Demi Vollering used Niewiadoma controversy as Tour motivation: ‘We deserve this as a team’

Demi Vollering had to fight incredibly hard for nine days, but on the final day of the Tour de France Femmes she left no doubt about who had been the strongest rider of the week, attacking solo in the finale to seal the overall victory in style. Wearing the yellow jersey, she was able to celebrate in Nice before the emotions came pouring out during her post-race interviews.

Vollering started Stage 9 as the race leader, holding an eight-second advantage over Kasia Niewiadoma (CANYON//SRAM). She had impressively ridden the Polish rider out of the yellow jersey one day earlier, and although Niewiadoma did try to put her under pressure on the fourth and final ascent of the Col d'Èze, Vollering never really appeared to be in trouble.

Just below the summit, Vollering remained seated, clicked into a bigger gear and rode Niewiadoma off her wheel. From that moment, the difficult descent of the Col d'Èze and the long run along the seafront turned into a victory parade. Vollering lifted her Specialized above her head and screamed with delight after securing her second overall victory in the Tour de France Femmes, having previously won the race in 2023.

What was going through Vollering's mind during the finale? “I thought about the fact that I had never won while wearing yellow, I thought about my team and I thought about Célia, who had a really difficult evening yesterday,” she said, referring to teammate Célia Gery. The young French rider had come in for heavy criticism after being accused of impeding Niewiadoma during the finale of Stage 8.

But Vollering's thoughts did not stop there. “I thought about all the work we have put into this and all the people who stand behind me. They are amazing. It isn't only a dream to win for the second time and to win here while wearing yellow. The dream is being able to live this life and work hard together with these people.”

Vollering ultimately decided the Tour on the Col d'Èze, which had to be climbed four times during Stage 9. Niewiadoma attacked, but Vollering immediately responded. The two also spoke to each other during the stage. “I told her that, for me, it was fine if the riders behind us came back,” Vollering explained. “I tried to make her do more of the work.”

Vollering's own attack, however, had been part of the plan. “I knew that eventually I had to attack, get away on my own and show that we didn't win only because of what happened yesterday,” the newly crowned Tour de France Femmes winner said, once again referring to everything that had happened during Saturday's stage. “Because I don't believe that. I know that we deserve this as a team.”

“We have won a beautiful Tour de France Femmes and we can be proud of that,” Vollering concluded, adding that she had never doubted that the race would end well for her. “I never had any doubts, but I had to make her work. It isn't easy to make the right decisions all the time, and sometimes you make mistakes. Kasia attacked and won a beautiful stage on Mont Ventoux, and I did it today.”