The curtain might have solely simply fallen on a notably profitable 2025 season for Demi Vollering, however the Dutch star says she is already looking forward to a brand new sequence of challenges in 2026, amongst them the Tour de France Femmes, one of many few main objectives of the yr she was unable to overcome.
Vollering rounded out her debut season with FDJ-Suez with a memorable win within the European Championships highway race, previous to taking second in her final occasion of the yr, the Tre Valli Varesine in Italy. However with wins additionally coming earlier in 2025 within the Volta de la Comunitat Valenciana, Strade Bianche, the Vuelta España Femenina and Itzulia Ladies, there was definitely lots for the 28-year-old to have fun over the past 9 months of racing.
No person’s season goes 100% to plan and dropping the Tour de France Femmes to Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) was one of many fundamental setbacks. The World Championships highway race the place the Dutch and different main groups underestimated the power of the sooner breaks and Vollering ended up seventh was one other time when issues undoubtedly did not go to plan.
However as Vollering instructed L’Équipe in an interview earlier this week, these defeats will merely function motivation for subsequent yr’s huge objectives.
“I feel that even when I hadn’t change into European Champion, if you happen to take a look at Strade, the Vuelta, all my podiums, it has been an outstanding season,” she stated.
“In fact, I am a winner, there are all the time issues that may be improved. So clearly each the Tour and the Worlds are on my thoughts, I’d have favored to reach each.”
“However that is sport, [not always winning] is what makes issues extra lovely, too. If I handle to do this [win] sooner or later, it will make these moments extra particular.”
She confirmed that in 2026 the hunt for a rainbow jersey and a repeat of her 2023 Tour de France Femmes title “are each massively motivating. To be in nice type within the Tour is already one of the vital thrilling issues to come back. I like the build-up to the season [too], these first races of the yr the place you are tremendous joyful to be again competing. I am already trying ahead to it.”
This yr the racing dynamic was notably impacted by the appreciable variety of transfers in the course of the low season, together with Vollering’s to FDJ, in addition to the return of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot to highway racing.
Whereas Vollering stated the French star’s comeback was an additional motivation, saying any further competitors was all the time useful, she additionally identified that in 2026 she can have change into extra used to racing with FDJ-Suez and that there was margin for development on her personal account, too.
“Any sturdy rider, regardless of who they’re, pushes me to enhance,” she instructed L’Équipe, “In order that’s mechanically a very good factor.”
As for the place she might get higher in 2026, Vollering stated “in fairly just a few issues.”
“It’s going to already be simpler because it’ll be my second yr within the staff, it was a novelty having all people [in FDJ] there to work for me.
“Everyone knows one another lots higher, that’ll assist and I actually really feel like I’ve discovered my place [in the team]. I used to be actually trying ahead to the recon day within the Worlds, as a result of I knew I’d get an opportunity to fulfill up with my [trade] teammates, whom I hadn’t seen for fairly a while. When you’ve that type of feeling, meaning you are having a very good time.”
Whereas she agreed that her nice situation on the Europeans was one landmark second, she additionally pointed to Strade Bianche as one other excessive level of her season given how properly the staff had labored collectively to set her up for the win.
“It was a particular second,” she stated.
She concluded the interview by paying tribute to considered one of her youngest teammates, Frenchwoman Célia Gery, who took a notable victory within the U23 Worlds highway race in Kigali.
“I’ve by no means ridden together with her in a race, however I hope that is the case sooner or later,” Vollering stated concerning the 19-year-old. “She’s unbelievable, from the second she will get on the bike, she’s a killer. I like that type of mentality.
“She’s actually gifted and I hope she’ll proceed to progress. However in truth I am already satisfied she is going to, as a result of she’s a born winner.”
