As it Happened - Late attackers hold off the chase group in thrilling finale in Dwars door Vlaanderen Women
Marlen Reusser beats Demi Vollering in final sprint in Waregem
Dwars door Vlaanderen Women 2026 - Preview
Analysing the contenders at Dwars door Vlaanderen
Dwars door Vlaanderen Women 2026 - Route
How To Watch Dwars door Vlaanderen 2026
Race Situation
Race report: Marlen Reusser claims victory in photo finish
Welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of the 2026 edition of Dwars door Vlaanderen Women. It's the final tune-up ahead of the big one on Sunday, the Ronde van Vlaanderen.
Almost all of the big favourites for Monument glory on Sunday are present today in Waregem as they look to get a final hit-out in the legs. The major absentee is Lorena Wiebes, who has already proven her form in a big way this spring.
The race gets underway in just over half an hour.
Several favourites for the race today haven't raced much of the Classics season so far, instead either choosing to keep themselves fresh or recovering from illness or injury.
Kim Le Court-Pienaar is one rider who hasn't raced much, Demi Vollering is back in Belgium after her Omloop het Nieuwsblad victory in February and reigning champion Elisa Longo Borghini is taking in her first Belgian race of the year, having already been a winner at the UAE Tour and Trofeo Oro in Euro.
Another returnee to the foray is Marlen Reusser.
The Swiss hasn't been seen since she pulled out of the UAE Tour on the third stage after suffering deep cuts on her hand and knee in a crash.
"She's in full preparation for La Vuelta which is the most important thing, but she's ready to race and ready to go for Flanders," Movistar Sports Director Kelvin Dekker told Cyclingnews this week.
If Reusser has the form, she will no doubt be a contender today.
Other big favourites include Longo Borghini, Lotte Kopecky and Marianne Vos.
Here's our analysis of how the race could pan out today.
More than a Tour of Flanders warm-up – Analysing the contenders at Dwars door Vlaanderen
Let's have a look at what the riders are facing today. With eight climbs and six cobbled sectors for the riders to contend with, it's going to be a challenging day.
After a flat opening section, the difficulties will come thick and fast, particularly in the second half of the 128.8 kilometres.
Here are the key points out on course:
Climbs:
Hellestraat (1.5km @ 3.5% after 28km)
Volkegemberg (1.1km @ 4% after 46km)
Berg Ten Houte (1.1km @ 5.4% after 57km)
Knokteberg - Trieu (1km @ 7.8% after 74km)
Hotond (1.2km @ 3.2% after 77km)
Eikenberg (1.2km @ 5% after 89km)
Nokereberg (0.4km @ 4.6% after 107km)
Nokereberg (0.4km @ 4.6% after 119km)
Cobbles:
Holleweg (0.6km after 47km)
Mariaborrestraat (2.4km after 84km)
Doorn (1.6km after 99km)
Huisepontweg (1.6km after 102km)
Herlegemstraat (0.8km after 110km)
Herlegemstraat (0.8km after 122.5km)
Last year Dwars doo Vlaanderen Women was all about one woman: Elisa Longo Borghini.
She attacked with 30km to go on the Huisepontweg cobble sector to win solo by more than two minutes.
Here's a reminder of how it happened: Dwars door Vlaanderen Women: Elisa Longo Borghini launches long-range solo attack and lands 50th career victory
Neutral Start
The riders have signed on and are ready to go. It's time for the neutral roll-out.
After a difficult 2025, Lotte Kopecky has made a remarkable return to form this spring.
The former world champion was victorious at Nokere Koerse two weeks ago before taking a big win at Milan-San Remo a few days later.
Are these ominous signs for the rest of the spring? We will find out more today on a more challenging course about Kopecky's shape.
Enjoying our live Classics coverage? Subscribe to Cyclingnews for an all-access pass to our unrivalled reporting of WorldTour racing, bike tech and exclusive in-depth features. Plus, access to the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on-the-go!
There's news of one DNS from the start-list today. Alana Castrique of AG Insurance-Soudal hasn't taken to the start.
It's a benign opening 40 kilometres as the peloton loops around Waregem before heading south towards the first hill of the day.
There's a gentle wind out on course today, so there's little chance of echelons.
There is a bit of sun, too, and the temperature is around 13 degrees celsius.
Demi Vollering looking focussed ahead of the race.
She won Dwars door Vlaanderen Women in 2023 with a solo move.
Here's a clip of the riders leaving Waregem a few minutes ago.
The women's race is on as well! The peloton left Waregem and is on its way to the official start. 🚀 #DDV26 pic.twitter.com/xxooD9HVRwApril 1, 2026
Another shot of the riders setting off, with plenty of support on show for Belgian superstar Lotte Kopecky.
