Visma DS hits back after Vollering crash: 'Demi thinks she’s in a golden cage'

The high-speed crash involving Demi Vollering during stage 3 of the Tour de France Femmes has triggered a war of words between team bosses, with FDJ – Suez’s Stephen Delcourt and Visma–Lease a Bike’s Jos van Emden trading sharp statements about the causes and conduct in the peloton.

Speaking after the stage, Delcourt was quick to shift the blame away from the organisers. “That crash wasn’t ASO’s fault, it was the riders. It all comes down to respect,” he said. “The mentality of some teams is unbelievable. Truly disrespectful. They’re playing with people’s lives like this. Demi wants to ride at the front, but they keep cutting her off.”

Visma | Lease a Bike sports director Jos van Emden, who directs Marianne Vos and GC hopeful Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, pushed back strongly against Delcourt’s claims in comments made to De Telegraaf and Het Nieuwsblad. “I have no respect at all for those comments,” he said. “Let me be clear: what he’s saying is completely ridiculous. He seems to want a peloton of eight riders with Demi in it, riding in a golden cage. Come on, this is the sport, isn’t it? Nothing happened that shouldn’t have. He’s just been influenced by Demi - by her dramatic behaviour.”

He continued: “Let me leave it at this. But it needs to be said. Demi really thinks she’s in a golden cage. Sure, she’s the best rider. But that doesn’t mean everyone has to move aside for her. And Delcourt saying people’s lives are being put at risk - that’s just not true. That’s not reality. If you think that, maybe you should do another sport.”

When asked whether his own leaders shared Delcourt’s view, Van Emden was blunt: “No, man. I’ll leave it there. I think I’ve made my point.”

The Tour de France Femmes continues with stage 5, from Jaunay-Marigny Futuroscope to Guéret and there may be a little more tension in the bunch than there was today.