White roads: Vollering wins the women’s race

by our correspondent Ciro Scognamiglio

4th March
– SIENA

Two teammates from SD Worx crash together at the finish line in Piazza del Campo, and fight for victory until the end. Without agreements, nor decisions at the table. Perhaps this is why neither Demi Vollering nor Lotte Kopecky, shortly after the arrival, seem particularly happy while waiting for the official photo finish which will reward the Dutch Vollering and which will force Kopecky, reigning Strade Bianche champion, into second place. The ninth edition – sun, lots of people, 8 stretches of dirt road, 30 km out of 136 – of the women’s Sienese classic fulfilled its promises of entertainment. Vollering and Kopecky will explain that there were no agreements, Vollering probably expected that whoever was leading at the last corner would then have the go-ahead for success, which instead was at stake right up to the end.

Third place on the podium at 18” for the American Kristian Faulkner (Jayco AlUla), very good at breaking away with 40 km to go and holding on to the lead until the last sprint. Nothing to do for the Azzurri, and it was known that it was known to be tough given the absence of Elisa Longo Borghini and Marta Cavalli: none finished in the top ten. Of note is the fifth place of 40-year-old Annemiek Van Vleuten, reigning world champion. For Vollering, born in 1996, it was the 13th success in her career, the most important after Liège 2021: for her in the race also the fear of finding a horse on the course when she was in pursuit of Faulkner about 16 km from the conclusion, then the animal fell.