“It happens with every marriage that ends in divorce!” – FDJ - Suez boss reveals all on Demi Vollering exit from SD Worx-Protime

FDJ - Suez has firmly established itself as one of the dominant forces in the women’s peloton, and their latest move in 2025 underscores their ambitions. The team has secured the signature of Demi Vollering, the 2023 Tour de France Femmes winner, from rivals SD Worx - Protime. But despite her star power, the question remains: will Vollering be the undisputed leader of her new team?

Lars Boom, who is also joining FDJ-Suez from SD Worx as the new team manager, shared his perspective with Daniel Benson on why his new squad will be a major contender. "I knew that Demi was going to change teams, and I knew that Stephen (Delcourt, general manager) was also looking for someone else," says Boom. "People put us in touch, and it was good right away. The culture is not that different. Everyone here is open and happy to share and communicate with each other, I think that is the biggest difference. It is nice to talk to everyone about cycling, about how you see the division of roles."

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Boom acknowledged the greater responsibility he now holds at FDJ-Suez, something he was ready to embrace. "I have more responsibility here, and I was ready for that. I missed that a bit with Danny. I'm not going to say anything bad about him because I enjoyed working with him. But he started the team on his own, I think together with Erwin, and he still does it almost alone, he doesn't share that much."

Boom had a front-row seat to the split between Vollering and SD Worx-Protime. While the departure was ultimately amicable, the tension leading up to it was undeniable. "It was clear early on that Demi would leave, so the friction had already arisen. It happens with every marriage that ends in divorce!"

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Vollering’s participation in the Tour de France Femmes is certain, but much of her calendar remains undecided. "We will split up some Grand Tours, of course. That's because we have to focus on some big goals. For example, Demi had a busy calendar the last few years, so that will change a bit. We can focus a bit more on training, and later go to altitude for the Tour to arrive there in good shape. The same goes for Évita and Juliette. It's a bit in the style of SD Worx because we have multiple leaders, and all three can win."

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