"We showed what we can do" - FDJ - Suez shakes off criticism after Demi Vollering's victory at Strade Bianche Donne
Cycling
Demi Vollering's current and former teams were targets of criticism after a stand off at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad WE cost them a shot at victory. Since then, both parties have proven that they have not forgotten how to win. In a head-to-head clash with her former sports director Anna van der Breggen, Vollering came out on top at Strade Bianche. Part of that victory goes to the selfless work of her new FDJ - Suez teammates.
Vollering spoke openly after Strade Bianche about the support she feels within her team and the role she takes on as a leader to motivate the likes of Labous and Évita Muzic to give her their all as loyal domestiques. "Everyone has to be part of the process," the Dutch rider said with confidence. "The girls need to know how grateful I am."
"I’m happy, our collaboration is good and we have a strong bond together," Labous said of the time she’s spent alongside Vollering so far this season. "I feel this and it’s special, for me as a rider it’s nice as I have less pressure on my shoulders – I can be more aggressive which is a new style of riding for me and I can try to go to attacks while before I held myself back in case it didn’t work."
Behind victorious Vollering, Labous battled her compatriot Pauline Ferrand-Prévot for third place, which would've been a cherry on top for FDJ - Suez. "It was amazing, we had this really good plan and everyone was fully committed. We had struggles with Évita crashing in the first sector and it felt like it took forever for her to come back but we kept calm and it was amazing today. We did everything perfectly," she stated after the race.
"Me and Demi had great communication, keeping the gap close to the front group so that she could bridge at the right moment. I really tried to keep her calm and see how strong she was. I gave her motivation. I’m looking forward to watching the replay as we had a really great race, especially if you compare it to last weekend where we got some criticism. Today we showed what we could do."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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