Marlen Reusser produced one of the most thrilling finishes of the women’s spring season, edging out Demi Vollering in a photo-finish sprint to win the women’s Dwars door Vlaanderen in Waregem. The Swiss rider, who has rebuilt her career after a devastating crash in 2023, timed her sprint to perfection to deny the world’s top-ranked rider by a matter of centimetres at the line.
The result mirrored the drama of the men’s race, where Filippo Ganna caught and passed Wout van Aert in the final metres for a similarly dramatic conclusion. On a day defined by razor-thin margins, both races delivered the kind of finishes that remind us why the Flemish Classics remain the most compelling single-day events on the calendar.
How the Race Unfolded
The women’s Dwars door Vlaanderen has grown significantly in stature since joining the Women’s WorldTour calendar, and this year’s edition featured a stacked field that included all the major Classics contenders. Vollering’s SD Worx-Protime squad controlled much of the racing, as they have through most of the spring campaign, with their trademark approach of making the race hard from distance to isolate their leader.
The decisive selection came on the iconic hellingen of Flanders — the short, steep climbs that shatter the peloton into fragments. By the time the race reached the final 20 kilometres, a small group of favourites had established a clear gap over the chasers. Vollering looked to be in the strongest position, having dispatched several contenders on the penultimate climb with an acceleration that only Reusser could follow.
In the two-up sprint that followed, conventional wisdom favoured Vollering, who has a sharper sprint finish. But Reusser launched first, using her larger frame and time-trialling power to build a half-bike-length advantage in the final 200 metres. Vollering closed rapidly but ran out of road, and the photo finish confirmed what the naked eye could barely detect — Reusser had held on by the thinnest of margins.
Why This Win Matters
Reusser’s victory carries weight beyond the race result. The 34-year-old Swiss champion has faced an extraordinary sequence of setbacks in recent years. A horrific crash at the 2023 Tour de France Femmes left her with serious injuries that required months of rehabilitation, and her return to the highest level of racing has been anything but guaranteed.
Her palmares already included Olympic and World Championship medals in the time trial, but a major one-day Classics victory had eluded her. This win at Dwars door Vlaanderen fills that gap and positions her as a genuine contender for Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix Femmes — a race that suits her power profile even better than the rolling terrain of Flanders.
For Vollering, the defeat adds to what has been a frustrating spring despite dominant team performances. The Dutch rider has animated nearly every major race this season, but converting favouritism into victories at the very highest level has proved elusive. Her solo victory at the Tour of Flanders showed she can deliver when it matters most, but the Dwars door Vlaanderen defeat underscores how fine the margins are in women’s cycling right now.
The State of Women’s Cycling in 2026
This race exemplified everything that is right about women’s professional cycling in 2026. The expanded Women’s WorldTour calendar is delivering more high-quality racing than ever, the depth of competition means that any of a dozen riders could win on any given day, and the racing itself — aggressive, tactically sophisticated, and physically demanding — stands comparison with anything in the men’s peloton.
The women’s spring campaign has been particularly rich in 2026. Elise Chabbey surprised at Strade Bianche, Lotte Kopecky took Milan-San Remo, Vollering dominated at the Tour of Flanders, and now Reusser has added her name to the Dwars door Vlaanderen honours board. The variety of winners suggests that no single team or rider can monopolize the results — a sign of a genuinely competitive sport.
Prize money parity initiatives and increased broadcasting deals are bringing these performances to wider audiences. The 14 Women’s WorldTour teams competing in 2026 are better resourced than ever, and it shows in the quality of tactical execution and physical preparation across the peloton.
Looking Ahead to Paris-Roubaix Femmes
Reusser’s Dwars door Vlaanderen victory immediately reshapes the favourites list for Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix Femmes. The 143-kilometre race from Denain to the legendary Roubaix Velodrome features 17 sectors of cobblestones that reward raw power, bike handling skills, and the ability to suffer — all qualities Reusser possesses in abundance.
Her time trial pedigree means she can push a big gear over the pavé, and her larger frame gives her stability on the rattling cobblestones where lighter riders are thrown around. If she can navigate the chaotic early sectors without incident and reach the decisive Carrefour de l’Arbre sector with the leaders, she will be a serious threat to win.
Sources: Cyclingnews, Olympics.com, Cycling Weekly. The women’s Paris-Roubaix takes place on Sunday, April 12, with the race starting in Denain at 143.1km.
