With stage win on last day red jersey in La Vuelta secured
Demi Vollering has won La Vuelta Femenina with a supreme performance in the final stage. The Dutch champion of Team SD Worx - Protime attacked in the mountain stage on the final col at 6.3 kilometres from the finish and still managed to build a lead of 1'49 over Riejanne Markus in the GC. This enabled her to take the final classification on her name. After her final victory in the Tour de France Femmes last year, this is the second Grand Tour that Vollering takes to her name.
Vollering: "Today was a hard day. I could feel in the legs, and the whole bunch felt it too, that it has been a really hard stage race. To finish it off with a mountain stage like this was pretty hard, but it was a good day for us. The team did a good job all day. Of course in such a tough mountain stage it is still a bit nervous. I didn't find this last climb super tough. There was headwind again, but it wasn't super steep. There was a part where we had the wind at our back and you could pace yourself. There I thought: I have to attack to make sure I have an advantage on that stretch. After all, then the rest will have to chase me again later in the headwind. It's nice that I was able to increase my lead later on the climb and thus win this stage as well.vI did really like that there was so much climbing in the course. I am happy to see that all the Grand Tours are stepping up for the women’s peloton."
"I still didn’t win in the Spring… The Classics are also really nice races to win. It still a pity that I didn’t win a race there, but I’m proud that I won two stages in this La Vuelta Femenina plus the GC. I could finally show how strong I am and how good I feel, and that feels for sure good."
"My teammates were very focused again today, trying to control the race. Elena Cecchini did a very good job by being in the first group. On the climbs, other climbs started to pace the race for us – and that was fine. MarlenREusser took over on the last part of the first climb. Overall, my teammates did a very good job. It’s really nice to be able to win the GC with such strong riders around me."
"To end the Vuelta this way is fantastic. As a team we rode strong here all week. With two stage wins, the overall victory and some podium finishes, we can be proud of ourselves as a team. This overall win is hopefully a good 'start' for this summer. I hope to ride some nice stage races first here in Spain and then in the Tour de France Femmes in the coming months. With the red jersey in my pocket, I am ambitiously looking forward to the rest of the season."
"I will do the whole Spanish block. We have a few days off now, and then we will go to Itzulia and Vuelta a Burgos. Is this Vuelta Femenina in a perfect period in the season in May? It’s a difficult period. Everyone is just coming out of the Classics and hasn’t been able to prepare for what a stage race demands. I had the feeling that the whole bunch was a bit sick this week – lots of riders coughing, everybody tired. The Spring was very cold, and also here we had very cold days and rain. It takes a lot from the body. It just really important to stay healthy and come out of this stronger. We need to take a lot of rest these next few days. This is a good period to get the engine bigger for all the races that come later in the season."
"In the future, when women’s cycling gets bigger, it may be good to relocate the race because riders will be more specialized. But, as of now, we tend to do everything. Me, par example – I am both a Classics rider and a stage racer. And it’s the same case for a lot of women now. When the bunch grows, we will be able to pick the races further. For now, it’s fine. Otherwise, I would be training in this period anyway. I like it like this, actually. If I didn’t have to do the Spanish block, I’d do the Giro – now I skip it, and that’s a bit sad. If there is a reschedule, I may be able to do all three Grand Tours in one season in the future."