“We f*cking did it,” were the words that came out of Demi Vollering’s dust-stained mouth a few euphoric moments after she won the 2025 edition of Strade Bianche. She was speaking to FDJ-Suez team boss Stephen Delcourt at the finish line in Siena, surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd who were chanting her name. As her teammate, Juliette Labous, sprinted into the Piazza del Campo from the group behind her, Vollering turned around, away from the cameras and microphones to see where the French rider would finish: “Keep going, keep going,” she urged Labous who crossed the line in a career-best fourth place.
This version of Demi Vollering, one that is relaxed, happy, comfortable and smiling is new. The person that the Dutchwoman was on Saturday under the Tuscan spring sunshine is transformed from last season. We all remember the TV images of a dejected Vollering on the podium after finishing second at the Tour de France Femmes in 2024. We all read the stories about the tension and discourse within her former team, SD Worx-Protime. We all saw the lack of cohesion and support behind the 28-year-old when that catastrophic crash midway through the Tour cost her the yellow jersey. Those days are gone. The rollercoaster SD Worx chapter is over and in its place, a new one is being written. So far, it’s an FDJ-Suez fairytale.
Vollering spoke openly after Strade Bianche about the support she feels within her team and the role she takes on as a leader to motivate the likes of Labous and Évita Muzic to give her their all as loyal domestiques. “Everyone has to be part of the process,” the Dutch rider said with confidence. “The girls need to know how grateful I am.”
And it goes both ways: as Vollering’s confidence has been restored by a team which fully believes in her, she’s in turn helping raise the level of FDJ-Suez across the board by being part of the French squad. The professionalism and organisation of Delcourt’s team is clear for all to see: they come to races with a plan and execute it with one clear goal – something that was so crucially lacking for Vollering at an SD Worx squad last season who seemed adamant to go to races with multiple leadership options. From riding in support of Vollering, riders such as Labous and Muzic are learning too.
“I’m happy, our collaboration is good and we have a strong bond together,” Labous said of the time she’s spent alongside Vollering so far this season. “I feel this and it’s special, for me as a rider it’s nice as I have less pressure on my shoulders – I can be more aggressive which is a new style of riding for me and I can try to go to attacks while before I held myself back in case it didn’t work.”
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for FDJ-Suez, however. Opening Weekend's Omloop het Nieuwsblad saw them face criticism for not taking up the chase earlier, allowing the breakaway to take victory and Vollering forced to settle for third place. Labous argues that the team’s performance at Strade Bianche has now sent a clear message to the rest of the peloton, however.
“It was amazing, we had this really good plan and everyone was fully committed. We had struggles with Évita crashing in the first sector and it felt like it took forever for her to come back but we kept calm and it was amazing today. We did everything perfectly,” she stated after the race.
“Me and Demi had great communication, keeping the gap close to the front group so that she could bridge at the right moment. I really tried to keep her calm and see how strong she was. I gave her motivation. I’m looking forward to watching the replay as we had a really great race, especially if you compare it to last weekend where we got some criticism. Today we showed what we could do. This was an amazing race for women’s cycling and there will be a lot more to come with this high competition. Everything is really paying off which has given us so much confidence for the rest of the season, so it’s full motivation.”
The only question mark over Vollering and FDJ-Suez now, though, is can they keep this up? They are clearly riding on a wave of positive momentum following the off-season and with their Dutch leader coming into the spring with such impressive form. However – and it has become a cliche saying within the sport, but it’s true nonetheless – the season is still young. There are other teams hot on the heels of FDJ-Suez, motivated to try and topple the Vollering throne as the months roll on.
Anna van der Breggen of SD Worx-Protime is the clearest and closest rival to Vollering currently. Formerly the 2025 Strade Bianche winner’s coach and sports director, Van der Breggen has not disappointed with her surprise comeback to racing this year. Although Vollering was able to drop her on the final climb at Strade, Van der Breggen was not far off the younger rider when it came to physical ability earlier in the race. Her form is building at a rapid rate, especially considering she is coming back from almost four years away from competition. Van der Breggen’s cool-headed experience is a close match for Vollering’s emotional passion, something that was clear at Strade when Vollering was trying to force Van der Breggen to work with her when the duo were away in the closing kilometres of the race. She would not be forced into pulling a turn on the front, while Vollering wasted energy shouting at her to try and make her do so.
Like Van der Breggen, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is another rider who has returned to the women’s WorldTour peloton showing big potential. Having only competed in the UAE Tour this year previously to Strade, the Olympic cross-country mountain bike champion already looked to have made a huge leap in form in Italy on Saturday. She too has experience on her side and is taking a patient approach to the season, aware that it’s still early to be at her best with goals like the Tour de France Femmes looming on the horizon this summer.
We must also consider the world champion Lotte Kopecky of SD Worx-Protime who is yet to race so far in 2025. She has had a quiet off-season, steadily training under the radar before her planned season debut at the inaugural edition of Sanremo Women in just a few weeks’ time. Marianne Vos is another rider who has sat out the early season showdowns, also planning to take to the start in Sanremo for her first race of the year. While they may not necessarily be Vollering’s competitors for yellow at the Tour, Vos and Kopecky will pose a challenge to FDJ-Suez on both the cobbles of Flanders and during the Ardennes Classics.
So while FDJ-Suez and Vollering can and should bathe in the glory of their performance at Strade Bianche, there are no guarantees that it will continue this way. The Dutch rider is clearly happier than ever and well-supported in her new set-up, but her current incredible run of physical form is also supplementing FDJ-Suez’s collective success. There’s a long six months ahead for Vollering to keep this going, and it could be that the more measured approach to the start of the season by her rivals pays dividends later in the year. It’s a special and unique era of women’s cycling, with more competition and star-studded line-ups in WorldTour events. It's tougher than it ever has been to win – and better than it ever has been to watch.
