Welcome back, Demi! In recent years she had been somewhat absent, but in 2026 Vollering will officially make her big return to the Giro d’Italia Women. The Dutch rider of FDJ United-SUEZ has been the world No.1 in the UCI ranking for several seasons, winning almost everywhere and in every way: two Liège–Bastogne–Liège titles, a Tour of Flanders just a few weeks ago, two Strade Bianche victories, as well as a Tour de France and two editions of the Vuelta España Femenina – for a total of 60 wins.

The first major achievement of the Giro d’Italia Women’s new position in the calendar is therefore bringing Vollering back to the Corsa Rosa: “Of course, the new place in the calendar influenced my decision,” Vollering explains. “It works much better alongside the Tour, so it’s possible to aim for strong performances in both races. In any case, Italy has always been a special place for me, both in racing and outside it – I spend a lot of time there, even on holiday. And I have great memories, like my two wins at Strade Bianche. Coming back to the Giro felt like a natural choice; it’s a race with a great history and I’m happy to have it back in my programme.”

A return after five years

Vollering has raced the Giro twice in her career, in 2019 and 2021. She finished 13th on her debut and 3rd on her second appearance. At the time, she did not yet have the strength and awareness she possesses today, but it was already clear she was an exceptional rider.

“Both editions were important steps in my development,” Demi recalls. “In 2019 everything was new – it was my first Grand Tour – and I raced without pressure, just trying to enjoy the experience as much as possible. In 2021 things were already different: I had more experience and confidence in my abilities, and it helped me take another step forward as an athlete.”