"We had to play good poker" - Demi Vollering outfoxes rivals to take Queen Stage and potentially decisive lead at the Tour de France Femmes

Demi Vollering was at her brilliant best on the Queen Stage of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes, outfoxing her rivals to take a stunning summit finish victory atop the Col du Tourmalet.

"You're always afraid to come to a stop on a climb like that, but luckily that didn't happen," said the Team SD Worx leader in her post-stage interview. "I say all week that I feel little stress, but somewhere in your body that tension builds up. After all, you first have to live up to expectations and it's been super exciting."

After initially riding clear alongside Annemiek Van Vleuten and Katarzyna Niewiadoma, once the Polish rider attacked, Vollering and Van Vleuten opted to wait for the rest of the chasers. "Annemiek left a gap on Katarzyna and I therefore felt that it was not up to me to close the gap," she says of the incident. "I told Annemiek that I was fine with a few turns, but that I would certainly not go full throttle. Then she also decided to wait."

"We had to play good poker. The team told me several times to stay calm and not to accelerate too early, which I did. With Lotte in the group I had a lot of extra confidence that it would all work out," Vollering concludes. "I hope I have some legs left for Sunday's time trial. I've invested a lot in it, so I'm confident."