Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Cycling News
Cycling News
Sport
James Moultrie

'I had to dare to lose it all' – How Demi Vollering snatched the pink jersey at last gasp on an epic Giro d'Italia Women finale

FDJ SUEZ Dutch rider Demi Vollering wearing the overall leader's pink jersey holds the trophy as she celebrates on the podium after winning the Giro d'Italia Women 2026 - Tour of Italy Women cycling race in Saluzzo, Northwestern Italy, on June 7, 2026. (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP via Getty Images).

It's almost unthinkable that you could see a rider win on a climb as iconic as the Colle dell Finestre and still look disappointed, but that was the exact scene for Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) on the penultimate day of the Giro d'Italia Women.

While she took victory on the abbreviated stage 8 on Saturday, Vollering knew that, having not dropped Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime), her opportunities at wresting the pink jersey from her former teammate and mentor were almost all exhausted.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.