Alongside Reusser, Cat Ferguson is another card for Movistar to play today.
She had a few words to say about the imperious form of Lorena Wiebes earlier this week. She also thinks that she is making significant progress this year in the Classics.
"I feel physically much stronger than last year. I think more in a sense of I sort of fatigue less, and that's probably just due to the fact I did no cyclocross over the winter, and I just committed to training," she told Cyclingnews in Belgium this week.
"As well as the fact I'm a year older and experienced as well. But I think I'm just enjoying each race a lot more now than last year. It's not quite as nerve-racking going into a race, and I feel a bit more confident with positioning and understanding how professional racing is going."
There has been an attack by five riders in an attempt to form a breakaway.
The peloton has just completed a lap of Waregem, looping over the north of the city. Now, they are heading south towards the first climb of the day. The Hellestraat will be upon them in around 10km.
Breakaway
Mia Gjertsen (Uno X-Mobility), Mia Griffin (Picnic-PostNL), Alison Avoine (Ma Petite Enterprise), Idoia Eraso (Laboral Kitxka-Fundacion Euskadi) and Natalie Quinn (Mayenne-Monbana-Mypie) are the riders in front with a 45 seconds lead.
110km to go
Léa Rondel (Mayenne-Monbana-Mypie) is in between the two groups with around 30 seconds to the front of the race.
The front group now have a lead of one minute.
There is around 7km until the first climb of the day.
27-year-old Mia Griffin is the most seasoned of this leading group, having taken part in the Tour de France Femmes last year for Picnic-PostNL. This is her third Dwars door Vlaanderen.
Rondel was caught by the peloton.
Another counter-attack has set off in pursuit of the leading five. New Pan-American champion Catalina Soto Campos is in the move alongside Bodine Vollering and Célia Le Mouël.
The chase group is 45 seconds behind the lead, with the peloton happy to let this go out to 2:30.
Our first look at the breakaway, with Alison Avoine driving it on the front.
A relaxed looking bunch allowing the leaders' advantage to grow.
What of Puck Pieterse and Fenix-Premier Tech today? The Dutch rider has looked good so far this spring, but is yet to take a win.
Sprinter Charlotte Kool has just crashed in the peloton.
This race mostly goes the way of the attackers and the big favourites, but occasionally with a headwind the sprinters can have their day. Chiara Consonni is a former winner here, having taken the bunch sprint in 2022.
Consonni is joined on the start-list by the likes of Ally Wollaston, Georgia Baker, Linda Zanetti and Kool - of whom we are awaiting news as to whether she has continued the race after her fall.
Bodine Vollering was dropped from the chase group over the Hellestraat and is around 20 seconds behind Le Mouël and Soto Campos, who in turn have a 30 second deficit to the front of the race.
There can be little doubt that UAE Team ADQ have been one of the teams of the season so far. They are mobbing the front of the peloton in support of Longo Borghini.
The peloton is now almost four minutes behind the lead group of five.
Charlotte Kool is back in the peloton.
The Dutch rider is in decent form at the moment and was 7th at In Flanders Fields on Sunday.
Chilean Catalina Soto Campos leads the intermediate group between the leaders and peloton.
B.Vollering is dropped from this group now. Soto Campos and Le Mouël are around 18 seconds behind the leaders.
90km to go
The leaders are not far from the Volkegemberg climb now, which is quickly followed by the Holleweg cobbled sector.
The riders are about to pass through Oudenaarde.
Soto Campos and Le Mouël have joined the leaders. We now have a breakaway of seven at the front of the race.
Bodine Vollering is around 90 seconds behind and will be absorbed by the bunch.
The full compliment of seven in the front group:
Catalina Soto Campos
Idoia Eraso
Mia Gjertsen
Mia Griffin
Alison Avoine
Célia Le Mouël
Natalia Quinn
The peloton is 4:15 behind the leaders.
There is a plateau after this, followed by a descent towards the Berg Ten Houte climb - appetisers for what's to come.
80km to go
Cobbles dealt with. The leaders now have 4:20 over the peloton and are working well together.
Romina Hinojosa of Lotto-Intermarché Ladies has abandoned.
A chunk has been chopped off the advantage of the leaders after the climb. They now have 3:30 over the peloton.
Not a great day so far for Fenix-Premier Tech. Puck Pieterse has crashed in the peloton.
The pace is up in the bunch now ahead of Berg Ten Houte. The gap to the front has dropped to 2:40.
Berg Ten Houte (1.1km at 5.4%)
A tough ascent with a cobbled sector. How will the bunch approach this one?
