Demi Vollering edges out Kopecky to win Strade Bianche Donne in thrilling finish

Team SD Worx's Demi Vollering secured the Strade Bianche Donne victory, defeating Lotte Kopecky for the top spot. Kristen Faulkner rounded out the podium in third place.

With a one-minute lead, Silvia Zanardi, Morgane Coston, Iurani Blanco, and Alessia Vigilia broke away from the peloton today. Unfortunately, their lead was short-lived as the peloton caught up with them soon after.

With 45 kilometres remaining, Karlijn Swinkels made a move, and Kristen Faulkner joined her. The two cyclists created a lead of more than a minute, but Faulkner dropped Swinkels at the 30-kilometre point and took over the lead.

With 9 kilometers to go, Kristen Faulkner was still ahead. However, Lotte Kopecky and Demi Vollering of SD Worx were making a concerted effort to catch up, and the gap between them was shrinking rapidly.

In the last kilometer, the duo managed to catch up with the American cyclist. It was clear that these three would occupy the podium, but the question was which one of them would take the top position.

The Strade Bianche Donne saw a nail-biting finish, with the winner being determined by a photo finish. Demi Vollering emerged victorious, followed by Lotte Kopecky who took the silver, while Kristen Faulkner finished in third place to secure a spot on the podium.