"We could have done things differently" - Marianne Vos' chances of world title partly crushed by compatriot Demi Vollering
Cycling
The Netherlands found themselves in a great situation into the final lap of the race but came out of it without a medal. Although Marianne Vos didn't have the best climbing legs, because of her early attack she was actually in a strong position to win the race... But the many attacks in the final kilometers made it impossible, and this included Demi Vollering's moves.
Vos was in a group of four entering the final lap with a minute over the peloton and had Riejanne Markus pace in the group for her. It was an almost ideal situation for the veteran, a former World Champion who found herself again in a position to do it. The gap was enough to go over the two main climbs still in the front of the race, with the main favourites behind arriving in very small groups.
"We could have done things differently indeed. I knew it would explode from behind. Up until a certain point, that was a good situation for us. When we are ahead, you know that you are putting pressure on the competition. That would be good for Demi," Vos says.
But Vollering wanted the title as well, and as has happened before in World or European championships, riders of the same team race for themselves. Vollering could not outsprint her rivals at the finish line in Zurich, and so she attempted to attack several times on the many small climbs. Her attacks dropped Vos, who wouldn't be able to return to the head of the race ahead.
In the end Vollering was the team's best, in fifth place. “That’s also the game. Of course we are disappointed too. We didn’t come here to fall off the podium. We did everything we could. In hindsight, you might have done it differently. That’s for sure". Vos was eighth at the finish line, sprinting in the first chasing group over a minute behind the winning group where Lotte Kopecky raised her arms in glory.
“I didn’t have legs left. The moment Demi goes and there are six gone, then it’s fingers crossed and hoping that it will work out. If you start analyzing, we will definitely see that there are points where we could have done it differently".
Read also
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 3visitors 3
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
#cyclisme 🚴♀️ Championnat du Monde 🌈 en ligne 4 coureuses à l'avant : Riejanne #Markus, Justine #Ghekiere, Marianne #Vos et Ruby #RosemanGannon #vélo #Zurich2024 🇨🇭
5 Comments