Vollering hails Chabbey's Strade Bianche win after wrong turn ruins her own challenge

Chabbey had been on the attack multiple times in the race and was part of the group of riders who would battle it out on the climb to Piazza del Campo. The Swiss rider made her race-winning move with 200m to go, coming past Elisa Longo Borghini, Kasia Niewiadoma and her teammate Franziska Koch. 

“It’s so many emotions, I cannot realise it now. It’s good I’ve got three weeks at altitude, I’ll have time to realise it,” said Chabbey. I didn’t know I was the first Swiss [female winner]. It’s one of my preferred races.”

Things looked to be going wayward for the French team when leader Demi Vollering suffered an untimely puncture on the slopes of Le Tolfe with around 40km remaining, leaving the European champion in a chasing group over a minute behind the front pack. 

Despite the setback for the team, Chabbey and Franziska Koch battled tremendously, animating the race with multiple attacks, before being two of the strongest riders in the race, and both in contention for the win inside the final kilometre.

“We started with such a strong team, and we had a real plan because Demi is the best rider. Unfortunately, she had a problem, and I was the only one in front. I had already made some efforts before because I was in the break,” said Chabbey.

“I was really on the limit, and in my head so many times I just wanted to give up. But for Demi, who was behind, and for my teammates who did all that work, I had to go to the finish and see. I passed the line first, and I just cannot believe it.”

"I’m so proud I could do it for the team. because honestly, everybody on this team is so committed. Normally, it should have been for Demi, but today it was for me, and I think she’s as happy as I am. When she wins, I’m also super happy. We are so united.

Despite not being in the mix at the finish, Vollering expressed her immense joy for her teammates, including Chabbey, after a sensational victory.

“I'm so proud of them, we did such a perfect race, perfect, perfect, then I had the flat tyre at the worst moment ever, but I still thought, ‘Ok, I can still come back and never give up, keep pushing’” said Vollering. “But then they sent us the wrong way, and in that moment you saw all the riders ‘Ok, we’re never coming back’ because all the cars passed, and we were the last of the race, and it was all over.”

“So yeah, a pity for me, but I was so happy, and excited on the radio because I could hear there was a big battle and I was like ‘come on girls, don’t give up,’” said Vollering.

Following her puncture, the situation became significantly worse for Vollering when the chase pack was led off course by a race motorbike, putting an end to any hopes of returning to the front. Vollering was asked about the incident, and the European champion explained her confusion at the time and understood that it was an unfortunate moment that happened in the heat of the action.

“Yes, I immediately thought, ‘Huh?’ During the reconnaissance, I've never seen such bad gravel, and I thought, ‘I think something's wrong here,’ but everyone just kept going full throttle,” Vollering said. “And then I looked at my Garmin and suddenly saw that we were off course. So I yelled, ‘Stop.’”

“And yes, according to the letter of UCI law, riders are supposed to know the course, but that's obviously difficult when there's a motorcycle. If it turns right before you, you follow. I mean, if you're in full pursuit. Yes, most riders are like that, too. So I can't expect the riders to figure that out for themselves."

Vollering eventually finished 20th on the day, 6:15 behind her teammate and race winner Chabbey.