'I thought I wasn't going to make it' - Vollering relieved after gripping Tour Femmes win

Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) thought she had almost let victory slip away when Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon//Sram) launched an early sprint on stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. But the European champion dug deep to close the gap and land a dramatic stage victory, boosting her bid for the yellow jersey. 

Vollering was alongside Niewiadoma-Phinney and yellow jersey Marlen Reusser (Movistar) after the trio went clear on Mont Brouilly with 10.5km remaining. Unable to shake one another off, the stage looked destined to be decided in a three-up sprint. 

Niewiadoma-Phinney launched early from third wheel, with around 300 metres remaining of the long home straight in Belleville-en-Beaujolais. 

Reusser and Vollering, riding in that order, hesitated for a moment, allowing the Canyon//Sram rider to open a gap, seemingly heading towards a maiden Tour stage win.

But Vollering refused to give up the opportunity. The Dutchwoman accelerated after Niewiadoma-Phinney and closed the distance before powering past to take a dramatic win.

“I thought I was not going to make it anymore, and I somehow made it, so I think it was just really like a relief after the finish line,” Vollering said in her post-race interview.

Vollering expected Niewiadoma to sprint early and was also anticipating a gamble from Reusser, but when neither rider immediately committed to the chase, the European champion knew she had to take responsibility if she wanted to win the stage.

“I knew Kasia would go early, because she always does, and I knew Marlen would gamble so I let her gamble a bit to try to make her work,” Vollering said.

“But she didn’t, and then I was like, ‘Okay, if you don’t do anything, then Kasia is going to win, so then I don’t even try.’ So I was like, I just have to try, and maybe Marlen come over me, but at least I tried.”

The bonus seconds gained from winning the stage leave Vollering 12 seconds behind Reusser in the yellow jersey contest with Niewiadoma moving up to third overall at 1:17.

Vollering expects Reusser to remain a difficult challenger to dislodge in the standings, but believes the pressure of chasing a first Tour Femmes title could add another dimension to the contest.

“Yeah, for sure, for her [Reusser] it looks very bright now. The only good thing is that I won already the Tour and Kasia as well,” said Vollering.

“Marlen is the one who never managed to win the Tour yet, so she has to work for it as well also. So I’m sure it will be a hard battle because she is not the rider who you can’t beat easily because she is very strong, but of course I will try everything to do that.”