"You really feel it in your heart and lungs" – Demi Vollering reacts to first recon of brutal Kigali Worlds road race course

Demi Vollering believes the women’s road race at the 2025 UCI World Championships in Kigali will be an all-out test of endurance and physiology, after completing her first recon of the Rwandan circuit.

The Dutch star, who already got a taste of parts of the parcours in last weekend’s time trial, described the course as one that weighs heavily on the body rather than just the legs. “It’s mostly very demanding on the body – not just the legs, but really the heart and lungs,” Vollering explained in conversation with Cycling Pro Net. “The repetition makes it so tough. You really feel it in your heart and lungs. The effort is constant, and the body feels the conditions straight away. After a few laps, you’re really going to feel it.”

Vollering’s bronze medal in the individual time trial showed her resilience, but she was candid afterwards about how difficult Kigali’s conditions felt. The thin air and relentless climbing made it a unique challenge, and she admitted she never truly found her rhythm against the clock.

“The climbs are not only steep but also quite long,” she said. “It’s good we know this now so we can anticipate, but the course is definitely very hard.”

The women’s peloton faces multiple laps of the demanding loop on Sunday, with gradients and altitude combining to make for a race of attrition. For a rider of Vollering’s climbing calibre, the parcours may play directly into her strengths, though she was quick to underline the brutal nature of the challenge. Despite the daunting profile, she allowed herself a smile when asked if she liked it: “Yes, I think I like it.”

With a World Championship medal already secured this week, Vollering has proved she can perform in Kigali’s punishing conditions. The road race offers a different tactical test, but the Dutch squad will be confident their leader can once again rise to the occasion in pursuit of the rainbow jersey.