Demi Vollering Comes Up Short in Final Assault at Tour de France Femmes
Demi Vollering, the Dutch cycling star and a pre-race favorite, fell just short of capturing the yellow leader's jersey in the final stage of the Tour de France Femmes on Sunday. Despite her determined performance during a grueling mountain stage, she could not overcome her earlier misfortune that left her with a deficit before the climactic ride.
Vollering's journey to Alpe d'Huez was filled with challenges, as she had crashed on stage 5, losing nearly two minutes and setting her back in the standings. As she took on the mountains in the final stage, the pressure was on for Vollering to make a significant move to reclaim her position at the top.
Crossing the finish line victorious atop Alpe d'Huez, Vollering secured ten bonus seconds for her efforts. However, her time was still not enough to take the leaders jersey from Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma, who finished a mere minute and one second behind her. Niewiadoma's remarkable performance allowed her to maintain a narrow four-second lead over Vollering, proving her mettle as a tough competitor.
The dynamic duo of Vollering and Pauliena Rooijakkers raced together, but the race against the clock proved daunting. Rooijakkers held the upper hand, possessing a slight advantage in the standings, which pushed Vollering to not only defeat her but to also shake off Niewiadoma.
In the final stretch, Vollering found a burst of speed to pull away, riding at a pace that was 20 seconds faster than Niewiadoma's ascent. But it was a case of too little, too late as the defending champion was unable to reclaim the Tour title he had won the previous year.
In 2022, the race underwent a significant upgrade, rebranding to Tour de France Femmes for the first time in decades. Annemiek van Vleuten triumphed in the inaugural edition, while Vollering had her moment of glory last year. Now, as the dust settles from this year's competition, a new champion, Niewiadoma, emerges, claiming the crown atop the ascents of the Tour Femmes.
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