“We always joke with each other during the race” – Demi Vollering lifts lid on ‘playful’ rivalry with Puck Pieterse ahead of Liège showdown
Cycling
Demi Vollering heads into Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes looking to close out what she describes as a “really successful” spring, but her focus is not just on results.
Speaking to Cycling Pro Net on the eve of the race, the Dutch rider offered a relaxed and revealing insight into both her form and the dynamic that has come to define this Ardennes week. “It was a really successful spring campaign for the whole team, so I’m really looking forward to finishing it off here,” Vollering said.
That success has been clear across the opening months of 2026. Vollering has already taken victories at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, the Tour of Flanders and La Flèche Wallonne, while also finishing on the podium at Amstel Gold Race, underlining both her consistency and versatility across very different race profiles.
That sense of enjoyment extends to Liège itself, a race she continues to hold in particularly high regard. “I always love this race a lot, so I’m looking forward to being able to do it again and I will really enjoy it,” she added, with the emphasis firmly on the experience as much as the outcome.
Team strength and shared momentum
Vollering’s victory at La Flèche Wallonne earlier in the week once again highlighted the depth of support around her, and she was quick to reinforce that point when reflecting on the role of her teammates heading into Sunday.
“To praise them is the least I can do. I really enjoy racing with them and they really do their best,” she said. “We have such a good time together chasing beautiful memories, so I hope we can add another one on Sunday.”
It is a familiar theme in Vollering’s recent performances. The results speak for themselves, but the consistency has been built on a structure that allows her to arrive in the decisive moments with both control and confidence.
Demi Vollering during recon for Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2026
A rivalry defined by something different
Yet beyond form and team strength, one of the more intriguing elements of this Liège build-up lies in her rivalry with Puck Pieterse. In a peloton often defined by tension in the finale, Vollering described a dynamic that stands apart. “We always joke with each other during the race,” she said. “I think we have the same kind of humour.”
It is a relationship that extends even into the intensity of competition itself. “Also during the race we can still be playing a bit around. Not everybody in the race is like that, but we feel like we can always be joking with each other,” Vollering explained.
That ease does not dilute the competitive edge. If anything, it enhances it. “I always end up making jokes with her and it’s always a good time to fight together for the win, because you feel she’s doing it in such a playful way,” she added, before concluding: “I really enjoy her way of racing as well.”
As Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes approaches, Vollering arrives once again as the rider to beat. But in a race that often comes down to small margins and shifting dynamics, the presence of a rival she both respects and enjoys racing against adds an extra layer to what is already shaping up to be a defining moment in the Ardennes campaign.
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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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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