90% Success rate for the Netherlands at the European Championship: Demi Vollering’s plan executed to perfection by Laurens ten Dam’s squad

The European Road Race Championships gave quite a few riders the chance to take revenge for a less-than-stellar World Championships, including Demi Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini, and Marlen Reusser. However, the latter, who won the time trial on Wednesday, decided at the last minute not to start. A few days earlier, home favorite Pauline Ferrand-Prevot had already withdrawn due to illness.

From the start, the race immediately went uphill with a four-kilometer climb at a five percent grade. However, the climb played only a minor role in the race, as it was followed by a flat section of more than five kilometers. The sting of the course was clearly in the second part, with the climb of Saint Romain de Lerps (7 km at 7.2 percent) and twice the steep Val d'Enfer (1.6 km at 9.7 percent).

After a quiet opening phase, the first attacks followed. After several attempts, three riders finally managed to break away. They were Christina Bragh Lorenzen from Denmark, Carina Schrempf from Austria, and Jencusova from Slovakia. The trio built up a maximum lead of one and a half minutes.

The three riders were not able to enjoy their adventure in the breakaway for very long. Without really being chased, the peloton caught up with them on the first passage of the Val d'Enfer. The Netherlands then took control of the climb to Saint-Romain-de-Lerps.

Approaching the climb, Belgium's Margot Vanpachtenbeke tried to anticipate with an attack. However, she did not get much further than half a minute. At Saint-Romain-de-Lerps, the Dutch women then demonstrated their strength. Pauliena Rooijakkers pushed hard with Vollering and Van der Breggen on her wheel. Vanpachtenbeke was done for, and the peloton was severely thinned out.

After Rooijakkers, Femke de Vries took over. She set the pace for a while, until Vollering attacked. The Dutch leader pushed hard, and only Kasia Niewiadoma, Longo Borghini, and Van der Breggen were able to keep up. Vollering didn't stop there and pushed the pedals again. This time, Niewiadoma and Van der Breggen were unable to keep up.

Only Longo Borghini remained, but the Italian was about to crack. And that did not escape Vollering's attention. As if two attacks were not enough, she accelerated again. Longo Borghini broke, and Vollering started a solo.

Vollering quickly built up a lead over Niewiadoma and Van der Breggen. Longo Borghini had completely exploded and was ten seconds behind the chasing duo. Although the steep Val d'Enfer still had to be climbed twice, Vollering's attacking spirit had already decided the race.

Vollering, who won the ninth European Championship title for the Netherlands in ten years, quickly gained a minute on Niewiadoma and Van der Breggen, who, of course, kept their legs still and were thus in pole position for second place. Being the sportswoman she is, she left the silver to the Polish rider.