Despite stomach issues, Vollering comes out on top in the Basque Country: "Eating rice three times a day is very boring"

Vollering's joy stemmed mainly from relief. It wasn't as easy as it seemed. "I had recovered well from the Vuelta, but over the last two days, I suffered from stomach issues and couldn't eat well. Eating rice three times a day eventually gets very boring. The temperature fluctuations in recent days also made it tough on the body."

However, her ailments didn't prevent Vollering from dominating her competitors on the climbs. "We had a plan. I was going to give it my all on the final climb. And if I couldn't break away, we could still play tactics with others, including Marlen (Reusser. ed.)," Vollering explained the strategy.

"I did manage to break away, and I'm very happy about that. It feels great to complete such a long solo," Vollering said. After her attack, there were about thirty kilometers left, consisting of downhill and flat roads to the finish.

This is the second time Vollering has won the Tour of the Basque Country. The first time, in 2022, she won all three stages. Last season, she finished second, behind her teammate Reusser. "I love this race and have always performed well here over the past years."

For the third consecutive year, SD Worx-ProTime managed to win all three stages and the overall classification, a remarkable feat. "It's incredible. We can be very proud of that. It says something about the strength of our team and that we like to race with initiative," the winner concluded.