Demi Vollering had the ultimate say after she was accused of dwelling in a ‘gilded cage’ through the Tour de France Femmes, refuting strategies she is ‘a drama queen’ and that the criticism comes from those that have no idea her.
Vollering crashed exhausting throughout stage 3 however fought again to complete an emotional second general and on the ultimate podium alongside a dominant Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) and 2024 winner Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), who was third general.
Vollering’s FDJ-Suez staff supervisor, Stephen Delcourt, complained of a scarcity of respect within the peloton when Vollering crashed, apparently taken out by different riders because the highway narrowed, however that irked Visma-Lease a Bike directeur sportif, Jos van Emden.
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“Demi actually thinks she’s in a gilded cage. Sure, she’s the very best bicycle owner. However that does not imply everybody ought to make means for her,” he advised Nieuwsblad.
Regardless of talks to finish their spat, Delcourt went on to explain Van Emden as a “silly man.”
Vollering has been concerned in a variety of fallouts within the Netherlands nationwide staff and left SD Worx-Protime for FDJ-Suez after a collection of points in 2024, together with the polemics after her crash through the Tour de France Femmes.
She managed to beat the affect of her stage 3 crash on this 12 months’s race, however did not appear to be at her finest within the excessive mountains. She was unable to stick with Ferrand-Prévot on Saturday’s mountain stage to the summit of the Col de la Madeleine however then distanced Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance coverage-Soudal) through the closing stage to safe second general.
She was emotional after one other second place and an intense race, however stood her floor when once more requested about Van Emden’s feedback within the closing moments of her post-race press convention.
“I’m being hunted for this, I feel a bit of bit, particularly within the Netherlands,” Vollering mentioned.
“I’ve the sensation I’ve this stigma round me that I’m a bit of little bit of a drama queen, or the way you wish to put it. However ultimately, I feel, in case you ask my teammates, they are going to all the time say totally different.
“I feel it’s additionally somebody who doesn’t know me who says one thing like this. I can not blame him [Van Emden], as a result of he doesn’t know me, so he can say that from the skin.”
Vollering completed 3:42 behind Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. She is going to now take a break, however she promised to work to enhance for the 2026 Tour.
“Now we have to recuperate and relaxation, after which we return to the drafting board and see what we will do higher for the approaching 12 months,” Vollering mentioned.
“It isn’t solely being a very good climber that makes you a very good rider. You could have each form of ability, and this Tour de France was perhaps extra for the pure, pure climbers. We do not know what’s subsequent 12 months, so by no means say by no means.”
“Every thing went very well as a staff, so I am actually happy with that, and at this second, that makes me very pleased.”
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