SD Worx are the reigning champions of the Women’s WorldTour and at the top of the World Ranking, consistently placing on the podiums while investing in the next generation of talent.
One of those investments has been in the development of Demi Vollering, who has become a team leader in just two seasons with the programme and finished second overall at the Tour de France Femmes in 2022. The Dutch rider was just one podium step away from the coveted yellow jersey, so figuring out how to close the gap to winner Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) will be one of the toughest challenges she and SD Worx will face in 2023.
SD Worx came into this year’s rebirth of the Tour de France Femmes with one of the strongest teams. Still, no one could match Van Vleuten in the mountains, where she won back-to-back stages at Le Markstein and atop La Super Planche des Belles Filles to secure the overall victory.
Vollering was Van Vleuten’s closest rival by a large margin on both mountain stages, finishing as a lone chaser in second place and ultimately 3:48 down in the GC. She did everything she could in the race for the overall title, but could not beat Van Vleuten.
Initially disappointed, Vollering later said she had no regrets because she had given her best effort.
“I beat all my records, so I think I was in the form of my life.”
Given that still wasn’t enough to claim yellow, it’s back to the drawing board this winter for Vollering and SD Worx. They will need to reassess and prepare for a new Tour de France Femmes route next July that begins at Clermont-Ferrand, heads south into the Pyrenees, over the iconic Tourmalet and into a final time trial in Pau.
It is a route that, overall, could play more favourably to Vollering’s characteristics.
Vollering is a versatile rider, and while she is one of the strongest climbers in the peloton, she is also capable in small group sprints and shows tactical strengths in the finals of the bigger one-day race, winning La Course, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and De Brabantse Pijl, along with stage races like the Women’s Tour and Itzulia Women.
The chances of success in the overall classification also depends on the team they decide to field at the Tour de France Femmes and how much focus will be on yellow or potential stage wins.
This year, the team also vyed for stages, with Marlen Reusser winning the gravel day into Bar-Sur-Aube, Lotte Kopecky securing podium finishes in Paris and Rosheim, and Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio finishing on the podium…
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