"They were all pretty much at their limit" - Demi Vollering's Mont Ventoux tactics explained
CyclingFriday, 07 August 2026 at 19:26
Demi Vollering aimed for the yellow jersey and to dethrone Marlen Reusser on Mont Ventoux. She achieved one of those, but remains in the hunt for her first overall win in three years. With plenty attacks, FDJ - Suez DS Lars Boom explained the reasoning behind the European Champion's tactics on the climb.
Vollering in good form
“As I said before: she looks very strong, and she is showing that now," Boom said in words to several news outlets, including Wielerflits. Like previous days, Célia Gery and Évita Muzic were close to the front when the climbing phase of the stage began. But the orders at the bottom of the climb didn't look to be of accelerating.
EF Education - OATLY took over the pace on the lower slopes of Ventoux whilst Vollering moved to the back of the GC group, seemingly signalging lesser legs. It was a bluff, but one that didn't reap benefits. Vollering's initial attack saw her being followed by Marlen Reusser and Katarzyna Niewiadoma.
Shortly after, the Polish rider made her own move, which could not be countered. Vollering tried on two occasions to bridge across and drop the yellow jersey but was unsuccessful. The pace was extremely hard on the steep climb and eventually unsustainable, meaning the duo had to slow down and let the gap grow to the Polish rider who eventually won the stage.
“I think they were all pretty much at their limit," Boom explained. "Demi came back well, but I haven't spoken to her, so I can't go into details. You can see that she comes back in the last kilometer; I think she struggled for a very long time".
DemI Vollering and Marlen Reusser on Mont Ventoux
Read also
Yellow jersey remains the goal for FDJ - Suez
In the final kilometer, Vollering launched a staggering attack and took 30 seconds on Reusser. But the gap to Niewiadoma had escalated to such degree that it wasn't enough to jump into the yellow jersey. Asked about why Vollering saved herself until so late on Ventoux, the team's sports director went into detail.
"The section before that isn't that steep and they had a headwind there. That makes it even harder. We know Demi has a good finish; the goal was to tackle the last kilometer to distance others," he said. "Now there was only one person left ahead".
Reusser was finally distanced and gapped there, but Vollering now faces a similar challenge, only with a new rival. Like in 2024, the Dutchwoman has to chase back Katarzyna Niewiadoma, who has a 15-second lead heading into the final two stages.
“We need to eat, drink, and recover well first. We also need to get through tomorrow well. Sunday is a tough day that suits Demi better than this one, as you already saw on day five," he anticipates. "That does not change the fact that we have to make up fifteen seconds,”
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- love that she calls her husband her husband, and not her partner, whatever that is.whkman07-08-2026
- What a spectacular race, perfect mix of awe-inspiring physical ability and strategic game theory, playing the two leaders off each other as she came from third to take the lead. Fabulous. Also, Vollering had insane energy at the end, and probably could have left Reusser behind sooner than she did. This makes for 2 really exciting last days - only 15 seconds between the two?! This should be fun!RidesHills07-08-2026
- Sometimes one athlete is just better than you and no amount of training or wishing will help.zaz07-08-2026
- Torito doesn't give me the impression that he's willing to accept 2nd place in his prime. After the Worlds last year he spoke about reducing the gap to Pogačar and reaching his level. Therefore, being at UAE or not doesn't matter
Rafionain-Glas07-08-2026 - A shame that that UAE have tied him inot the team for so long. I guess the guarantee of good steady and high income was persuasive. This young man could have been a genuine threat to Pocagar's dominence in a few years time. Tying up up a potential future threat with a long lucritive contract is an oft repeated story.Cyclingsbestfan07-08-2026
- By any standard other than Pogi Jonas had a fantastic season with 12 wins including the GC in the Giro and two major one week racesmobk07-08-2026
- Apparently you guys don't know much of the mindset of the elite athlete. Not a lot of athletes retire in their competitive prime. And they don't give up just because they can't beat so and so. Lots of elite athletes in the peloton sacrificing just as much as Jonas with far less to show for it.mobk07-08-2026
- Spectacular Kasia!mobk07-08-2026
- Quoting Cyclingnews not a rider...Rafionain-Glas07-08-2026
- Who's talking about a quote? No one is talking about the Giro or Vuelta, that's what Cycling News wrote after the 2025 TdF, after Jonas lost to Pogi the second year in a row. Last year Jonas was producing his best numbers ever but still lost TdF. Even in 2024 Jonas said "My level is higher then in 2023, my numbers are better despite my crash, but Pogi is just too strong." ... So, what's your point?PogiSloFans07-08-2026
Loading
Write a comment