The Dutch women’s team, long dominant at the World Championships, failed to secure a podium finish in Zurich, marking the first time since 2014 that they left without a medal in the women’s road race. Despite having the strength and numbers in the final laps, a series of tactical errors derailed their chances, with Demi Vollering finishing a disappointing fifth.
The Dutch strategy centred around Vollering, unravelled during the decisive moments. Marianne Vos and Riejanne Markus had managed to break away in the penultimate lap, forming a promising four-woman group with a one-minute lead. Vollering was in the chasing pack, which included Lotte Kopecky and other favourites. The Dutch seemed to be in an ideal position, with Markus and Vos up front and Vollering marking the group behind.
“I think we were in a super good situation with me and Marianne in the breakaway and, of course, with Demi behind,” Markus told Eurosport after the race. She believed they were close to securing a winning move but admitted, “We just needed five or ten more seconds over the climb. If we’d had that, the race would’ve looked very different.”
How the situation changed
The turning point came when Vollering began pushing the pace on the climb of the Witikon, instead of maintaining the gap between the breakaway and the chasers. Her accelerations had the unintended consequence of reeling in her own teammates, neutralising the advantage the Dutch had built.
“Maybe I should have started attacking earlier,” Vollering reflected post-race, speaking to Sporza. “But I had to make decisions in the moment. In hindsight, it’s easy to say I did it too late.”
Vos, who was part of the breakaway with Markus, admitted that the final 50km took a toll on her. “The candle slowly went out,” she said to Cycling Pro Net. As the break was caught, the Dutch lost their tactical edge, leaving Vollering isolated for the final sprint, where Kopecky proved the stronger rider. Vos and Markus faded, leaving Vollering to contest a sprint she was never likely to win.
The lack of communication also played a crucial role. Dutch coach Loes Gunnewijk, who is stepping down after this season, highlighted how difficult it was to guide the team from the car without race radios. “From the car, it’s hard to give instructions, and the riders on the road can’t always see the bigger picture,” Gunnewijk told WielerFlits. She admitted that better decisions could have been made but remarked, “In hindsight, we could have waited longer or attacked earlier. But it’s always easier to say afterwards.”
Criticisms
The biggest criticism of the Dutch performance centred on Vollering’s reluctance to attack earlier or more decisively. Some believed she hesitated too long, allowing the race to be decided in a sprint, which favoured Kopecky. Reflecting on this, Vollering conceded, “Maybe I should have gone earlier. But when you’re in the race, it’s hard to know when to make that decision.”
The Dutch team’s confusion over leadership and tactics became apparent in the final stages. While the plan had been to support Vollering, her aggressive riding on the climb hampered Vos and Markus’s chances, leaving the team’s intentions unclear. Vos, who had been considered a potential sprint option, admitted, “I had nothing left in the legs for the sprint,” prompting questions about whether she should have been a focus for the final kilometres instead of Vollering.
Chloé Dygert, who claimed silver, offered an outsider’s perspective on the Dutch tactics. “Sometimes the Dutch can work very well together, and sometimes they don’t. Everyone on that team wants to win, and that sometimes causes them to lose,” she remarked diplomatically.
In the end, the Dutch team’s missteps and Vollering’s indecision cost them dearly, leading to their worst World Championships result in over a decade.
Main photo credit: Getty
