"I did everything I could" - Demi Vollering sacrifices herself for Lorena Wiebes unsuccessfully in Paris Olympic road race

In a thrilling edition of the women's road race at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on Sunday afternoon, one of the pre race favourites, Lorena Wiebes was notably absent from the finale. This was despite the sacrificial work of her teammate, Demi Vollering.

After Chloe Dygert's crash on the penultimate ascent of the brutal Montmartre climb, the group of favourites was split. For the Netherlands, it saw riders spread across the race. "Lorena was in front of the crash and I was behind it with Lotte Kopecky and Kasia Niewiadoma. That way we wanted to ride to Lorena, but I noticed that I wasn't going to make it," Vollering recalled afterwards in his post-race interview. "The moment I stopped my legs, Lotte jumped out of my wheel. I couldn't follow her, she immediately had a gap."

Whilst Kopecky was able to get back to the front and eventually take a bronze medal, Wiebes and Vollering were left to fight for the minor positions, taking 11th and 34th respectively. "When I caught Lorena, I thought it was better to stay with her and close the gap for her. But I wasn't able to do that," Vollering laments. "I did everything I could, but it's also difficult to ride against a group of eight riders on your own. So I'm a bit disappointed about that, because with Lorena in the front group the cards would be shuffled completely differently."

In the end, it was Kristen Faulkner who secured the gold medal for the USA, with the Dutch securing some prize through Marianne Vos in second with silver. "Ultimately, Marianne can be very proud of her silver medal, knowing that it is also a matter of gambling in such a final," says Vollering. "Faulkner chose a good moment and Marianne and Lotte looked at each other, after which she was gone. I just spoke to Marianne and I am sure that she did everything she could. She had also done a lot of work, by jumping along several times."

"The moment Lotte crosses over, she also knows that she is the favourite. And vice versa, so it is normal that they looked at each other. Marianne also knows very well what she has to do in such a final," concludes the defending Tour de France Femmes winner. "Faulkner is a very strong rider. She has already beaten us in this way in the Vuelta. If she is gone, then she is gone."