In an instant, the race was almost over for Vollering and Wiebes: "We were hanging on by a thread"

Demi Vollering was considered one of the outsiders for medals ahead of the Olympic road race, but the strong Dutch rider decided to sacrifice herself for her compatriot and teammate Lorena Wiebes. "I did everything I could," concluded Vollering after the race.

The defining moment in the women's road race? Chloé Dygert's crash, just before the penultimate climb of Montmartre. The American's crash split the peloton in two, with several big names caught behind the break. "Lorena was in front of the crash, and I was behind it with Lotte Kopecky and Kasia Niewiadoma. We wanted to ride up to Lorena, but I realized I couldn't make it. When I stopped pedaling, Lotte jumped out of my wheel. I couldn't follow her. She immediately created a gap," Vollering recounted afterward.

Wiebes herself told NOS that she was partially involved in the crash. "I was halfway in it. My derailleur got hit, and I didn't dare shift to my lightest gear. Going to the car wasn't an option either, as that would definitely cost us the race. Lotte then surged ahead, and I didn't see it coming, so I couldn't react."

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"When I passed Lorena, I thought it was better to stay with her and close the gap for her," said Vollering, who started working hard at the front right after the climb. "But I couldn't do it. I did everything I could, but it's tough to ride alone against a group of eight riders. I'm a bit disappointed because if Lorena had been in the lead group, the outcome would have been completely different," she told Eurosport.

Wiebes expressed similar sentiments. "I realized we needed to do something because the situation wasn't good. We couldn't close the gap enough, and in the end, I'm just disappointed that I wasn't really in the race. We were hanging on by a thread. We knew it was bad news. I'm upset that I couldn't really compete."

Only one woman from the peloton managed to bridge the gap to the riders who were in front of the crash: Kopecky. "In this way, it was disappointing for us. Lorena then tried herself, together with a few other riders like Kasia Niewiadoma, and I hoped it would still work out, but unfortunately not," said Vollering.

Vollering already spoke with Vos after the finish

For the Netherlands, only Marianne Vos was at the front. "In the end, Marianne can be very proud of her silver medal, knowing that it's also a matter of chance in a final like that," said Vollering. "Faulkner chose a good moment, and Marianne and Lotte looked at each other, and then she was gone. I just spoke with Marianne, and I'm sure she did everything she could. She had already done a lot of work, jumping ahead multiple times."

"When Lotte then crossed over, she knew she was the favorite. And vice versa, so it's normal that they looked at each other. Marianne also knows very well what to do in a final like that," said the Dutch rider, who also had kind words for the winner. "Faulkner is a very strong rider. She has already beaten us this way in the Vuelta. When she takes off, she's gone."