Demi Vollering says women's cycling isn't getting the attention it deserves: 'even taking a step back'

Demi Vollering is having a brilliant spring, with victories in the Tour of Flanders and La Flèche Wallonne among her results. The European champion is one of the biggest stars in women's cycling — and she is not afraid to speak her mind. She has noticed a troubling pattern in her sport, one that will play out again this Sunday at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Vollering opened her case on Instagram with an old photo — herself and teammates from her youth racing days, taken at the top of La Redoute. "This photo reminds me of how far we've come — and how far we still have to go," she wrote. "There was no women's Liège-Bastogne-Liège yet. It was just a dream. A dream that became reality just a few years later. And back then, I had no idea."

"We rode up the Côte de la Redoute that day, and at the top I waited for my friends, enjoying the view and dreaming of riding that climb flat out in a race. I remember my friend Manon saying: can you imagine, the men do this in a race — that must be so hard."

"Meanwhile, I could already see it in my mind: I pictured myself going full gas up that climb. But the reality was: there wasn't even a women's race yet. I wasn't a professional. I had no idea I could become one." In 2018, she made her mark at Swabo Ladies, before joining Parkhotel Valkenburg — and it was there that she stood on the start line of only the third-ever edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège for women.

"My first edition is one I'll never forget. It was 2019, and it was bloody cold. I don't know how I did it — I just survived every climb. And won the bunch sprint for third place. That day I was driven by my dreams, and by one I was determined to make real."

The race has given Vollering some of her finest memories. "Now I have a chance to win it for a third time, and young Demi would be so proud. I'm so proud of everything we've achieved so far for women's cycling and women's sport in general. But this week, it also felt a little like we're standing still — or even taking a step back."

Because women's cycling has received very little TV airtime this spring. The Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, the Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne were all given short shrift on screen — broadcasters only switched to the women's race after the men's race had finished. In most cases, that meant viewers only saw the final hour, or less.

The same will happen again at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. According to the schedule, only the final 20 kilometres of the women's race will be broadcast live. "The last few races had very short live coverage, and that's a shame. We've come a long way, but it shows we're not there yet. Only the last 30km of a race is not enough. It's not fair, and we have to keep saying so."

Vollering can see that women's cycling has made huge strides — but that it still falls short in some crucial areas. "We've come a long way, but moments like these remind me that our sport still deserves to be seen in full, not just the final stretch. And this isn't about comparison — it's about giving our sport the visibility it deserves."

Former professional Roxane Knetemann has also spoken out about Dutch broadcast scheduling. "I've been asking this for six, seven years now," she said. "The NOS says the helicopter can't go up earlier. I think it's a money issue."