She was the favorite and did not disappoint: Demi Vollering (Netherlands) has conquered the elite women's world title. The Dutch champion, winner this year of both the Giro d'Italia Women and the Tour de France Femmes, defeated Polish rider Kasia Niewiadoma at the conclusion of 180 kilometers of racing. Elisa Longo Borghini, as combative as ever, crossed the finish line in third place with just 4" behind the winner. The Italian captain thus secured the bronze medal for Italy while once again delivering plenty of emotion to cycling enthusiasts.

THE RACE - After initial attacks by Rotem Gafinovitz (Israel) and Argiro Milaki (Greece), around the twentieth kilometer the first genuine breakaway of the day formed: Marte Berg Edseth (Norway), Natalie Quinn (United States), Beatriz Roxo (Portugal) and Gergana Stoyanova (Bulgaria) gained an advantage, pedaling in agreement and reaching a maximum lead of 4'30".

At the sixtieth kilometer of the race the situation changed: Beatriz Roxo and Gergana Stoyanova lost ground from the breakaway quartet, leaving the pair composed of Marte Berg Edseth and Natalie Quinn at the front.

When approximately 95 kilometers remained to the finish a major crash involved several riders including Kate Courtney (United States), Paula Blasi (Spain), Marta Jaskulska (Poland), Magdeleine Vallieres (Canada), Erica Magnaldi (Italy) and Monica Trica Colonel (Italy). The most serious consequences affected Swedish rider Caroline Andersson, whose face hit the asphalt and was immediately assisted by the medical team on course.

The crash split the group into several sections, and among those dropped was Kim Le Court (Mauritius) while Paula Blasi subsequently withdrew from the race; the same fate befell defending champion Magdeleine Vallieres, winner twelve months earlier in Kigali, a few kilometers later.

When approximately 50 kilometers remained to the finish France launched Maeva Squiban in a solo attack who gained a slight margin that she was able to increase with each pedal stroke. Despite the determination she showed in her effort, Squiban could not resist the acceleration with which Puck Pieterse and Demi Vollering caught up to her.

Shortly after came Vollering's solo attack which with a few pedal strokes put approximately twenty seconds between herself and the small chasing group comprising Puck Pieterse (Netherlands), Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy), Marlen Reusser (Switzerland), Kasia Niewiadoma (Poland), Dominika Włodarczyk (Poland), Juliette Berthet Labous (France), Célia Gery (France) and Maeva Squiban (France).

Between attacks and counterattacks, Elisa Longo Borghini, Kasia Niewiadoma and Juliette Berthet closed back to Demi Vollering and at the bell the Italian rider stood on the pedals and surprised her rivals. She gained a few seconds advantage but then the Dutch rider and the Polish rider closed back to her. Vollering attacked again, Niewiadoma stayed on her wheel creating a two-rider lead that Longo Borghini pursued with head, heart and legs. She got close, very close, but not enough to join the battle for the rainbow jersey.

That became a two-rider contest that Demi and Kasia decided to settle in a sprint. Head to head, at least until a cramp slowed the Polish rider who sat back on the saddle and grabbed her leg. The Dutch rider instead raised her arms to the sky: the 2026 World Championship is hers.

Italy's world championship day also concludes with 12th place for Elonora Gasparrini, 22nd for Sara Casasola, 25th for Monica Trinca Colonel, 30th for Silvia Persico and 35th for Francesca Barale. Unfortunate Erica Magnaldi who, affected by the crash, had to end her world championship race earlier than planned.

FINAL RESULTS

1 Demi Vollering Pays-Bas 4h45'09"
2 Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney Pologne
3 Elisa LONGO BORGHINI Italie 4"
4 Marlen Reusser Suisse 8"
5 Juliette Berthet France 39"
6 Puck Pieterse Pays-Bas 1'36"
7 Célia Gery France 2'55"
8 Dominika WLODARCZYK Pologne 4'16"
9 Maeva Squiban France 5'48"
10 Franziska Koch Allemagne 5'51"
11 Pfeiffer Georgi Grande-Bretagne 8'34"
12 Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini Italie 8'34"
13 Steffi Häberlin Suisse 8'34"
14 Liane LIPPERT Allemagne 8'34"
15 Noemi Rüegg Suisse 8'34"
16 Henrietta Christie Nouvelle-Zélande 8'34"
17 Sarah Van Dam Canada 8'34"
18 Lauren Dickson Grande-Bretagne 8'34"
19 Ashleigh MOOLMAN-PASIO Afrique du Sud 8'34"
20 Lotte KOPECKY Belgique 8'34"
21 Kristen Faulkner États-Unis 8'34"
22 Sara Casasola Italie 8'34"
23 Paula Andrea Patino Bedoya Colombie 8'34"
24 Shari Bossuyt Belgique 8'34"
25 Monica Trinca Colonel Italie 8'34"
26 Margarita Victo GARCIA Canellas Espagne 8'40"
27 Margot Vanpachtenbeke Belgique 8'40"
28 Antonia Niedermaier Allemagne 8'40"
29 Karlijn SWINKELS Pays-Bas 8'40"
30 Silvia PERSICO Italie 8'48"
31 Mireia Benito Espagne 8'48"
32 Cédrine Kerbaol France 8'48"
33 Ginia Caluori Suisse 8'51"
34 Zoe Backstedt Grande-Bretagne 9'03"
35 Francesca Barale Italie 12'38"
36 Nina Berton Luxembourg 14'21"
37 Ana Vitoria Magalhaes Brésil 14'21"
38 Riejanne MARKUS Pays-Bas 14'21"
39 Amanda SPRATT Australie 14'21"
40 Lauren STEPHENS États-Unis 15'31"
41 Nadia Gontova Canada 15'33"
42 Sarah Gigante Australie 15'33"
43 Marte Berg Edseth Norvège 15'33"
44 Lieke Nooijen Pays-Bas 15'33"
45 Kimberley Le Court de Billot Ile Maurice 15'33"
46 Anna Henderson Grande-Bretagne 15'33"
47 Katharina Sadnik Autriche 15'33"
48 Femke De Vries Pays-Bas 15'33"
49 Evita Muzic France 15'33"

