Lotte Kopecky and Demi Vollering go for hat-trick in Strade Bianche: "Ready to push hard"

The women's race in Strade Bianche 2026 is already underway and was disrupted early on by a major crash on the first gravel sector. Demi Vollering is the top favorite and aims for her third win in Siena. But the same goes for former world champion Lotte Kopecky. Both share their thoughts with VTM about the chances of securing a third victory.

Traditionally, a rider who wins Strade Bianche three times gets a gravel sector named after them. This honor belongs to Fabian Cancellara and Tadej Pogačar. Demi Vollering and Lotte Kopecky both have two wins and could add a third victory to their palmarès on Saturday afternoon. "I felt good last week," says Kopecky. "I mainly have to rely on all the training, and that should normally be good enough. I’ve already won here twice, so I also consider it possible again this year."

At Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the Belgian was hampered by bad luck and wasn’t in the race picture. Vollering was, as she won the race. "I’m ready for the battle and really looking forward to it," says Vollering about Strade Bianche. "There are many girls at the start here whom I haven’t raced against yet, so that’s always exciting. But I’m eager to really push hard. I always want to win. Now it’s extra special because if I win again, it will go down in history."