Demi Vollering surprised after World Championship time trial recon in Montreal: ''Sh*t, that didn't go well'
CyclingSaturday, 19 September 2026 at 21:38
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Follow us on GoogleThe World Cycling Championships in Montreal, Canada, kick off on Sunday with the elite women’s time trial. Tour de France Femmes winner Demi Vollering will be aiming for the win, but defending champion Marlen Reusser and Zoe Bäckstedt will be trying to stop her. Vollering spoke about her expectations after the reconnaissance ride on the Canadian east coast.
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The course in Montreal was designed in part with the Canadian metropolis’s tourism ambitions in mind. For that reason, it was difficult for the participants—who had already been there for several days—to get a clear picture of what the actual race route would be like until the official course walk took place on Saturday.
Thanks to VeloViewer and a few other sources, there was already some idea of what the 32-kilometer course looked like, but at 9 a.m. local time on Saturday morning, the riders were given the chance to take a look for themselves. And they did so to their heart’s content—including Vollering. She shared her thoughts after seeing, among other things, the Formula 1 circuit, the old city center, and the levee along the St. Lawrence River with her own eyes.
Read more below the photo!
Demi Vollering finished third at the World Time Trial Championships in Rwanda last year.
Vollering pleased with the recon in Montréal
"The road surface is pretty bad in some places, and the course has a lot of turns. I'm glad we've already done the course reconnaissance, so we have a mental picture of what to expect," said Vollering after her run on the course. “There are also more ups and downs here and there than you might think beforehand, so it’s definitely nice to already know the course, especially before the start.”
"There are really a lot of turns where you think, 'Shit, that didn't go well.' But then you just have to forget about it as quickly as possible and refocus on the next turn," said Vollering. "The most important thing? That you cross the finish line and feel, 'Okay, I rode a good time trial today—physically, mentally, and technically.'"
Read more below the photo!
Demi Vollering had already checked out the World Championship course in Switzerland via VeloViewer, as she showed on Instagram.
Vollering: 'Even for Reusser, this course could be a surprise'
After winning the Tour de France Femmes , Vollering took some time off, but she’s now been training for a while in preparation for her final goal of 2026. “There are a lot of strong competitors, which makes it even more exciting. I’m feeling pretty good overall, and training is going well. But we’ll have to wait and see how the race goes.”
Next Sunday, in the road race, Vollering is normally the top favorite. The bookmakers don’t consider her the woman to beat in the time trial, and she knows that herself. “Marlen Reusser is often mentioned as the favorite for the time trial, but as I said: it’s very hard to predict here. Even for her, this could be a surprising course.”
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Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- - Gran artículo, pero una duda: ¿por qué solo dos horas de reconocimiento? Eso suena muy corto para un Mundial. Merci!velodromevirtuoso119-09-2026
- - Wait, Rwanda 2025—did he really win last year by over a minute on Jay Vine? I thought the huge margin was two seasons ago. Feels like the article’s mixing editions?jennifer1919-09-2026
- - Fifth in Montréal after the Québec win isn’t a red flag. That parcours is punchier and the cadence demands are different. TT legs should be fine by Sunday. Allez Remco!davidm19-09-2026
- - Ganna’s “2–3 km” power is insane, but this is 39k. Over/under pacing will decide it. If Remco negative splits like Québec, he’s favourite. If it’s blustery, Ganna’s mass might help. Flip a coin.sprocketspiny19-09-2026
- - Remco’s right to be annoyed. Two hours for line choice, wind mapping, road surface, manhole locations, roundabouts, and turnaround pacing is tight. He’s meticulous—racetrack sessions, CdA dialing, the whole lot. Marginal gains win rainbow bands.andrewf19-09-2026
- - How does course reconnaissance actually help in a time trial if it’s mostly flat and straight? Is it just corner lines and wind spots, or are there other things they look for?bikebuffj19-09-2026
- - Minor correction: the Worlds TT is usually on a weekday, not Sunday the 20th? Is that a typo from the organiser or the article? Either way, Montréal flats + long straights scream Ganna vs Evenepoel. Can’t wait.gearguru3319-09-2026
- - Love the confidence from Remco, but two hours recon on a2km TT is a joke. Course knowledge matters at 55 kph. Still, if anyone maximises aero and pacing, it’s him.breakawaybikerd19-09-2026
- - Qué pena por Carapaz, pero la salud primero. Volverá más fuerte. Grande campeón!robert6519-09-2026
- - Slightly harsh take: announcing via “his own channels” isn’t unique to South America, it’s just modern pro sport. That line felt a bit stereotyped, to be honest.davidm19-09-2026
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