Demi Vollering (Staff SD Worx) had no person to worry in the course of the time trial finale of the Tour de France Femmes in Pau, having gained stage 7 on prime of the Tourmalet and brought the yellow jersey with minutes on her rivals Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) and Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Staff).
After taking second place within the time trial, and standing on the stage podium between her teammates Marlen Reusser and Lotte Kopecky, Vollering took to the highest step of the general podium. There she was once more alongside Kopecky, who completed second total and likewise took residence the inexperienced jersey. This type of dominance is sort of unattainable to think about, even taking a while to sink in for Vollering.
“There was no time to understand it but. After the Tourmalet stage, I arrived on the lodge at 11:30, obtained a extremely fast therapeutic massage and bathe and immediately went to mattress and tried to sleep. However I couldn’t actually go to sleep,” Vollering mentioned within the Tour winner’s press convention.
“Possibly I realised it a little bit bit then. However you’re nonetheless so centered and busy with all the things. I checked my telephone a bit this morning, however I didn’t undergo all of the messages. I believe I would like the following two days, some rest and calm with the household, to understand what occurred.”
Kopecky lightened up the press convention by asking who was Vollering’s favorite teammate which left the yellow jersey clad rider hiding her face in embarrassment.
It’s exhausting to decide on when the workforce is as dominant as SD Worx have been throughout this Tour. They gained 4 of the eight levels with 4 totally different riders, held the yellow jersey from begin to end – first with Kopecky after which Vollering – positioned first and second in GC and gained the inexperienced jersey. That listing of outcomes additionally got here regardless of a 20-second time penalty for Vollering and the exclusion of DS Danny Stam.
“It’s superb what we did this week. We had numerous ups and a few loopy downs, however principally ups. I believe we actually confirmed how sturdy our workforce is and the way motivated we’re to take the most effective out of on daily basis and actually struggle for stage wins. And all of us make one another stronger,” Vollering mentioned.
This power made it doable for Vollering to drop Van Vleuten on the Col du Tourmalet and distance her by minutes, turning the tables on the world champion who had gained the 2022 Tour de France Femmes with the same experience by means of the Vosges.
“I used to be a little bit shocked yesterday. I knew that I used to be doing a extremely good climb, however in the course of the effort, I used to be simply centered on myself and on gaining as a lot time as doable,” mentioned Vollering.
“When Kasia and Annemiek crossed the road, I used to be shocked by the hole I had. However I used to be actually completely happy about that as a result of I didn’t need to make it too shut. It meant that I might go into the time trial a bit extra relaxed.”
Vollering gained the yellow jersey with a 3:03 margin to Kopecky and Niewiadoma, who was simply 21 hundredths of a second behind the Belgian SD Worx rider. The quickly to retire Van Vleuten took fourth at her final Tour de France Femmes, 3:59 again from Vollering.