Demi Vollering came heartbreakingly close to winning the 2024 Tour de France Femmes, missing out on the yellow jersey by just four seconds. The narrow margin has left the Dutch rider pondering the “what ifs” that defined her race – particularly a costly crash in stage 5 and the lack of support from her team in the crucial moments that followed.
Vollering’s campaign for a second consecutive Tour de France Femmes victory took a devastating turn in stage 5. A crash in the final kilometres saw her lose 1:19 and the overall lead to her rival, Kasia Niewiadoma. “Without that fall, I would have had the yellow jersey very securely on my shoulders,” Vollering lamented after the race. The crash not only cost her time but also inflicted physical pain that would haunt her throughout the remainder of the race.
The aftermath of the crash was made worse by the lack of immediate support from her SD Worx-Protime teammates. “There are a lot of ifs,” Vollering admitted. “If I would jump on the bike a little bit earlier [after crashing]. If I would win in Liège from Puck [Pieterse]. If yesterday I attacked a bit earlier. There are so many ifs, but you don’t buy anything from ifs.”
Struggling for support
Vollering’s frustration grew as she continued to fight back in the Alps. Despite her best efforts, she found herself isolated during the crucial moments of stage 8, the final day of the race. As she launched a powerful attack on the Col du Glandon, hoping to gain enough time on Niewiadoma before the final climb to Alpe d’Huez, only Pauliena Rooijakkers was able to follow her.
However, Vollering’s hopes of collaborating with Rooijakkers were dashed when her compatriot was instructed not to work with her. “I attacked and only Pauliena could follow. She was really strong, and then I actually rode my own race and did the downhill as fast as I could,” Vollering explained. But Rooijakkers, who was sitting ahead of Vollering in the general classification, was under orders to hold back. “On the flat, I was pushing, and sometimes she wanted to turn with me, but then at one point she said she was not allowed to turn any more, so that was a little bit sad.”
The final, futile effort
Vollering’s solo battle up Alpe d’Huez was a heroic effort, but it ultimately fell just short. She crossed the line victorious in the stage, earning the 10-second bonus for the win, but the time gained was not enough to close the gap to Niewiadoma in the general classification. The Polish rider managed to limit her losses, finishing just over a minute behind Vollering—enough to retain the yellow jersey by four agonising seconds.
Reflecting on the race, Vollering struggled to come to terms with how close she came to victory. “Of course, I was still a little scared that if Pauliena would still win from me, then she would also win the yellow jersey from me, so it was a really hard battle, but I gave it my everything,” she said.
Lingering pain, lingering questions
Vollering also pointed to the lingering pain from her stage 5 crash as a factor in her performance on the final day. “I think on Col du Glandon, after that effort, I felt my back. I had a lot of back pain, I think from the crash because I crashed full on my butt and it’s all very stiff there,” she explained. “With lots of climbing that was coming up now, then on Alpe d’Huez, I was just very empty and I tried everything I could to stay out, that worked but it was just not enough, and that’s a pity.”
As Vollering looked back on the race, she couldn’t help but dwell on the what-ifs that had cost her the yellow jersey. “At this moment, not so good,” she admitted. “I feel really empty after today’s effort, but of course, I’m also a bit disappointed that I couldn’t win the yellow jersey by just four seconds. That’s a bit sour for me at the moment.”
Despite her disappointment, Vollering acknowledged that this was her best Tour de France to date. “In the end, I still won two stages, I was one time second and one time third. For myself, it’s also the best Tour de France I did so far, so I think I should be really proud of that,” she concluded. “But that because of the crash, I didn’t win the yellow jersey is very sad, but it’s part of cycling, unfortunately, and it’s sad that that makes the difference here.”
Main photo credit: Getty
