Results Dwars door Vlaanderen WE 2026 | Marlen Reusser edges Demi Vollering after leading duo nearly throw away victory late

Marlen Reusser won Dwars door Vlaanderen Women 2026 after a chaotic final kilometre in which she and Demi Vollering came close to throwing away victory before recovering to sprint for the win.

The leading duo, who had built their advantage with a decisive move in the final phase of the race, hesitated inside the final kilometre and allowed Lieke Nooijen to almost bridge across from the chasing group. Only a late acceleration ensured the win remained between the front two, with Reusser edging Vollering in a photo finish and Nooijen forced to settle for third.

The race had initially been shaped by a seven-rider breakaway, which built a sizeable advantage through the opening phase as the peloton remained relatively passive. That move was eventually reeled in on the cobbles of the Mariaborrestraat, triggering a far more aggressive and selective second half of the race. The pace increased steadily over the climbs, with FDJ-Suez, UAE Team ADQ and SD Worx all moving to the front.

The first meaningful split came on the Eikenberg, where Vollering accelerated and briefly formed a group with Puck Pieterse, Letizia Borghesi and Fleur Moors. That move was brought back, but it signalled a clear rise in intensity.

From there, the race became a sequence of attacks and counter-attacks, with riders such as Elise Chabbey and Mischa Bredewold testing the group, while mechanical issues for Moors and Marta Paternoster reduced the number of contenders.

The decisive move came away from the climbs.

Reusser attacked first on the flat, before Vollering bridged across to form a powerful leading duo. Together, they quickly established a gap over a reduced chasing group that included Lotte Kopecky and Elisa Longo Borghini.

Behind, the response never fully stabilised. UAE Team ADQ took on much of the chasing responsibility, while SD Worx, despite having multiple riders present, remained more measured. That hesitation allowed the leaders to extend their advantage at key moments.

Although the gap briefly came down as the chasing group showed signs of organisation, the leaders responded by lifting the pace again, stretching their advantage out towards 20 seconds heading into the final kilometres.

Inside the final kilometre, the race took a sudden and unexpected turn. After working effectively to build their advantage, Vollering and Reusser began to hesitate at the front, each reluctant to fully commit to the final effort. That brief lull proved costly. Behind them, Lieke Nooijen seized the opportunity, launching a late move from the chasing group and rapidly closing the gap.

For a moment, the leading duo looked in danger of throwing the race away. Nooijen continued to gain ground as Vollering and Reusser stalled, the gap shrinking quickly as the finish approached.

Sensing the threat, the two leaders reacted just in time. Reusser resumed her effort inside the final kilometre, with Vollering following, and the pair managed to re-establish a small but decisive margin before the chaser could make contact.

From there, the race returned to a two-rider contest. The sprint was tightly contested, with Vollering appearing well placed, but Reusser produced a strong final effort to edge ahead on the line and take victory by the narrowest of margins.

Nooijen arrived moments later to secure third, her late surge underlining just how close the leaders had come to losing control of the race.