Vollering wraps up Setmana Valenciana overall with second stage win

Demi Vollering's 2026 has got off to a brilliant start at the Setmana Valenciana, which culminated in stage 4 victory on Sunday, her second of the race.

The FDJ United-Suez leader kicked things off with a solo win on the blustery opening stage that almost didn't happen due to the wind conditions, but for which Vollering and team director Lars Boom advocated strongly to proceed as normal. Vollering retained her 56-second lead over Maeva Squiban on stage 2, which was won by Movistar's Cat Ferguson, but weather warnings forced the cancellation of Saturday's Queen Stage.

Stage 4 was the most action-packed of the race so far, starting with a hard-fought battle for the day's move. The climax came on the Cat.2 Port de l'Oronent that peaked about 30 km from the finish, with second-overall Squiban launching an attack that drew out an elite selection including Vollering, Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), Liane Lippert (Movistar) and Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Uno-X Mobility). No one could better the race leader in the flat-out sprint for the line, but Ottestad was able to leapfrog onto the GC podium just ahead of fourth-place Niedermaier.

Final GC

1. Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) 8:53:24
2. Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ) +1:02
3. Mie Bjørndal Ottestad (Uno-X Mobility) +1:12
4. Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) st.
5. Viktória Chladoňová (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1:23