The 2023 road season has reached its conclusion and we want to hear from you! Who's star shone brightest in the Women's World Tour this year? Your opinion counts and every vote matters so be sure to place a vote for the rider you believe should win!
Firstly of course, the nominees.
Demi Vollering
What a year it was for Demi Vollering in 2023. Taking the Tour de France Femmes, Vollering showed she is the successor to the retiring Annemiek van Vleuten as the dominant force in women's Grand Tour racing going forward. Add to that victories at the likes of the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas, Tour de Romandie Féminin, Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition, plus Strade Bianche Donne and more the season could hardly have been more successful for the Dutchwoman.
Lotte Kopecky
Although she didn't win, Lotte Kopecky's second overall behind Vollering at the Tour de France Femmes, was arguably one of the best performances of the year. Also becoming World Champion in Glasgow, a double Belgian national champion, Tour of Flanders winner and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the 28-year-old consistently impressed throughout the campaign.
Annemiek Van Vleuten
In her final year in the peloton, van Vleuten remained competitive at the very highest level. Taking overall victory at two of the three Grand Tour equivalents for the women, van Vleuten's victories at the Giro d'Italia Donne and La Vuelta Femenina ensured the legendary Dutchwoman departed the professional cycling stage on top.
Katarzyna Niewiadoma
Finishing the season on a high, the Polish superstar took a stunning victory at the Gravel World Championships. Combining that career high with a podium finish and victory in the Queen of the Mountains classification at the Tour de France Femmes, plus a fourth-placed finish at the Tour de Suisse and Niewiadoma continues to impress.
Lorena Wiebes
In her first year with the all-conquering Team SD Worx, Wiebes continued to prove herself as arguably the fastest sprinter in the peloton. Not just a mere sprinter however, the 24-year-old has developed into a well-rounded rider this year as finished by runner-up finishes at the European Championships both on the road and on the Gravel, plus 2nd overall at the Simac Ladies Tour.
Marlen Reusser
The time-trial specialist once again proved her impressive abilities against the clock in 2023. The Swiss rider took European Championship glory in the time-trial, gold in the mixed relay at the World Championships in Glasgow, Reusser also won a stage of the Tour de France Femmes, took the Swiss national title on the road and Tour de Suisse, Gent Wevelgem and the Itzulia Women.
Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig
Another consistently impressive campaign for the 28-year-old Dane this year. A podium finish in Glasgow at in the World Championship road race being the highlight of the season, the FDJ-Suez star also put up impressive performances in victory at the Giro dell'Emilia Donne and multiple stages of the Tour of Scandinavia, finishing second overall.
Fem van Empel
Impressing both on the road and in cyclocross, the 21-year-old is truly a star of the present, whilst still having plenty of development remaining. In terms of road racing, a Green Jersey win at the Tour de l'Avenir stands out. Elsewhere, a third-placed finish at the European Gravel Championships adds to the utterly dominant performances during the cyclocross campaign. At the time of writing, van Empel has won 13 straight cyclocross races, most notably the World Championships earlier this year.
So having seen the nominees, who do you think should win? Use the poll below to cast your vote!
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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