After a long time between the two groups, Bodine Vollering has been caught by the peloton on the Berg Ten Houte.
They are over the top of Berg Ten Houte now, with a long flat section to follow before the toughest climb of the race: the Knokteberg-Trieu.
Will these long-time rivals come to blows again later today?
Lidl-Trek are here with emerging star Fleur Moors today, who impressed with second at In Flanders Fields on Sunday.
Find out more about the 20-year-old Belgian - 'She's a real go-getter' – Who is Fleur Moors, the rapidly rising star who has challenged Lorena Wiebes twice already this season?
The pace in the peloton is high at the moment. Another 30 seconds have been subtracted from the gap. The leaders now have 1:40.
FDJ United-SUEZ and UAE Team ADQ lead the bunch on the cobbles.
There's 10km to go before the Knokterberg-Trieu.
60km to go
Still 1:40 for the leaders, but the race is about to hit its most intense section of climbs and cobbles.
Brodie Chapman has been a constant presence on the front of the peloton so far this spring.
Knokteberg-Trieu (1km at 7.8%)
Time for the toughest climb of the day, and it kicks off a second half of the race that contains four more climbs and five more cobbled sectors.
The race really begins now.
The Knokteberg begins gingerly before ramping up above 10% at the top. Mercifully, it's not laden with cobbles.
The riders are over the Knokteberg and are heading straight to the next climb: Hotond.
50km to go
After this, the riders take a long shallow descent towards the longest cobbled sector of the day, the Mariaborrestraat.
The gap between leaders and bunch remains at 1:40.
German national champion Franziska Koch of FDJ United-SUEZ is making a move off the front as riders are dropping away off the back of the bunch.
The leaders are approaching the Mariaborrestraat.
FDJ United-SUEZ have been attentive towards the front of the bunch all day.
The lead has been slashed in the last few minutes and is down to just 30 seconds now.
Quinty Ton of Liv-AlUla-Jayco has attacked the peloton and is 13 seconds behind the chasers.
There are several trains leading the peloton now, with SD Worx-ProTime, Lidl-Trek and UAE Team ADQ well represented at the front.
The riders are on a wide highway at the moment, which gives advantage to the peloton.
Ton's speculative move has been neutralised.
The peloton is like a washing machine on this wide road, with teams fighting for position ahead of the cobbles.
Mariaborrestraat (2.4km)
Onto the longest cobbled sector of the day. Koch leads onto the sector on the front of the bunch.
The peloton is really stretched out on this sector. The leaders only have a handful of seconds of an advantage.
The breakaway has been caught.
The cobbles are done for now. Next up, the Eikenberg.
The German is causing some real damage here with splits opening up behind. Cat Ferguson is with her. The likes of Le Court and Longo Borghini are further back at the moment.
Vollering is with Koch, and makes a dig over the top of Koch's move, mirroring what happened at Omloop Nieuwsblad.
Pieterse is on the wheel with Letizia Borghesi and Fleur Moors.
40km to go
Vollering, Pieterse, Moors and Borghesi are building a good lead here over the top of the climb.
That's the worst of the climb over with now. There are several cobbled sectors left and two ascents of the Nokereberg, which won't be as selective as the Eikenberg.
Longo Borghini is contributing to the chase, bereft of team-mates. Ferguson is also pulling having dropped off the leaders when Vollering attacked.
The lead group has a 10 second lead.
Silvia Persico appears for UAE Team ADQ and singlehandedly brings the Vollering group back.
Team-mate Karlijn Swinkels makes a move as soon as the leaders are caught, but doesn't get away.
There are around 25 in the front group now, with all the favourites represented.
FDJ United-SUEZ and UAE Team ADQ are present in this group in number.
Another, smaller, group is approaching the leaders as things stall.
Attack by Mischa Bredewold. Koch is pulling the group back to the former Dutch champion.
The leaders are approaching Doorn, the next cobbled section.
A group led by Lotto-Intermarché and Uno-X Mobility is around 15 seconds behind the leaders.
A shot of Vollering's attack on the Eikenberg.
The chasing group has lost a bit of momentum and appears to be slipping further back.
30km to go
Lieke Nooijen now puts in a move for Visma-Lease a Bike, but is covered by Persico.
Things stall again at the front.
Chabbey is tracked by Van Anrooij and the group is stretched out as riders try to find room in the gutter on each side of the cobbles.
Longo Borghini now lifts the pace with Reusser in her wheel. Vollering not far off the front.
Moors needs a bike change and she loses touch with the front of the race.
Huispontweg (1.6km)
Swinkels has made a nice move off the front. Le Court is driving the chase behind. Is the Mauritian champion working for Borghesi today?
