Vollering breaks after wonderful words from teammate and final question about "concerns" at SD Worx

Vollering had many plans for Strade Bianche but ultimately placed her trust in her strong team. After an early crash, Évita Muzic joined a breakaway in the final, while Juliette Labous completely sacrificed herself for Vollering when a dangerous group (including Muzic) gained too much ground heading into the final loop over Colle Pinzuto and Le Tolfe. The French champion closed the gap in no time, setting up Vollering for the win.

A minor chain issue on Colle Pinzuto delayed the Dutch leading lady longer than she might have hoped, but in the end, it made no difference. Shortly after the summit of Le Tolfe, she launched her attack, and only Van der Breggen could follow—as if it was meant to be. Former SD Worx teammates, last year still rider and coach at the same team, now facing off toward the Piazza del Campo. But on the brutally steep final climb into Siena’s city center, Vollering left her former mentor convincingly behind.

"I didn’t necessarily want to beat Anna today—I wanted to win for the team. If that had meant dropping Elisa Longo Borghini instead, the feeling would have been the same," Vollering said at the post-race press conference. "I had already dropped Anna once on Colle Pinzuto, but my chain came off, so that plan was out the window. On Le Tolfe, she played it smart by creating a gap in the descent, but we stayed calm. And when I went over the top, it was maybe just a bit too short to drop her. In the end, it was nice to ride together like that."

It reminded her a bit of the past since Vollering had already raced against Van der Breggen during her time at Parkhotel Valkenburg. That was followed by a period as teammates and later a mentor-coach relationship. Now, in Strade Bianche, they were competing against each other once again. "And with that, I now get confirmation that I am capable of competing with her. I couldn’t do that in the past—I wasn’t strong enough then. But I’ve made great strides as both a rider and a person."

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Vollering admitted she was "hungry" for the win but mainly wanted to secure FDJ-SUEZ’s first major goal of the season. According to team boss Stephen Delcourt, that goal was officially set for Milan-Sanremo on March 22, but Vollering knew he wasn’t being entirely truthful. "He really wanted to win Strade Bianche too, haha! The whole team kept fighting after a tough start, where Evita crashed but came back and made it into the break. It was a great team effort."

When asked if she wanted this victory so badly to justify her move to FDJ-SUEZ, her response was an emphatic "Yes, absolutely." It was a big decision to leave SD Worx, a team that has always performed so well. But I’m happy that the girls here are fully committed and all want to win. It’s a new chapter for the team, where we always want to race for victory. That brings an incredible amount of motivation—to work for me, and you can feel that everyone has leveled up. When you’re racing to win, everyone can give that little bit extra."

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And FDJ-SUEZ certainly stepped up… Labous was the perfect example of team spirit, closing a dangerous 90-second gap to the breakaway in no time, bringing it down to just 30 seconds. "I felt really good today, as I have in recent weeks. I hoped to show that by helping Demi win. I trusted that I could do my job for her, but this was amazing."

The French champion was full of praise for her team leader, emphasizing how Vollering unites the squad. "Today, we showed that we can ride together. I had no doubt that Demi was stronger than me today, so I was happy to work for her. We needed to keep her calm—something that might have been difficult for her in past years. But she helps me reach a higher level. She brings positivity. We knew she was strong. In training, she sometimes says she doesn’t feel great, but then she still drops us. Maybe I actually prefer doing this rather than being a leader myself and fighting for fifth place, yeah."

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Confronted with Labous’ heartfelt words, Vollering takes a moment to compose herself. It’s the kind of validation she deeply values. "I believe that everyone should feel like they’re part of the process. That way, everyone can push a little harder—but it’s not always easy. I always say thank you, but sometimes I feel like that’s not enough. It’s important that the girls see that, for me, it’s more than just a thank you—I am truly grateful for everything they do for me."

"I want to write this story together," she continues. "If Juliette says something like that, then I must be on the right track, and that’s important for me to hear. As a leader, this is something that really matters to me. If everyone feels connected to the process, they can race with more heart—and in the end, emotions give you strength. When you truly want something for someone else, it becomes easier to give everything."

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Barely having swallowed the lump in her throat, Vollering faces a final question about her difficult 2024 spring campaign. How does she feel now? "Last season was really tough for me—I felt stuck in races. You want to perform well so badly, but I couldn’t race freely because my mind wasn’t free. I was weighed down by worries about a possible departure and an uncertain future. Now, I feel free again, and that’s so important because I race a lot based on instinct."

She continues: "Last year, a lot of people said I made stupid decisions, but you’re always trying to do the right thing. You only know after the finish whether it was the right choice. When your mind is clear, it’s much easier to make good decisions."

Bram van der Ploeg (Twitter: @BvdPloegg | email: [email protected])