🎥 Vollering badly bruised, but no fractures or concussion: FDJ-SUEZ leader will start in stage 4

It happened about 4 kilometers before the finish line. A large peloton approached a fast right-hand corner, but the bottleneck caused a major crash. A domino effect took out a large number of riders, with Pieterse, Balsamo, Kerbaol, and Vollering being the biggest victims. The latter Dutch rider in particular remained on the ground for a long time. She was clearly in a lot of pain.

After a while, she was able to get back up, but it took a while before she was back on her bike. With a push from teammates Juliette Labous and Amber Kraak, she crossed the finish line almost 7 minutes behind winner Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime). Because the five-kilometer rule applies, she did not lose any time to her rivals in the general classification; she remains nicely positioned in the top 10. But there is more concern about the possible damage.

Once she crossed the finish line, Vollering arrived at her French team's bus with a grimace of pain on her face. She struggled to get on the rollers to finish her ride, but she couldn't control her emotions and had to be comforted by her boyfriend, Jan de Voogd. Little is known about the extent of the damage, but it doesn't look good for the 2023 Tour winner. Last year, she also crashed hard, missing victory by just four seconds.

Nevertheless, FDJ-SUEZ is certainly not throwing in the towel yet. They know that even a Vollering who is not in top form can compete for the overall victory, as evidenced by her performance last year. Sports director Stephen Delcourt was brief: “We remain positive,” the Frenchman told Het Nieuwsblad. His team leader will report to the team doctor and the hospital, where the extent of the damage will be assessed.

Delcourt spoke to NU.nl and gave more details about Vollering's condition. "Demi is in pain. That's understandable after a crash at such high speed. She is now in complete shock. She is suffering from pain in her knee, buttocks, and back. She wants to continue in the Tour, but our doctor must first examine her and then go to the hospital. We will have to wait and see."

The Dutch climber also took a heavy blow to the head, but she appeared to have come through it unscathed. "Demi has not yet been tested for concussion, but that will happen in the next hour. Our priority is Demi's health. We will not take any risks. The good news is that she wanted to finish the race herself. We will know more tomorrow."

The Frenchman was frustrated and expressed his anger about the reckless riders. “It seems that we have lost mutual respect in the peloton over the past year. Many teams and riders push ahead without paying enough attention to the safety of others. One rider took too many risks, and that could ruin our Tour.”

It was clear to everyone that Vollering was in pain. But it was still unclear what her injuries were and what that meant for her continued participation in the Tour de France Femmes. The team has now issued a statement. “Examination by the team of doctors has revealed that Demi has sustained multiple bruises,” FDJ-SUEZ said on Instagram. “She has also been checked for a suspected concussion.”

So no fractures. But what does this mean for the fourth stage? "The medical team, Demi, and the FDJ-SUEZ staff have jointly decided not to go to the hospital, given the less serious nature of her injuries. Further tests, including an additional concussion protocol, will be carried out tomorrow to rule out any further complications. The results will determine whether Demi can participate in stage 4." After a night's sleep, concussion was ruled out, so the team leader will start in Saumur, according to the team.