Tour of Flanders 2026 women’s race LIVE – Demi Vollering takes first Ronde victory ahead of Ferrand-Prevot and Pieterse

She did it - she took the win, her first Ronde victory, and she did it with panache.

Vollering has certainly given the rest food for thought, as she looks in very, very good form, and very, very difficult to beat.

"Crazy! It was super hard. I just only thought 'I need to go as fast as possible'. And the suffering is over as that was painful.

"I really tried to find some - I just tried to stay super focused, but I also had to [finish it] as the team did a super job again. You really need to enjoy the moment and give it your all.

"It was really difficult today as we had quite some headwinds, so if you take the front, you kill yourself. Sometimes people don't really see how important team mates are, but they make sure you come as fresh as possible to the final [climbs].

"I have dreamed of that moment [on the Kwaremont] so many times, I knew it would suit me, so I knew I just had to push without looking behind, until I finally turned off the cobbles and realised I'm alone."

1. Demi Vollering (FDJ United)

2. Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike)

3. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Premier Tech)

4. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)

5. Zoe Backstedt (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto)

6. Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ)

7. Silvia Persico (UAE Team ADQ)

8. Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ)

9. Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx-Protime)

10. Franziska Koch (FDJ United)

She hasn't won this one before - she has now.

And what a victory it was, emphatic for Vollering.

What a ride that was. Arms aloft, Vollering crosses the line with a huge smile on her face. Once she broke free, that never looked in doubt.

Behind there is a sprint finish for second. Ferrand-Prevot puts her foot down and Pieterse cannot respond - second for the Frenchwoman, third for the Fenix-Premier Tech rider.

This is a glory run now for the Dutchwoman...

Vollering is in great form - that is in no doubt. But she owes Koch a drink today, her team mate really pulling on the front for Vollering. Chabbey too, she put in a great stint earlier on the first few climbs.

Head down, teeth locked, grimace in situ - this is hard work, but Vollering is not going to give this up today.

She leads on the road into Oudenaarde, 50'' ahead of the chasing duo, who had around 23'' on Longo Borghini's group.

Vollering remains 43'' clear, as she stays in her time trial position for the closing stages. Head down, eyes forward - you get the impression she planned to attack where she did.

Behind, Ferrand-Prevot and Pieterse are working together, but you have to feel they are fighting for podium positions here now.

Longo Borghini is defying her own expectations - she admitted to still being under the weather - and leading out the third group on the road.

VOllering is now 42'' ahead of the two chasers - Ferrand-Prevot briefly losing Pieterse's wheel but managing to catch back on.

Longo Borghini's group, complete with defending champion Kopecky, are 56'' back.

Vollering is grimacing, but she is powering on here. Her lead is up to 24'' now.

This is so, so steep - but she is already up and over the climb, and motoring on the descent.

She has been in good form already this year, and now Vollering might be heading for her first Tour of Flanders victory.

Her lead is 20'' over Pieterse and Ferrand-Prevot.

Vollering is on the descent, but she still has the Paterberg to negotiate. She is on a narrow, twisting section of road - perfect for a lone rider, with no one to get in her way.

The Dutch woman is in time trial mode, hunched over her handlebars...

The crowds are thick here, and they are watching Vollering ride clear.

Pieterse has made it back to Ferrand-Prevot, and those two can ride together here.

Next is Longo Borghini, at the had of a small group. Kopecky is in that group.

They can see each other, the gaps are not huge, but they do exist.

All eyes on Vollering, to see how long she can keep this cadence up for.

The Oude Kwaremont will be the next climb shortly. Vollering is second wheel right now, Kopecky down in fifth or sixth wheel.

Koch still leads Vollering, and what a role she has played today.

The group hits the bottom of the climb, and Vollering takes over and drives clear. The Dutch rider is making her move!

But will it be decisive?

"Flanders is one of the hardest races on the calander," says Dani Christmas on commentary.

The weather has behaved thus far, after some strong winds and a short burst of drizzle much earlier.

Onto a short section of cobbles now, with the lad group over a minute ahead of four chasers - which includes Paternoster and Chabbey.

24KM TO GO: THE TWO GROUPS MERGE
Hats off to Longo Borghini, she was the driving force there in making that chase successful.

As such, we are back to one big lead group and still no closer to making a stab at guessing who is going to take this one.

The original lead group only have themselves to blame - they did not work together particularly well.

For someone who is sick, this is very impressive by Longo Borghini, who has nearly got back in touch with the lead group.

That lead group consists of Vollering and Koch, Kopecky, Pieterse and Ferrand-Prevot.

Longo Borghini is a former winner of this race, and she is just 12'' back from the lead group now, and has some company too as the rest of that initial group come back together to chase as one.

Koch breaks up the race! She puts her foot down at the start of the first climb, and drags Vollering with her.

Vollering then takes over on the front, and she has Kopecky, Pieterse and Ferrand-Prevot with her.

Koch attacks again, trying to mix things up for her team leader.

Okay then. Deep breath everyone.

The lead group are on a fast section of road, with five kilometers to go until the next climb and cobbled section.

The Oude Kruisberg/Hotond has an average gradient of 4.1%, but it is long and technical - and there could be some tired legs out here now.

Who fancies this one? Vollering looks good, no one will want to take Kopecky to the line, and Ferrand-Prevot is another rider who cannot be discounted.

The women have negotiated some tricky sections and steep slopes. But this one will light up a little later on once again.

For now, Vollering is sitting pretty with team mates around her.

Bredewold was briefly dropped, which left Kopecky alone - but the SD Worx rider has managed to get back on to help the defending champion.