"It will be a tough fight" - Demi Vollering turns the Tour de France Femmes into a two-up fight against Marlen Reusser
CyclingWednesday, 05 August 2026 at 19:01
Demi Vollering has conquered the fifth stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, a day where FDJ - Suez took initiative to attack the race, and brought in the benefits from it.
Vollering successfully attacks the Tour
FDJ - Suez had depth during today's stage and that proved to be valuable. The breakaway of the day included plenty top riders that threatened her top position in the race, but also included her teammates. Juliette Berthet and Franziska Koch were in the front group, and served a very specific purpose.
The team controlled the front group and then had Évita Muzic and Célia Gery launch her attack on the penultimate climb of the day. This pace was enough to drop most of her rivals, including Paulina Ferrand-Prévot, Paula Blasi and Elisa Longo Borghini.
Berthet and Koch then pushed in her group, catching the front groups and extending the gaps to the groups behind. The collective strength is something the European Champion was appreciative of.
“The whole team, every rider on the squad, was part of this victory. I enjoy these kinds of victories the most," Vollering said in a post-race interview. "Victories where everyone has put in hard work. That makes it even more special and beautiful. Because you really do it together.”
In the final climb only Katarzyna Niewiadoma and Marlen Reusser could follow her attack. In the end, the trio had a three-up sprint. “I hadn't expected to win the sprint. Yet I managed it. That really felt like a relief".
"I knew Kasia would go early, because she always does. And I knew Marlen would gamble. I let her do that. I hoped she would work, but she didn't. Then I thought: if you don't do anything, Kasia is going to win. In that case, I wouldn't even have tried. So I had to try, even if Marlen would overtake me. I gave everything to the finish line. It was a very long sprint; I needed every meter. I am very happy that I succeeded.”
Katarzyna Niewiadoma's early sprint almost got her the stage win
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Marlen Reusser is Vollering's main rival
The bonifications meant that the gap to Reusser is now of 12 seconds; whilst Niewiadoma is a minute behind and the rest of the field quite distant. With this set of attacks, Vollering assured the race was under control; whilst simultaneously reducing the list of riders she has to take into consideration in the fight for the win.
But in Reusser, she still has her biggest rival. "Certainly. Things are looking good for her. I do have an advantage, namely that I have won the Tour before. And Kasia has too. Marlen has never managed that, so she will have to work for it as well. I am sure it will be a tough fight, because she is not a rider you can beat easily. She is very strong. But I am going to do everything I can to make it succeed".
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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Rafionain-Glas05-08-2026 - Why you disregard Dominika Włodarczyk, who was 4th in TdFF last season, and Elisa Longo Borghini, while hyping Blasi, who is riding her first full season? Even Longo Borghini says that this hurts the competing girls and is injust.
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- Shame he couldn't do the tour but that's a much needed win for both Oscar and Ineos.Cyclingsbestfan05-08-2026
- And the yellow jersey watches her go, thinks about it......... then decides to follow and loses the sprint!Cyclingsbestfan05-08-2026
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- I said exactly the same shouting at the TV. smhPedalmasher05-08-2026
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