Vollering reigns: The storylines that shaped the women's Spring Classics

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been two months since the Spring Classics got underway with Opening Weekend. Here we are though, with Liège-Bastogne-Liège now in the books, and another Classics period behind us.

The women’s peloton will now turn its attention to a block of Spanish racing, starting with the Vuelta Femenina this coming weekend. Before that though, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on what we’ve witnessed over the past two months; the moments, performances, and storylines that have defined the women’s Spring Classics for 2026.

No one has been as good as Demi Vollering

Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) made history on Sunday by becoming the first woman to win three editions of Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Attacking with nearly 35 km to go, dropping her big rivals with apparent ease, then riding away to win solo by more than a minute, it was a win that typified the spring the European champion has had.

Let’s look at some stats. Of the seven one-day races Vollering did this spring (all of them WorldTour events), the 29-year-old won four: Omloop Nieuwsblad, the Tour of Flanders, Flèche Wallonne, and Liège. In the other three, she finished second (Dwars door Vlaanderen), third (Amstel Gold Race), and fell foul of a mechanical (Strade Bianche). All of that is in addition to the two of three stages she won at the Volta Valenciana, plus the overall. That’s seven wins from 11 races so far this year.

Vollering winning Sunday's Liège.

You’d be justified in arguing that this is the best start to a season Vollering’s ever had. Her 2023 campaign was also extraordinary – she won all three Ardennes Classics, plus Strade Bianche and Dwars door Vlaanderen – but with the same number of WorldTour wins so far this year, and an additional three wins overall by the same point in the season, 2026 has been very kind to the Dutchwoman so far.

And let’s remember – it’s only April, and Vollering’s biggest targets still lie ahead …

FDJ United-Suez is the best team in the world and it’s not even close

Vollering’s seven wins are a big part of what’s made this year so successful for FDJ United-Suez so far, but that only tells part of the story. What we’ve seen from the French squad thus far has been a showcase of strength, unity, and depth that other teams just haven’t been able to match.

We’ve seen impressive team rides across the board (Sunday’s Liege was no different), but Elise Chabbey and new recruit Franzi Koch have been particularly impressive. Since joining FDJ United-Suez last year, Chabbey has refined her trademark aggression to become one of the sport’s premier super-domestiques; a rider as effective on the front of the bunch as off it.

Koch, meanwhile, was responsible for several of the moments that defined these Spring Classics. Her uphill lead-outs for Vollering at Omloop Nieuwsblad and Flanders were as stunning to watch as they were productive. On both occasions Vollering launched off Koch’s wheel and rode to a solo victory.

And of course, both Koch and Chabbey have stepped up when Vollering hasn’t been able to.

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