It was a successful mission for Team SD Worx in Great Britain, because in addition to Vollering, Amy Pieters was also successful. The Dutch champion managed to win the second stage in a sprint from a small leading group.
After the finish Pieters said: “It was a hectic stage, where we could get away with 10 riders in the final. At three kilometers from the finish there was an attack by Pfeiffer Georgi of Team DSM. My teammate Demi was immediately trying to get her back. After the last corner there was still a small gap. So I had to sprint early, otherwise I would lose the stage. But luckily it worked.”
The next day was the 16.6 kilometer time trial in which Vollering was a class of its own. Halfway through the course she already had a lead of 36 seconds. At the finish she clocked a time of 23:18. No less than 1.04 minutes faster than Joscelin Lowden: the British rider who managed to improve the world hour record to 48.405 kilometers a week earlier.
“It was painful, but it was also fun,” says Vollering after the ceremony. “I really enjoy the time trial. I’m improving a lot in this discipline and today was a really good one. It is very nice to feel that I still make many steps in the time trial. This year I did a lot of time trials in stage races, which makes a big difference, because a time trial is best practiced in a race. Then you always have to go full throttle.”
After this victory Vollering takes the lead in the final standings and has a lead of 1’09 with three stages to go. For the remaining three days, Team SD Worx has to defend Vollering’s lead and the team succeeds perfectly in that. In the end Vollering wins the final classification with a 1:02 lead. As icing on the cake, Team SD Worx also wins the prize for the best team.
“The last three stages were for the sprinters, so we also worked for Amy. It was a good week for the whole team. I won the final classification in the time trial where I could make a big gap in the standings. That made it a little easier for all of us. But I also have to thank my teammates who have kept me safe over the past three days,” concludes the overall winner of the Women’s Tour 2021.
Photo credits: Getty Sport