricky. Hageland was a nice simulation for that. That’s also the reason why I continually placed an acceleration there from the start. That way I tried to prepare for the Strade Bianche. That intensity is still a working point, but I feel that every time I do it, I can keep it up a bit longer. For the last time Le Tolfe, I knew I had to be at the front. There was nobody in front of me, so I could follow my own line on the descent. That’s why I dared to take it so quickly. That was ideal because it allowed me to take the lead I needed. When I was alone in front with Demi Vollering in the final kilometres, I knew it would be difficult to win. She is just a bit more explosive and my legs were already not feeling too good. The only thing I could do was to start early and not wait for that explosive attack at the end. I therefore went on first. If I had had the legs, it would have been a good moment there. But that was all there was to it. Anyway, this second place gives me a lot of confidence for the classics to come. Coming second now in a very tough Strade Bianche, I didn’t expect that beforehand. My next race is the Trofeo Binda next Sunday. After that, I leave on altitude training before starting back in the Brabantse Pijl.”
3rd, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma | Lease a Bike): “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. My years on gravel roads helped me today. I made the breakaway today and I didn’t know if I should go full gas or not but not everyone was cooperating. When the group of the favourites came across, I was on the edge of following Demi [Vollering] and Anna [van der Breggen] but I had already reached my limits so I tried to save as much energy as possible for finishing on the podium. I was very happy to make it. I had a stupid crash, going a bit too fast in a downhill, after that I tried to not think about it anymore and just focus on getting the best result possible.”
2025 women’s Strade Bianche podium
# See all the weekend cycling news in EUROTRASH Monday. #
Strade Bianche – Women Result:
1. Demi Vollering (Ned) FDJ-SUEZ in 3:49:04
2. Anna van der Breggen (Ned) SD Worx-Protime at 0:18
3. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Fra) Visma | Lease a Bike at 1:42
4. Juliette Labous (Fra) FDJ-SUEZ
5. Margarita Victoria Garcia (Spa) Liv AlUla Jayco at 1:47
6. Yara Kastelijn (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck at 1:48
7. Puck Pieterse (Ned) Fenix-Deceuninck at 1:49
8. Niamh Fisher-Black (NZ) Lidl-Trek at 1:54
9. Noemi Rüegg (Sui) EF Education-Oatly at 1:55
10. Silke Smulders (Ned) Liv AlUla Jayco at 1:59.
Like PEZ? Why not subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive updates and reminders on what’s cool in road cycling?
