Lack of communication proves costly for Vollering in Brabantse Pijl - "Marlen and I couldn't communicate with each other"

Demi Vollering was just one spot away from winning Brabantse Pijl but was ultimately beaten by Silvia Persico in the final sprint, possibly due to Vollering's failure to refuel during the race and resulting lower energy levels.

But it was not the only reason which factored in her loss. “Maybe I wanted to thin out the big group a bit too early. There wasn't really cooperation in the peloton. On the penultimate climb towards the finish, I rode full throttle at the front. That wasn't very smart with that headwind, because everyone in your wheel then is out of the wind. But on the other hand you hurt the rest, so it wasn't so wrong now,” she told Indeleiderstrui.

She also spoke about today’s breakaway. "Normally it breaks away quickly here, but not today. Maybe because the weather was still too good in the first part of the race. As a result, it just didn't break all the time. That was a shame in itself, because it's such a chaotic lap and when you're away with a group then, it's only pleasant.”

Communication difficulties with her teammate Marlen Reusser also played a part in the unfavourable outcome of the race for her. “We only had two riders with radios. So Marlen and I couldn't communicate with each other. Otherwise I could have let her know I was coming. So that didn't quite work out the way I wanted. But in the end I still managed to get a nice second place,” concluded Vollering.