The changing of the guard is near for Van der Breggen and Vollering: "We really tried to get her to stay"

The Tour de France Femmes was heartbreaking for Demi Vollering. She fell just four seconds short of defending her 2023 title. What if she hadn’t crashed? What if the team had waited for her? What if she had attacked a little later in the final stage? So many questions, all in what will be her last Tour in the colors of SD Worx-Protime. After 2024, Vollering and the team will part ways, leading to the unusual situation where Vollering’s current coach, Anna van der Breggen, will be competing against her former protégé while still with SD Worx.

Vollering's departure has been known for a while. In recent months, SD Worx-Protime extended the contracts of leading riders Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes, and Mischa Bredewold, but they couldn’t come to an agreement with the 27-year-old Vollering. Team manager Erwin Janssen stated, "We made Demi a generous offer and indicated that we needed a response by a certain date. Vollering’s management did not respond. Therefore, we assume that Vollering will leave the team at the end of the year."

During the Tour de France Femmes, Van der Breggen and sports director Danny Stam confirmed that nothing had changed in recent weeks. "I tried to keep her here, but she decided against it. So, that’s how it is," Van der Breggen told IDLProCycling.com. Stam added, "We spent a year trying to keep Demi with us, and we think it’s a real shame that she’s leaving. We’ll continue to say that because it’s the truth. At some point, decisions are made, and there’s not much you can do to change them."

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Demi Vollering

Vollering and SD Worx-Protime aim for a classy breakup

Despite the impending split, Vollering was still the leading rider for SD Worx-Protime in both the Vuelta and the Tour this summer. While male riders in similar situations might be sidelined when their departure is announced, SD Worx-Protime is committed to maintaining a professional relationship with Vollering until her last day. "We’ve had a great time with Demi, and we hope to end it on a high note," says team director Danny Stam. "Decisions are made, and you know that as a team, you don’t have forever with your riders. It’s important for both of us that we finish this chapter in the best possible way. I think it’s far more dignified to end with a Tour victory than by not selecting someone."

Although that Tour victory didn’t materialize, Stam’s words still hold true. In fact, if Vollering finds herself without a team in a few weeks, the doors at her current team remain open. "We’ve handled this situation in a normal way, and it’s a small world, so who knows? If she wants to come back, she’s always welcome."

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Vollering will soon race against Van der Breggen in different colors

In the near future, it looks like there won’t be much room for Vollering at SD Worx-Protime. Kopecky, Wiebes, and Bredewold are the names for the coming years, and Van der Breggen is even making a surprise return. After retiring in 2021, she became a team leader and also coached Vollering. In a twist of fate, Van der Breggen will return to racing in 2025 and compete against Vollering. "I’m disappointed that I won’t be riding with Demi next year. We’ll immediately be seen as rivals, and we probably will be. But I’ve always had a great relationship with Demi—she’s one of the greatest talents I’ve seen in cycling," Van der Breggen says in praise.

There's a reason Van der Breggen tried to change Vollering’s mind. "I enjoy working with her, but it is what it is. You prepare yourself for the fact that soon we’ll be racing against each other, but for now, she still allows me to coach her, and she trusts that I’m trying to make her the best she can be. It means a lot to me that our relationship is so strong, but next year that will be gone, and we’ll be competing against each other. That’s fine; having a good relationship with your competitors is a great way to approach the sport. In a way, I’ve trained my own Annemiek van Vleuten, but ultimately, you’re only as good as you are, and new training methods will only give her new insights. That will make her a better rider, and then it’s just about who can pedal the hardest."

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Anna van der Breggen

Van der Breggen shifts focus to training after the Tour

To be ready to pedal hard in 2025, Van der Breggen has already started putting in the work. Since announcing her return to the peloton, she’s been trying to get back on the bike as much as possible. "Winter alone isn’t long enough to make up for the three years I’ve been out, so I definitely need to start with endurance training, even though it’s tough with the long, busy days during a Tour. I’ve already started, and after the Tour de France, the main events will be over, so I can fully focus on my training."

While her focus is gradually shifting, Van der Breggen has enjoyed her time as a team leader. "I’ve loved the past three years, not having to race myself. I know what it’s like, and being so close to it has allowed me to help these girls effectively. For now, I’m happy I don’t have to do it myself, but I’m preparing for when that will change. Then the pressure will be back on, so I’m steadily working toward that."