"I am not afraid that she will buckle under the pressure" - Netherlands all-in for Demi Vollering at World Championships
Cycling
Demi Vollering has the Netherlands behind her as she chases her first elite rainbow jersey on Saturday at the World Championships. In a season where she solidified her status as the best women's rider in the world, he could cap it off with world title.
The Dutch rider is the big favourite for the elite women's road race on Saturday, and has received the full backing from her national team to chase her first World Championships road race medal - after finishing fifth in 2024 and twice in seventh.
For the Netherlands, this week in Montreal is the culmination of a long term plan to bring home gold - a plan centered around Demi Vollering.
“After the classics, the Demi Vollering plan really started to mature,” Dutch national coach Laurens ten Dam told Wielerflits.
“Of course, you still have to see how the rest of the season goes, but if she then also wins the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France , it is clear. Then you make a plan, Demi.”
Demi Vollering before the World Championships time trial
'Champion' Vollering backed to get the job done
Noting that the course in particular suits his rider, ten Dam backed Vollering to bounce back from 2024 World Championships disappointment after a stellar two years that has seen her go up a gear and establish her place as the best in the world.
“In Montreal, Demi finds a course made for her. It is also different from the 2024 World Championships in Zurich, where Vollering had to save her season. That is obviously not the case now.
"When you have already won the Giro, and the Tour, you can hardly speak of a failed season anymore. She is now two years older and wiser and feels good about herself. I am not afraid that she will buckle under the pressure. She is a champion, and champions can do that.”
Strong Dutch team despite absences
A stellar team is behind her. Featuring Puck Pieterse, Femke de Vries, Amber Kraak, Riejanne Markus, Lieke Nooijen and Kariljn Swinkels, the FDJ United-Suez rider has the resources to control the race. However, both Marianne Vos and Anna van der Breggen are not part of the team.
“Do we have a plan B with Puck Pieterse ? Demi is the team leader and Puck will support her.
“I certainly miss a good Anna and a good Marianne here. Marianne is not injured, but she had a difficult year in which she had a lot to deal with. Anna was too sick, weak, and nauseous after the Tour. She is, of course, also a champion with a good influence on the group, but Demi is becoming such a champion as well.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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