After months of rumours, Demi Vollering has officially confirmed her transfer from SD Worx to FDJ-SUEZ on a two-year contract, set to begin in 2025 and carry her through the 2026 season. The reigning Dutch champion and 2023 Tour de France Femmes winner will join forces with Évita Muzic and Juliette Labous as co-leaders on the French WorldTour team, bringing her GC talent to the squad and strengthening their ambitions across major races.
Vollering described her enthusiasm following the first meetings with her new team, saying, “From the very first meeting with the FDJ-SUEZ team, I immediately had a good feeling. I couldn’t get the smile off my face. I’m happy to be embarking on this adventure, to experience something new and to rediscover myself in this team.” She further praised FDJ-SUEZ’s fighting spirit, adding, “We’re going to have a great team, and I’m convinced that great things await us.”
Stephen Delcourt, FDJ-SUEZ’s general manager, acknowledged Vollering’s signing as a pivotal moment for French cycling, marking the first time a prominent general classification (GC) rider has committed to a French outfit. Speaking to Cyclingnews, he said, “It is important to remember that it is a great day for the FDJ-SUEZ team and for French cycling, to be honest, to sign the best rider for the GC in a French team.” Delcourt highlighted the synergy between Vollering’s values and the team’s ethos, with FDJ-SUEZ placing importance on the journey and the inspiration they bring to cycling’s next generation.
Photo Credit: GettyEarlier this year, rumours swirled about Vollering’s move, with reports surfacing in March about an offer allegedly worth €1 million. While Delcourt declined to disclose specific financial details, he confirmed that the team reached an agreement in the spring, choosing to delay the announcement until Vollering’s commitments with SD Worx were complete. “She has a big respect for SD Worx partners and her teammates. For that, the best was for her to focus on the Olympics, Tour and Worlds, and to wait,” Delcourt shared.
At FDJ-SUEZ, Vollering will join Muzic, who finished fourth in the 2023 Tour de France Femmes, and Labous, who achieved the same result in 2022, as co-leaders. Delcourt elaborated on the benefits of the co-leadership model, a familiar approach for Vollering, who valued SD Worx’s collaborative racing style. “That is what she liked at SD Worx, to share the leadership and ride with riders like Marlen Reusser, Lotte Kopecky, and Niamh Fisher-Black. We have the same spirit and values; Demi is number one but for Juliette and Évita, if they want to continue to improve,” he said.
The team heads into 2025 with Vollering, Muzic, and Labous as cornerstone riders, following the departure of long-time co-leaders Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig to Canyon-SRAM and Marta Cavalli, whose plans remain unconfirmed. “We arrived at the moment where it was the last year for Grace [Brown], and maybe, the end of one era for Marta and Cecilie,” Delcourt explained, describing FDJ-SUEZ’s focus on bringing in Vollering and Labous to build around Muzic, who has spent 17 years with the squad.
Asked about FDJ-SUEZ’s potential to challenge top-tier teams like SD Worx-Protime and Jumbo-Visma in 2025, Delcourt expressed confidence in the team’s depth, mentioning strong riders such as Vittoria Guazzini, Elise Chabbey, and Ally Wollaston. “We have one of the best teams on paper. The most important now is how we can have the best team for all of the races; Tour de France and Classics, and the most important thing is the synergy of all the riders,” Delcourt said.
Reflecting on her years with SD Worx, Vollering shared that while she looks forward to this new chapter, she will hold on to the “beautiful memories” and experiences from her time there, which she said will remain a foundation as she moves forward in her career.
Main photo credit: ASO
