Tour de France Femmes 2023: Demi Vollering Emerges from the Mist This Time Unbelievable Turn Demi Vollering Dominates Tourmalet Upending Van Vleuten After several days of uncertainty, primarily due to a somewhat unclear strategy, the Dutch cyclist shone on the slopes of Tourmalet. An impenetrable fog on the route of the Tour de France made Annemiek van Vleuten’s rainbow jersey vanish. Yet, the weather was not the culprit. On Saturday, July 29th, the reigning world champion’s chances at the yellow jersey were overshadowed because her main rival, Demi Vollering, delivered a brilliant performance on the Tourmalet slopes. After a somewhat perplexing start to the Tour, her team SD Worx finally got it right amidst the Pyrenean mist.
Nonetheless, the Dutch squadron had quite a recovery to make following a series of glaring errors in recent days. These errors cost potential sprint victories for Lotte Kopecky and, more notably, twenty seconds in penalties for their leader, Demi Vollering. On Thursday, after suffering a puncture early in the stage, the Dutch cyclist lingered behind her team car for too long, attempting to catch up with the peloton. This decision led to the penalty that could have proven costly. It’s worth noting that back in early May, Demi Vollering lost the Vuelta to Annemiek van Vleuten by just 9 seconds.
Remembering Summer 2022 However, this significant blunder will remain a distant memory for Demi Vollering. Why? Because in the flagship stage of the 2023 Tour de France, the SD Worx team’s strategy came remarkably close to perfection. When, as expected, Annemiek van Vleuten launched her attack on the very first ascent (the Col de l’Aspin), Demi Vollering remained composed. Riding alongside Katarzyna Niewiadoma, she clung to van Vleuten’s wheel, avoiding taking any turns at the front.
“Attacking on the Col de l’Aspin was too early. It wasn’t necessary. In the descent, I tried to recover,” justified the SD Worx leader, whose approach seemed to irk van Vleuten. The latter, incredulous, saw Katarzyna Niewiadoma surge ahead on her own. However, Demi Vollering did not panic. By refusing to collaborate with her compatriot and rival, who had snatched the Vuelta victory away during a restroom break, Vollering knew well that the pursuing riders, including two of her teammates, would eventually catch up.
“It worked out perfectly for me afterward. The pace was good, and it wasn’t my role to attack, as we needed to protect Lotte’s yellow jersey,” elaborated Vollering. When her teammate, then in the yellow jersey, faltered, Vollering seized the opportunity: “When I heard over the radio that I could go, I went all out. I heard that Annemiek was dropped behind, I couldn’t believe it. I pushed and pushed.” So much so that Vollering soared ahead. By attacking five kilometers from the finish line, she managed to avoid a prolonged head-to-head battle with Annemiek van Vleuten, a scenario that had sealed her fate the previous summer. At that time, Annemiek van Vleuten had initiated an attack on the day’s first challenging ascent. Only Demi Vollering managed to keep up for a while. Through sheer endurance and a relentless pace, the world champion eventually left her compatriot behind after a solitary 85-kilometer effort. Van Vleuten’s attempt to replicate this strategy this Saturday proved futile.
Van Vleuten, Checkmate By refusing to cooperate with her on the descent of the Col de l’Aspin, Vollering dashed van Vleuten’s aspirations. Meanwhile, Niewiadoma, an exceptional descender, had already established a lead. Aware of her compatriot’s superiority in long efforts, Vollering opted for a powerful, late attack on the Tourmalet, made even more challenging by the chaotic weather conditions at that altitude.
What’s more, she had the support of teammates to maintain a high pace, while Van Vleuten had already expended her energy trying to intensify the race before the first climb and was therefore left isolated. Instead of the expected head-to-head showdown between the two favorites, the outcome of the 2023 Grande Boucle was ultimately decided through this strategic chess match.
