“We always joke with each other during the race” – Demi Vollering lifts lid on ‘playful’ rivalry with Puck Pieterse ahead of Liège showdown

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.

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.

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.