New and improved Demi Vollering chasing second Tour de France Femmes win

Dutch cyclist Demi Vollering is feeling primed to defend her Tour de France Femmes title. Not only is the 27-year-old feeling more confident than she was last year, she also has a home advantage.

Starting in Rotterdam this year, Vollering told media on Sunday (11 August) that this edition of the race is especially meaningful for her, given her roots and connection to area as florist in training.

"All my family and friends will be there. I also grew up next to the greenhouses with the flowers. Tomorrow we will see [the greenhouses and flowers] a lot because we come through this part of Holland where they have a lot of greenhouses for either flowers or vegetables," Vollering said, as reported by Cycling News.

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"It's funny to be here in this way again in this area. It feels like a different lifetime; me as a student asking farmers for flowers and me as a cyclist coming through this area; it makes me proud," she said, referring to her past life as a professional florist. 

Indeed, a lot has changed for the cycling star, who sensationally announced herself to the world last year on this very stage. But in 2024 we find a more composed and confident version of Vollering.

"I feel good. I'm excited and I told the girls this morning, 'I'm too hyped, I need to relax'. It's special for me. All of my friends, family, and close ones are excited to get it started, so I'm very motivated," Vollering said.

And while she has not competed in a stage race since winning the Tour de Suisse in June, it followed a stage-race-winning streak that included securing overall titles at the Tour de Romandie, La Vuelta Femenina, Itzulia Women, and Vuelta a Burgos, adding some heft to her ever-expanding cycling CV. 

"I don't know if I'm stronger than last year. I think, for sure, a bit. But we need to see that in the race because it's been quite some time since I did long climbs, for example, so I need to see how it goes in the last part of the Tour," the SD Worx rider said.

Vollering will know exactly what she needs to do to win the TDFF again, after her now-iconic performance last year, which saw her finish minutes faster than her teammate Lotte Kopecky in the overall standings after a second-place time of 29:25 in the time trial, as The Guardian reported.

Vollering finished on 25 hours, 17 mins, and 35 seconds, teammate Kopecky finished three minutes and three seconds behind, and Canyon SRAM Racing's Katarzyna Niewiadoma made up the top three.

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Nobody had predicted Vollering to rise to the occasion in the way she did. In fact, she even surprised herself, as she told the BBC at the time: "I still cannot believe it, of course, I worked hard, but it's not only working hard, it's believing in it. It's so many things together in the end."

"You have your dream, and you work hard, but you also need to keep calm, have balance in your life, and find a relaxed way to do all this. This year, I feel comfortable in what I'm doing."

The maiden win for the Dutch rider had even greater significance, marking the end of 40-year-old defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten's reign at the top of the sport.

It's just one year since the roles were reversed, and Van Vleuten rode away from Vollering to snatch the yellow jersey, and explained that her years of training and experience was the reason she won. Vollering now has that same experience.

Cycling fans and experts knew Vollering was coming, but not as quickly as she has managed to do so. The 2023 champion didn't just catch up with Van Vleuten, she destroyed her at that year's event.

The third edition of the Tour de France Femmes will feature eight stages spanning seven days, from August 12 to August 18. The race commenced in the Netherlands, and will journey south through Liège, Belgium, and conclude with a finish atop the legendary Alpe d'Huez in France.

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