The riders have once again found a gutter to ride in on the right side of the cobbles. Swinkels has a five second lead.
Swinkels has three team-mates in the group with Longo Borghini, Persico and Gasparrini, so this is a good move.
Reusser is now working on the front of the group and edges back towards Swinkels. The Swiss may be working for Ferguson in her first race back after injury.
Flat tyre for Paternoster. She's off the back of the bunch now.
Reusser attacks now ahead of the first passing of the Nokereberg.
Longo Borghini attacks in pursuit of Reusser, but is covered by Ferguson. The Italian champion continues her chase, before pulling off.
Now Vollering is on the attack.
Reusser is not the rider anyone wants to give a big lead to. Vollering is steadily closing her down.
Kopecky has been quiet so far, but she attacks on the Nokereberg with Swinkels and Backstedt on the wheel.
Vollering and Reusser are working well together. There isn't a co-ordinated chase behind as riders alternate attacks.
Despite UAE Team ADQ's numbers, Longo Borghini is the one working.
Herlegemstraat
Conversations going on now between Vollering and Reusser. They don't appear to be fully committed.
18 seconds for the leaders now as Longo Borghini leads the group on the cobbles.
Ferguson and Lippert are playing the perfect team-mate role behind, disrupting the chase.
Just one final turn from Persico, she has already done a lot today. Gasparrini takes a turn, but then it's Longo Borghini on the front again.
11 seconds to the two leaders.
It appears that UAE Team ADQ are working for Trofeo Alfredo Binda winner Swinkels today. Longo Borghini is riding hard on the front.
The peloton is heading back into Waregem now and will then head back to the Nokereberg for one final climb.
It's a Longo Borghini individual time-trial on the front of the chasing group at the moment. With Reusser and Vollering working together again, the gap is stabilising at 14 seconds.
UAE Team ADQ still have four riders in the group, so plenty of firepower still to use.
Vollering and Reusser are working well together now. Their lead is up to 20 seconds.
Persico is back working on the front again to support Longo Borghini in the chase.
SD Worx-ProTime have now committed Julia Kopecky to the chase in support of her namesake Lotte Kopecky.
10km to go
The gap is back down to 13 seconds now.
More conversations, negotiations, going on between Vollering and Reusser.
Persico is definitely finished now. She almost comes to a complete stop. So does Gasparrini.
A big turn on the front of the bunch and the gap is down to 5 seconds now. The group has Vollering and Reusser in their sights, but can they finish the job?
Vollering and Reusser lift it again just as a rider swings off the chase. The lead is increasing again.
Their lead is slender, but Reusser and Vollering continue with a sense of control.
The chase stalls as Koch comes to the front to interfere.
Bredewold attacks with Nooijen on the wheel, but she then stops. Pieterse takes over, but the gap is increasing.
5km to go
Pieterse is chasing. Charlotte Kool is in the group so there is a lot to gain for Fenix-Premier Tech if they can bring this back.
It's looking good for the two leaders now. They have a lead of 22 seconds.
4km to go
Le Court joins the chase in support of Borghesi, but the pursuit is just not strong enough right now.
Vollering will be confident in her sprint here. What can Reusser do in the finale?
The gap dips below 20 seconds, but it's surely too late now.
Reusser refusing to come through now and the leaders have slowed. Nooijen has attacked and joined the leaders.
Nooijen leads out the sprint, but Reusser and Vollering come back at the youngster.
Vollering in second, with an opportunistic Nooijen taking a brilliant third place.
Vollering and Reusser were so entranced with each other that they were almost mugged by Nooijen. It was an incredible move out of the bunch.
In the end, it was Reusser who was fastest in the final 200 metres, edging Vollering on the line by a wheel.
A few seconds behind, Zoe Backstedt won the sprint from the chase group to take fourth.
It all came down to a marvellous battle between two of the world's best.
There were questions over Reusser's form after her crash in the UAE in which she suffered deep cuts to her hands and knee. She took her time returning and is clearly fresh and in great form ahead of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, which will be her big spring targets before a tilt at La Vuelta Feminina in May.
Here's what Reusser had to say after the finish:
"I'm surprised. I didn't expect it like this, so I'm so happy."
"In the beginning of the race, I felt like I really had trouble positioning, but I kept being confident also to help the whole team because I think we have a super strong team. It felt so good to know that in the group behind you have Lianne and Cat: [both] so fast. If we don't make it, we still probably can make it with them, which is just uplifting, super nice. And then you really go for it."
Here's our report from a thrilling race in Flanders.
Dwars door Vlaanderen Women: Marlen Reusser claims victory in photo finish
