Demi Vollering won the longest edition of the women’s world road race championship in a brutal and compelling sprint finale in Montreal. The 29-year-old’s success capped a remarkable season in which she has also won a second Tour de France title, the Giro women, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Flanders. In what proved to be an enthralling race, the biggest names in the women’s peloton duelled their way over the multiple climbs on the Canadian circuit, before the Dutch rider applied the coup de grace in the closing metres.
I’m so proud of everybody from the team. They rode the whole race from the front.” Eight laps of a 13.4km circuit, which included the steep gradients of the Voie Camillien-Houde, took their toll on a diminished peloton, which lost favourite Paula Blasi when the Spaniard abandoned after crashing for a second time. Defending champion and home favourite, Magdeleine Vallieres was another of a group of 15 riders to crash while speeding downhill, with 95km to race, along with Great Britain’s Flora Perkins and Tour of Britain winner, Kim Le Court.
A battered and bruised Vallieres finally abandoned with a little over 60km to race. Her departure opened the door to a volatile and intriguing race that showcased the drama and unpredictability of women’s racing. The resulting ebb and flow saw numerous changes in the lead until the three leading riders in this year’s Tour de France Femmes – Vollering, Kasia Niewiadoma, of Poland, and Italian national champion, Elisa Longo Borghini – traded blows on the final lap en route to the uphill sprint finish.
With less than 200m to go, Vollering and Niewiadoma were side by side, but the Dutch rider’s acceleration proved too much for her rival, who crossed the line apparently suffering from cramp. Vollering’s initial attack, which came with 40km of racing remaining on the steepest section of road had almost backfired when she was recaptured with less than 20km to go. When they came back (to me) I was like ‘Oh shit — this is still not over.’ But never give up until the finish line.” When her initial attack came, the race looked likely to follow a familiar script of Vollering soloing to success.
The Dutch rider was chased by a select group of eight that included Niewiadoma, Marlen Reusser and Longo Borghini. With 20km remaining the group fractured, under the impetus of 2024 Tour de France winner Niewiadoma and Longo Borghini, with Vollering wilting after 20km spent alone in the lead. But in a finale that encapsulated the compelling nature of the race, the favourites regrouped at the start of the final lap, and Longo Borghini launched her own attack.
Vollering, however, mustered the energy to attack again, this time decisively, to repay the efforts of her expertly drilled Netherlands team. Longo Borghini clung on to hold off the pursuing Reusser and claim the bronze medal, while Pfeiffer Georgi was the best British finisher, in 11th place.
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