Chaos continues on Teide: Demi Vollering rushed away from altitude camp just days after Remco Evenepoel required police escort

Mount Teide has long been one of cycling’s most trusted high-altitude training bases, the sort of place riders and teams head to for controlled blocks far from the noise of racing. However, over the course of just a few days, that familiar picture has been disrupted twice: first by the interruption that stranded Remco Evenepoel, and now by an urgent exit involving Demi Vollering.

Vollering’s latest training camp in Tenerife did not end in the usual calm way. After completing what appeared to be the final work of her block, the Dutch star and her FDJ - Suez team were forced to leave Teide quickly after warnings over worsening conditions and road closures on the mountain. What should have been a routine departure instead became a scramble to get down before the situation deteriorated further.

Vollering had already indicated that her time at altitude was coming to an end, but the manner of her departure was far from routine. With conditions worsening and access becoming restricted, the team were instructed to descend without delay. She later summed up the unusual nature of the exit in a brief message on her Instagram Stories: “Bye Teide, strange to leave you like this.”

The Dutch rider was able to leave the mountain safely, avoiding further complications as conditions continued to shift.

Just days earlier, Evenepoel had been caught out by rapidly changing weather on the same mountain. Snow and road closures left riders unable to descend as planned, forcing a temporary halt to movement off Teide.

Ahead of Stage 1 of the Volta a Catalunya, Evenepoel confirmed that he needed assistance to leave the area. “In the end, it was pretty easy actually. Just a police escort,” he said, after the situation had initially raised concerns about his travel to the race.

He went on to start the race without issue and immediately featured at the front, finishing second on the opening stage.

Teide remains one of the most widely used altitude camps in the sport, with both men’s and women’s teams relying on its conditions throughout the season. The back-to-back situations involving Vollering and Evenepoel underline how quickly those conditions can change.

For Vollering, the interruption brings an early end to her latest block before returning to racing. For Evenepoel, the disruption proved short-lived, with his performance in Catalunya showing no immediate impact.

Both cases, however, stem from the same stretch of unsettled weather that has affected Tenerife in recent days, forcing teams to adapt their plans on one of cycling’s most familiar training grounds.