Demi Vollering: "Every time I open my mouth, there's criticism. That's just the way it is"

Demi Vollering is one of the most talented riders in the female peloton and also a vocal one, but she has found that over the years her words are often taken in the wrong way and she is often target of criticism - which she feels she does not deserve.

"The things I was bombarded with after that World Championship... You have to be strong for this, otherwise you become deeply depressed," the Dutchwoman said in an interview with De Volkskrant. "Every time I open my mouth, there's criticism. That's just the way it is". Interestingly, this was over team and rider tactics, in which Vollering didn't stray far from her peers.

It was mostly after the Tour de France Femmes in which a lot of people interpreted her comments on Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's weight wrong. "It was another eye-opener how my comments were taken out of context. People thought I didn't want her to succeed. That wasn't the case at all. That was ridiculous," she explains. "She hadn't won the Tour just because she was lighter, but because she had prepared well. I felt it was unfair that my message was misrepresented."

The FDJ - Suez is hence forced to try and stay away from social media or the comments that follow, as she has become a target of constant harassment in the sport. Ultimately a negative outcome for a rider who is equally looking to inspire the younger generations to take up the sport: "I don't just cycle for myself. I want to show young girls that they can dream big too."

But the 28-year old is perfectly aware that is comes with the exposure that she gets from being a top rider, one who may win the Velo d'Or this year in fact. "The elite sports world is tough; there are many fake people and relationships. When I get on my bike, I'm a killer. Off the bike, not so much."

So why is she still so vocal? "If I don't say it, I actually lose energy. Then I just think about it longer," Vollering clarifies. "So I prefer to say it out loud—with all the consequences."