"The penalty makes it seem that we are doing something totally unheard of" - Team SD Worx left raging after 'unjustified' time penalty for Vollering
Cycling
Demi Vollering's quest to take overall victory at the 2023 Tour de France Femmes was given a blow on Thursday's stage 5 as the Dutch, Team SD Worx leader was given a 20-second time penalty.
Speaking afterwards, the Team SD Worx sports director, Anna van der Breggen has slammed the race jury's decision to penalise Vollering for using the draft of a team car to return to the peloton after suffering a mechanical.
“This time penalty falls raw on us. I cycled at the highest level for a long time. It used to be allowed to come back behind the car after equipment failure or a flat tyre. The penalty makes it seem that we are doing something totally unheard of, while in reality, riders return behind the car every day," says van der Breggen. “It is the first time I have experienced such a punishment. The moment the commissaire indicated we should stop, Demi rode from car to car herself back to the tail of the peloton. Therefore, for Demi, this punishment is unjustified.”
Danny Stam, another Team SD Worx sports director and the man in the car Vollering drafted behind was also non-plussed over the decision. “It’s a ridiculous punishment, that in [Vollering's] eyes and our eyes, is not fair,” Stam told Cyclingnews. "If the decision is made by someone who sits in the car, probably never was on the bike, then I am disappointed in this kind of thing."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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Unlucky Tour day for Team SD Worx Demi Vollering lost 20 sec due to a penalty imposed on her by the jury for turning back behind the team car after a flat tyre 61 kilometres from the finish. "This time penalty falls raw on us." More: teamsdworx.com/en/news/tdff-s… Photos: Getty Sport
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