Tour de France Femmes 2024: Demi Vollering 'really surprised’ by Stage 3 win - 'No idea I could do this'
By Rhys Jones
Published 13/08/2024 at 19:28 GMT+1
Demi Vollering claimed the Tour de France Femmes yellow jersey after an impressive and surprising Stage 3 win on Tuesday. The Dutchwoman pulled out a commanding performance in Rotterdam, and delivered an emotional and teary interview afterwards, saying she "really didn't see this coming". Vollering now leads the general classification with team-mate Lorena Wiebes in second behind her.
Emotional Vollering ‘surprised’ after taking yellow jersey at Tour de France Femmes
Video credit: TNT Sports
Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) won the third stage of the Tour de France Femmes to take the general classification lead and the yellow jersey.
The 2023 winner completed the 6.3 kilometre course in Rotterdam in 7:25, beating ITT world champion Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM), Loes Adegeest (FDJ-Suez) and Cedrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT) by five seconds.
Speaking after the win, the Dutchwoman was overcome with emotion, wiping tears from her eyes as she spoke.
"I really didn’t see this coming. I had no idea that I could do this today, so I’m really surprised actually," the 27-year-old said.
"The first days were just days that I needed to survive, I wanted to really enjoy these first days.
"The whole time I had tomorrow already in the head because tomorrow is a stage I really love. I really liked Liege-Bastogne-Liege race."
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Tour de France Femmes Stage 2 and 3 highlights: Vollering takes yellow jersey after hectic day
Video credit: TNT Sports
The defending champion's win, while impressive, was unexpected. But a puncture to Olympic time trial gold medallist Grace Brown (FDJ-SUEZ) had opened the way for other favourites.
Vollering's surprise win sees her take the yellow jersey from compatriot Charlotte Kool, who won her second sprint stage on the 70km route from Deventer to Rotterdam earlier in the day.
"I didn't see this coming, so I'm really surprised," Vollering added.
"Here, I had no expectations at all. I was not thinking even of the podium. I really [thought] it was something for the sprinters today and for the powerful time trialists.
"Before the start, I just fly into it and I stayed so calm. I don't know, it was a strange day for me. I cannot believe it yet."
- Charlotte Kool takes back-to-back wins via sprint - 'Dreams come true quite fast these days'
- Demi Vollering dominates to win time trial on Stage 3 to take yellow jersey
An exciting stage four beckons on Wednesday as the hills ramp up on the route from Valkenburg to Liege, with eight categorised climbs over the 122km route.
The journey is similar to the Amstel Gold and Liege-Bastogne-Liege races, Classics that Vollering has both won.
Vollering's SD Worx–Protime team-mate Lorena Wiebes finished seventh, with team-mate Mischa Bredewold finishing eighth.
Wiebes moved up to second in the general classification, followed by Dygert and Adegeest in third and fourth as Kool moved down to fifth.
Kool will wear the green jersey for the first time since she earned it on the first stage when she takes to the start line in Valkenburg.
"It's up to the other teams to take the yellow jersey from our team now, and it's nice that I have it," Vollering said.
"For sure we will try our best to defend it until the very end. Actually the plan was to take a little bit later in the week, so I'm really surprised I have the yellow jersey now already."
Watch the Tour de France Femmes 2024 live on Eurosport 1 and discovery+.
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