Vollering's participation in doubt due to logistical issues at National Time Trial Championship

Demi Vollering in Switzerland, it's been a great match so far. After the opening stage, she also added the mountain time trial in the Tour of Switzerland to her list of achievements. In Villars-sur-Ollon, she finished eighteen seconds faster than runner-up Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek), which was a perfect rehearsal for Wednesday's national time trial championships, if she decides to participate, she expressed her doubts to IDLProCycling.com

"The final climb was very tough," said the Dutch winner after the race. "It was just really hard. I noticed that at the intermediate times I was only around fifth place, but those weren't the sections where I wanted to push to the max. I know that I can empty myself completely in the finale of a time trial."

"I told Anna van der Breggen before the time trial that I didn’t want to know the time differences," she stated. "I just wanted to focus on myself, because knowing the times can make you slack off or create doubt. I didn’t know the time differences, but at the intermediate point, I saw on the screen that I had the fourth fastest time. That made me think: oh," Vollering recalled.

However, she didn't panic. "Ultimately, a time trial is a race against yourself, so knowing the differences doesn’t add anything. You have to go as fast as possible, that's the goal. That’s what I was trying to do, knowing that the part that suits me best was at the end."

This was also aided by a bike switch: Vollering completed the first part on her time trial bike and then switched to her climbing bike. "The day we arrived, we immediately checked out the course. You could gain quite some time with a time trial bike in the first part, so we opted for a switch. That was quite scary, as I had never done that before. I didn't know how my legs would feel after such a switch. That was tricky, but everything went well," she spoke, sounding relieved.

"I've been working with my mechanic for four years now, so I know him quite well and trust that he always does the best for me. You have to think of everything, like choosing the right gears and switching the Garmin. That makes it such a special time trial," said the Dutch resident of Switzerland, who once again expressed her love for the country. "Switzerland is very beautiful, and I already have many wonderful memories here. I feel very much at home in this country."

The women's Tour of Switzerland concludes just before the national championships, similar to last year. "Last year we drove to the race with a camper, as it was a long way to the airport in both Switzerland and the Netherlands. It didn't really work out," recalls Vollering, who arrived in the Netherlands in the middle of the night back then.

This time it's a bit more time-friendly. "Now we finish quite close to Geneva Airport. I'll be flying that evening with Mischa Bredewold to Schiphol, and from there it's not too far to the time trial location. My parents live about halfway, so I can spend the night there. But, I must say: I'm not entirely sure yet if I'm going to do it," Vollering admits honestly.

She elaborates on her hesitation: "Right now, I feel strong and capable, but if I start to feel worn out over the next few days, I might skip the time trial. We have a demanding two-day session at Papendal with the Olympic team later in the week. That means I’d only get Saturday to rest before the national road race, which is quite intense. I'll have to see how things pan out."

Vollering has had a busy year since starting with the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, with hardly any downtime. "It’s just my style. Since becoming a professional, I’ve managed to maintain consistent performance. I've been fortunate because it means my form is stable and I rarely have terrible days. Somehow, I always manage to perform well in races."

And that's how it's been so far. In this form, the team leader of SD Worx-Protime seems nearly unbeatable, which is certainly encouraging, especially with the Tour de France Femmes in sight. "Absolutely. I feel very good. Here in Switzerland, I don't need to peak yet, but I am surprised by my form. I feel great. Hopefully, I can carry this form into my biggest goals later in the season."