Demi Vollering returns to Giro d'Italia and Tour of Flanders

Demi Vollering has already secured three victories this year, but her full schedule for 2026 was not yet known. That has now changed. Notably, Vollering will ride the Giro d'Italia Women again for the first time since 2022 and is also returning to the Tour of Flanders. The Tour de France Femmes remains her main goal once more.

Vollering kicked off her season two weeks ago with the Tour of Valencia, where the European champion won two stages and the overall classification. This coming Saturday, she will line up at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, a race where she has already stood on the podium twice: second in 2022 and third in 2025.

After Omloop, Vollering heads to Italy, aiming to win Strade Bianche for the third time in her career. She will then take a few weeks off from racing, but two cobbled classics are on the agenda in early April. First Dwars door Vlaanderen, then the Tour of Flanders. She skipped these two races in 2025 but rode the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and Milan–San Remo after Strade Bianche that year.

Back to the Giro
In April, Vollering will also complete the full Ardennes trio: Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège. She won all three classics in 2023, having also taken Liège in 2021. Vollering last started the Giro d'Italia Women in 2021 but will return to the Italian stage race this year. Five years ago, she finished third in the Giro.

"The calendar shift is the biggest reason," Vollering said at a press event for FDJ United-SUEZ, speaking to media including WielerFlits. The Giro used to take place in July but will now start on Saturday, May 30. This means Vollering has more time afterward to prepare (at altitude) for the Tour de France Femmes. "That remains the biggest goal, and I need to do a training block at altitude to be at my best."