CyclistCyclists 2026 womens pro cycling team of the yearThe 2026 racing season has come to a close. And what a year it was for the womens sport, delivering three nail-biting Grand Tours, a Worlds for the ages and a set of Classics thatll live long in the memory especially that chaotic edition of Strade Bianche.It was a year of highs for Demi Vollering, who picked up World and European titles on top of a yellow and pink jersey at the Grand Tours. And thats before we mention the two Monument victories in the spring. Its no surprise to see that she tops the UCI rankings for 2026, with Tour de France runner-up Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney in second and Vuelta Femenina winner Paula Blasi in third.As we did with the mens peloton last week, well be trying to condense the season down to an all-star team of the year. Since the women are capped at teams of seven at Grand Tours, weve whittled the hundreds on the WorldTour down to just a seven-woman squad of 2026s brightest sparks. Well try to balance out the GC hitters with the sprinters, domestiques and Classics riders that left a lasting impact in 2026 to make a rounded team.Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez)Szymon Gruchalski/Getty ImagesWe might as well get the obvious out of the way. Weve already mentioned her number one status, but Demi Vollering finishes 2026 with top marks in almost every metric.The Dutchwoman was almost undefeated all year. She won every stage race she entered and every Classic bar a close run-in at Dwars door Vlaanderen, where she was pipped to the line by former teammate Marlen Reusser. Whether it was on cobbles, Alpine roads or Ardennes hills, Vollering seemed untouchable in 2026.If any questions were asked in 2025, mainly in response to Pauline Ferrand-Prvots glittering return, Vollering responded this year. In that regard, its not worth debating whether she deserves the Vlo dOr.Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime)A.S.O./Gatan FlammeSpeaking of unbeatable riders, Lorena Wiebes finishes 2026 with a near-perfect record. That leaves her with a mammoth 24 victories in 2026, more than any other woman.Long story short, Wiebes won every sprint she contested in 2026 except for a fluff-up at the renamed Ronde van Brugge. You cant really argue with a record like that.To make matters worse for her rivals, shes become more comfortable on uphill finishes this year. She managed to win the Tours opening stage, whose false flat finish was supposed to be to her detriment. That goes to show that Wiebes has become one of the toughest sprinters to drop. That, paired with her innate speed, sees her as one of the best riders in 2026, and quite possibly the best sprinter of all time.Franziska Koch (FDJ United-Suez)A.S.O./Billy CeustersIf you had Franziska Koch down as a Paris-Roubaix champion 12 months ago, youd be lying. The German rider wasnt on many peoples radar coming into 2026, yet shes become one of the most influential riders in Classics and stage races this year.Its hard to argue against Franzi Koch being the signing of the season. Since pulling on an FDJ jersey, she went from a breakaway rider to a Monument winner, red jersey wearer and World Championship medalist. In simple terms, she rocketed from someone around 100 in the UCI rankings to someone inside the top ten.It makes you think what they were doing to her at Picnic PostNL. Its no wonder riders keep leaving if this is the level of success theyll achieve elsewhere. In that case, we should keep our eyes out for a Pfeiffer Georgi Paris-Roubaix win next spring.Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM)A.S.O./Gatan FlammeBetween the Vollering success and Paula Blasis breakthrough, Germanys Antonia Niedermaier has enjoyed her best season to date.At age 23, she has one of the cleanest Grand Tour records this year. Alongside her white jersey, she managed to finish in fourth place at the Tour de France despite her domestique work on behalf of leader Kasia Niewiadaoma-Phinney.That achievement is overshadowed, in my opinion, by her impressive Giro, where she finished second, within just one minute of Vollerings pink jersey. Impressively, it also showed that she could beat the likes of Elisa Longo Borghini and Anna van der Breggen at a race thats supposed to suit their strengths. Given Niewiadoma-Phinney will leave the team this winter, these results should fill Canyon-SRAM with some confidence coming into another season.Niedermaier has finished every stage race this year within the top five overall, so consider her our back-up leader. If Vollering has a meltdown or needs any extra support, Niedermaier is right there.Shari Bossuyt (AG Insurance-Soudal)A.S.O./Billy CeustersShari Bossuyt had a real breakout year in 2026, even if shes been on the WorldTour for some years now.The Belgians highlights mostly came in the spring. For that, Im referring to a consistent record of top tens in the Classics, whether that be in sprints or pure cobble attrition. That form later translated into a stage victory at the Vuelta, beating some of the worlds best sprinters on the Grand Tour level. And although she couldnt topple Wiebess hegemony at the Tour, Bossuyts victory at the Belgian Championships sticks in my mind, where she defeated Lotte Kopecky in a sprint after some cobbles.I know shes a sprinter by trade, but Bossuyt has the potential to be a great leadout for our designated sprinter Wiebes.Lauren Dickson (FDJ United-Suez)Andrea Amato/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesIf you werent keeping up with the British domestic scene, you might have though that Lauren Dickson appeared from nowhere. She had no WorldTour experience before 2026, and she had only been racing on the road for two years prior.That inexperience, however, didnt show in 2026. The Scot earned a name for herself as one of the best domestiques in the pack after closely supporting Demi Vollering to a career-first pink jersey.Dickson had the chance to taste her own success too. A podium finish at Faun Tour, Itzulia, the Vuelta a Extremadura and Giro dellEmilia light up the 26-year-old 2026 palmars, alongside a QoM jersey from the Tour of Britain in August. Whats more, the Tour de Suisse could have ended the same way if it werent for a crash that wiped her out of a provisional podium finish overall.Clia Gery (FDJ United-Suez)A.S.O./Gatan FlammeI really shouldnt put three FDJ United-Suez riders on the same list, but here we are. Clia Gery deserves it after a big year.The cyclocrosser-turned-MTB-turned-roadie has lived it large in just her second year at the WorldTour level. Courtesy of her fiery attacks and solid sprint, Gery pulled off a big one-day win at Brabantse Pijl, shortly followed by a first Grand Tour stage win at the Giro. She was also a phenomenal domestique at both the Giro and the Tour. She managed to balance that with her own stage-hunting ambitions, leading to a few close calls at the Tour.Now shes in the bleu, blanc et rouge as French champion, Gery will be hard to miss in 2027. Ill say it now, shell win a major Classic. Dont forget, shes only 20, so she might end up in teams of the year for the next decade.The post Cyclists 2026 womens pro cycling team of the year appeared first on Cyclist.