Demi Vollering, in a demonstration on Sunday, outperformed her competitors to clinch her first victory in the Tour of Flanders. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot managed to stick to her wheel in the Old Quaremont (2 km at 4.4%), but was unable to keep up with the Dutchwoman. Vollering extended her lead in the final ascent, the Paterberg (400 m at 8.3%), to claim victory in Oudenaarde.
Behind them, the battle for second place unfolded between Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma Lease a bike) and Puck Pieterse (Alpecin). The French rider managed to pull ahead and secure second place. Lotte Kopecky won the sprint of the chasing group ahead of Zoë Backstedt, finishing in fourth place.
A race marked by a spectacular crash
A triumph for Vollering, adding to her already impressive trophy cabinet. After victories in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, at the Strade Bianche, La Flèche Wallonne, and the Amstel Gold Race, she claimed her first victory in the Ronde van Vlaanderen, just over a month after success at the circuit Het Nieuwsblad. “I’m speechless. I dreamt of this moment and worked hard for it. The race was so tough, especially because of the wind,” commented the European champion before joining Pogačar on the podium in front of the town hall in Oudenaarde. “We had the numerical advantage in the finale with my teammates. It’s not every day you have that luxury. It was up to me to make the most of it,” she continued.
“I dreamt of attacking on Quaremont. I went full gas to the top and saw that I had created a gap. Then, the last few kilometers seemed endless; at that moment, everything is decided in the head.” Before the final, the race was marked by a spectacular collective crash caused by a barely visible road sign, with about twenty riders hitting the ground, including two contenders for victory, the Swiss Marlen Reusser and the Mauritian Kim Le Court.
“The race was very nervous due to the importance of positioning approaching the climbs,” said Vollering. “In this context, my teammates did an incredible job.” The duel between Vollering and Ferrand-Prévot, whose climax is expected in August at the Tour de France, will continue at the end of April in the Belgian Ardennes, on the roads of Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The Dutch woman will skip Paris-Roubaix next Sunday, as will the French rider, who had won it last year.
