Vollering remains tight-lipped about future and departure from SD Worx-Protime: "I won't say a word before August 1st"

Vollering was active early on in the race and initially launched frequent attacks. "I had good legs today. Maybe we went for it a bit early, but I just wanted to break free and make the race with my teammates. I wanted to give the girls confidence, like: come on, let's really make this a race." But that plan did not take into account Longo Borghini. "I wasn't surprised she went for it. I knew she would try at some point. And then I had to pass."

Vollering is mostly satisfied and also briefly looked ahead to the next week and a half. "I am satisfied with the preparation, but I had hoped that some races would go better and I expected a bit more from them. I also know that my races are still to come and that I need to stay calm."

After Vollering was honored on the podium, she came back for a chat with the press, including IDLProCycling.com. There, she confirmed what she had already hinted at in the flash interview. "When you have to pass like that, it's clear. Maybe I did start a bit too early, but of course, you only know that in hindsight. Elisa was simply the strongest. It is really disappointing, but it was just clear. Of course, it's very unfortunate."

Next up on Vollering's calendar: the well-known trilogy, consisting of the Amstel Gold Race, the Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "This trilogy is definitely the most important period of the spring for me," she says in this context. "These are really my favorite races. I usually perform well in them, and hopefully, that will be the case again this year. I'm not too worried about my form. Hopefully, it will show there, and I'll hit the mark a few times. In any case, I feel good. It's going to be very special to race the Amstel Gold Race in the Dutch champion's jersey."

In short, Vollering has plenty of confidence. She also mentions that she had a good training week in Switzerland after the Tour of Flanders - where she finished eighth. "I usually race the Flèche Brabançonne to get completely sharp for the Gold Race and the races that follow. And I am definitely sharp! After the Tour of Flanders, I trained at home for a week. That was quite nice. It's not necessarily the case that you improve a lot during a week like that. But before Flanders, I went to a high-altitude training camp, followed by rest leading up to the Tour of Flanders. These past few weeks I've also rested lots, but there were some tough training sessions in between."

Finally, the only issue left to discuss is... Her departure. In recent months, the South Holland native has often been said to be considering a transfer. "We have made Demi a generous offer and stated that a response is required by a certain date. Vollering's management has not responded to this. Therefore, we assume that Vollering will leave the team at the end of the year," a team statement said at the end of March. "I'm simply racing for this team for the whole season. That's mainly what I'm focusing on," the world-class rider said. She is keeping her lips tightly sealed, even after the Flèche Brabançonne.

Some follow-up questions by the cycling press did not change this and we did not get much more clarity, mainly because Vollering still will not give anything away, nor is she allowed to. "It's very simple. I'm racing for SD Worx-Protime for the entire season. So, you can keep asking, but I officially cannot and am not allowed to say anything about it. Not until August 1st. So, you definitely won't hear anything from me before then. I'd rather focus on the sporting aspect."