Tour of Flanders Women 2026 Preview: Kopecky Seeks Record Fourth Title as Vollering Returns and Reusser Arrives in Flying Form
Sunday's women's Tour of Flanders shapes up as the deepest and most competitive edition in the race's history. Lotte Kopecky starts as the defending champion and top favourite, but she will face challenges from every direction across 164.1 kilometres of cobbles and bergs between Oudenaarde's start and finish.
Kopecky's record speaks for itself. Three victories in 2022, 2023 and 2025 make her the sole record holder in the women's race, and a fourth title would put her alongside cycling's all-time Flemish greats. The SD Worx-Protime leader has timed her spring perfectly, winning Nokere Koerse and then Milan-San Remo with a powerful sprint from a select group on the Via Roma. After a back injury disrupted much of her 2025 season, the Belgian looks fully fit and motivated heading into her home Monument.
The biggest threat may come from Demi Vollering. For the first time since 2021, Kopecky and Vollering will face each other as rivals rather than teammates, with Vollering now leading FDJ-Suez after her blockbuster transfer. The Dutchwoman won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad by outsprinting Kasia Niewiadoma after attacking on the Muur, then finished second to Marlen Reusser at Dwars door Vlaanderen in a thrilling photo finish. Her cobbled form is undeniable, but she skipped this race in 2025 and her best Flanders finish remains second in 2022. Sunday is the day to change that.
Reusser is the form rider of the week. The Movistar leader's Dwars door Vlaanderen victory was a statement performance, attacking with 24 kilometres remaining and holding off the chase with Vollering before edging the sprint. The Swiss rider's time-trialling power makes her dangerous on the long cobbled drags, and she has spoken openly about targeting Flanders as a major objective. After years of injury setbacks, Reusser's return to the top of the sport has been one of the stories of the 2026 spring.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot adds another dimension. The 2025 Paris-Roubaix Femmes champion has proven she can handle the cobbles at the highest level, and Visma-Lease a Bike will give her a strong team to work with. A podium finish at the 2025 Tour of Flanders showed she belongs in these races, and few riders in the peloton combine her raw power with such tactical intelligence.
Dark horses include Lorena Wiebes, who won In Flanders Fields for the third consecutive year and could benefit if the race comes down to a reduced sprint, and Puck Pieterse, whose explosive Poggio attack at Milan-San Remo proved she is comfortable racing aggressively in the biggest events. Elisa Longo Borghini, the 2024 winner, cannot be discounted either.
The race follows the familiar circuit through the Flemish Ardennes, with the decisive Oude Kwaremont and Paterberg arriving with 16.7 kilometres to go. Riders who survive that double punch will still face a nervous run to the finish in Oudenaarde, where positioning and teamwork can make the difference. The women's race starts at 10:30 CET, with the finish expected around 14:30.