Demi Vollering finally has the jersey that had eluded her. The Dutch rider won the elite women’s road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal on Saturday, beating her long-standing rival Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney in a two-up sprint after nearly five hours of racing on the Mont-Royal circuit.
Vollering attacked on the sixth ascent of the Côte de Camillien Houde and went solo with just under 40km to go, but was brought back by Niewiadoma, Elisa Longo Borghini and Juliette Berthet on the penultimate lap. Rather than fold, she regrouped, matched every counter-attack from Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma on the final lap, and still had the legs for the decisive move.
Niewiadoma-Phinney launched her sprint inside the final 200 metres, only for Vollering to come around her. The Polish rider cramped in the closing metres, unable to hold off the Dutchwoman’s late kick. Vollering crossed the line in 4:45:09.
Elisa Longo Borghini held off world time-trial champion Marlen Reusser to take bronze for the third time. Vollering’s French teammate at FDJ-SUEZ, Juliette Berthet, finished fifth.
At 29, Vollering had never worn the rainbow jersey despite years as the peloton’s most consistent performer. “I can still not believe it. I worked so hard towards this goal, and it takes guts to truly believe in it with your whole heart,” she said at the finish.
The victory crowns an extraordinary campaign. Vollering has had a stunning year, winning the Tour de France Femmes and Giro d’Italia Women before triumphing at the worlds, on top of a dominant spring that included the Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and La Flèche Wallonne Femmes. She also arrived in Montreal as reigning European champion.
This report draws on original reporting by L’Équipe.
