Femke de Vries Finishes 6th at Giro Women
The 32-year-old rider placed sixth overall at the 2026 Giro d'Italia Women after taking the team leader role.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Cycling
Femke de Vries finished sixth overall at the 2026 Giro d'Italia Women, a result that follows a sixth-place finish at the UAE Tour in February and a fifth-place finish at the Tour de Suisse. She was the team leader at the Giro after a strong time trial, when Marion Bunel was off form.
Why it matters
The result shows de Vries stepping into a leadership role after years as a key domestique for Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Marianne Vos. Her stated goal is a Grand Tour podium, and a sixth-place overall finish places her within reach of that target.
De Vries placed sixth overall at the Giro d'Italia Women after two fifth-place finishes on the decisive mountain stages. Her 6th-place UAE Tour result and 5th-place Tour de Suisse finish, along with a third-place queen stage finish at the UAE Tour Women, round out her 2026 results.
The players
Femke de Vries
A Dutch professional cyclist, 32 years old, who rides for a women's road team and has become a Grand Tour contender.
Marion Bunel
A French professional road cyclist who was team leader at the 2026 Giro d'Italia Women but was off form during the race.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot
A French professional road cyclist and former world champion who has led major stage-race teams and was previously supported by de Vries.
Marianne Vos
A Dutch professional cyclist and one of the most decorated riders in women's cycling, for whom de Vries previously worked as a domestique.
The details
De Vries rode as a domestique in previous seasons before becoming team leader at the Giro after Marion Bunel was off form. Her Tour de Suisse campaign included a stage win in Sondrio, her first professional victory.
Timeline
February 2026: 6th place at the UAE Tour
2026 Giro d'Italia Women: 6th place overall
2026 Tour de Suisse: 5th place overall and opening stage win in Sondrio
Season Trajectory
De Vries's sixth-place finish at the Giro extends a 2026 season that has already included top-six results at the UAE Tour and a top-five at the Tour de Suisse. The result positions her as a rising Grand Tour rider in a women's peloton led by established stars such as Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and Marianne Vos.
For fantasy and pool players tracking women's Grand Tour results, de Vries's consistent top-six placings across three 2026 races make her a reliable pick for stage-race formats. Her Giro result also signals that her team may give her more leadership responsibility in upcoming Grand Tours.
The takeaway
De Vries's 2026 season shows a rider who can perform consistently across multiple stage races, which is a useful signal for anyone tracking the women's peloton's emerging contenders. Her stated podium goal will be the clearest measure of her progress.
Further reading
For more on the sport's major races, see Cycling coverage across Grand Tours and classics.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Cyclingnews.