Ab. Olha Kulynych Ukraine
Ab. Marta Lach Pologne
Ab. Nika Bobnar Slovénie
Ab. Usoa Ostolaza Zabala Espagne
Ab. Natalie Quinn États-Unis
Ab. Kate Courtney États-Unis
Ab. Grace Arlandson États-Unis
Ab. Teniel Campbell Trinité-et-Tobago
Ab. Hayley Preen Afrique du Sud
Ab. Andrea Ramirez Fregoso Mexique
Ab. Catalina Soto Campos Chili
Ab. Jasmin Gabriela Soto Lopez Guatemala
Ab. Romina Hinojosa Cruz Mexique
Ab. Claudette Nyirarukundo Rwanda
Ab. Argiro Milaki Grèce
Ab. Lisa Bone Afrique du Sud
Ab. Alexis Magner États-Unis
Ab. Sara Martin Martin Espagne
Ab. Xaveline Nirere Rwanda
Ab. Shimeng Zhu Chine
Ab. Vera Looser Namibie
Ab. Monaliza Chneslasie Erythrée
Ab. Ursula Linden Finlande
Ab. Karin Abe Japon
Ab. Valeriia KONONENKO Ukraine
Ab. Paula Blasi Espagne
Ab. Diane Ingabire Rwanda
Ab. Zhaoqi Feng Chine
Ab. Magh Firotika Marenda Indonésie
Ab. Madina Kakhkhorova Ouzbékistan
Ab. Wendy Ducreux Panama
Ab. Chanpeng Nontasin Thaïlande
Ab. Mishael Alhazmi Arabie Saoudite
Ab. Kaja Rysz Pologne
Ab. Marta Jaskulska Pologne
Ab. Lauretta HANSON Australie
Ab. Xin Tang Chine
Ab. Georgia BAKER Australie
Ab. Nesrine Houili Algérie
Ab. Kendra Tabu Kenya
Ab. Tereza Kurnicka Slovaquie
Ab. Monica Kiplagat Kenya
Ab. Josie Nelson Grande-Bretagne
Ab. Janika Löiv Estonie
Ab. Petra Zsanko Hongrie
Ab. Laura Rojas Capera Colombie
Ab. Agua Marina Espinola Paraguay
Ab. Ann-Christine Allik Estonie
Ab. Diana Carolina PENUELA MARTINEZ Colombie
Ab. Antri CHRISTOFOROU Chypre
Ab. Faina POTAPOVA Kazakhstan
Ab. Mary Joyce Monton Philippines
Ab. Skye Davidson Zimbabwe
Ab. Aidi Gerde Tuisk Estonie
Ab. Rotem GAFINOVITZ Israël
Ab. Flora Perkins Grande-Bretagne
Ab. Sajedeh Siyahian Iran
Ab. Rongina Ngandu Zimbabwe
Ab. Anta NDiaye Sénégal
Ab. Linda Riedmann Allemagne
Ab. Ricarda Bauernfeind Allemagne
Ab. Julia Borgström Suède
Ab. Caroline Andersson Suède
Ab. Léa CURINIER France
Ab. Marie LE NET France
Ab. Alison JACKSON Canada
Ab. Olivia Baril Canada
Ab. Linda Zanetti Suisse
Ab. Jasmin Liechti Suisse
Ab. Carina Schrempf Autriche
Ab. Niamh Fisher-Black Nouvelle-Zélande
Ab. Magdeleine Vallieres Mill Canada
Ab. Adèle Normand Canada
Ab. Maggie Coles-Lyster Canada
Ab. Gergana Stoyanova Bulgarie
Ab. Kristina Novikova Athlète individuel neutre
Ab. Christina Schweinberger Autriche
Ab. Sandrine Tas Belgique
Ab. Lotte Claes Belgique
Ab. Julie Van De Velde Belgique
Ab. Solbjørk Minke Anderson Danemark
Ab. Cecilie Ludwig Danemark
Ab. Tiril Jorgensen Norvège
Ab. Erica Magnaldi Italie
Ab. Raquel Queiros Portugal
Ab. Daniela Campos Portugal
Ab. Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset Norvège
Ab. Beatriz Roxo Portugal
Ab. Amber Kraak Pays-Bas

NP. Sandra Alonso Espagne
NP. Lucie De Marigny-Lagesse Ile Maurice
NP. Ramadhan Najma Comores