Vollering Outsprints Niewiadoma to Capture First Worlds Rainbow Jersey

Demi Vollering continued her dream season on Saturday, finally taking the rainbow jersey she has spent years dreaming of.

The Dutchwoman rode with authority in the elite women’s world championships but also overestimated her strength, going early, being reeled in 23km later and finally ending up in a two-up battle with Kasia Niewiadoma (Poland).

Both reached final 200 meters together, just about fending off Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) and Marlen Reusser (Switzerland), and while Niewiadoma initially moved ahead of her rival when she launched the sprint, she was unable to hold on.

Vollering crossed the line arms wide and jubilant, while Niewiadoma rolled in clasping her thigh, apparently suffering cramp.

She was second with Longo Borghini third, ending a dramatic and highly entertaining race.

“I think I still cannot believe it,” an emotional Vollering said. “Like I said before, I truly believed I had this dream in my heart for a reason. I worked so hard towards this goal. It takes guts to truly believe it with your whole heart and to gather a team around you with such strong girls. They all sacrifice for you.

“They maybe also have a chance, and they all go for it only for you…it is a lot to ask from them. I am so proud of everybody from the team, they did the whole race, we took it in hand. They rode the whole race in the front and then Puck did an amazing leadout. I could just not not finish the job.”

The Dutch team did indeed dominate, chasing down an early four-rider move which included Natalie Qiunn (United States). They softened up the opposition and, crucially, avoided a huge crash earlier on which ruined the chances of defending champion Magdeline Vallieres (Canada), Kate Courtney (United States), Paula Blasi (Spain) and others.

A huge move, but too soon

Vollering was very prominent as the laps ticked down and launched a huge attack with 38.5km remaining. She kicked clear on the third-last ascent of the Voie Camillien-Houde and immediately gapped the other riders, but had overestimated her strength and was unable to grow her advantage.

“There were so many moments I thought I went too early,” she said of that long and ultimately unsuccessful bid to stay clear. “It stayed so close the whole time and I didn’t dare to turn around and look back because I was like, ‘I feel like they are almost on my wheel already.’ Then it was 20 seconds, 22, 15.”

A regrouping behind saw Longo Borghini, Niewiadoma, Marlen Reusser (Switzerland), Dominika Włodarczyk (Poland), Vollering’s teammate Puck Pieterse, plus the French riders Maeva Squiban, Juliette Berthet and Célia Gery all come together and, riding well, they kept Vollering in range.

Longo Borghini and Niewiadoma finally dropped the others and bridged to Vollering with 15.2km left. Longo Borghini went clear the last time up the climb but was caught and dropped before the top, leaving two out front.

Vollering said her strength of mind was what was crucial. “At one point they came back and I was like, ‘oh shit, but it is still not over,’” she said. “‘I have to believe in it from my little toe.’ I just dared and tried again and never gave up to the finish line.”

Longo Borghini put in a huge effort to all but get up to them just before the sprint opened. Reusser was almost there too, but it was too late. Vollering and Niewiadoma sprinted for the win, with the Dutchwoman finally triumphing on her eighth attempt.

It sees her become only the second female rider to win the triple crown of Tour, worlds and Giro, four years after compatriot Annemiek van Vleuten achieved it in 2022.

A race of ever-growing intensity

The women’s road race was set to be a very difficult one, with a flat early section being followed by a much harder final 120km. That featured eight laps of the Montreal finishing circuit and would see the riders clock up 2412 meters of climbing.

The early break featured Beatriz Roxo (Portugal), Natalie Quinn (United States), Marte Berg Edseth (Norway) and Gergana Stoyanova (Bulgaria). A huge crash with 95km remaining messed up the chances of many riders, including Magdeline Vallieres (Canada), Kate Courtney (United States) and Paula Blasi (Spain).

Edseth and Quinn left the other two behind, with the American then losing contact with the Norwegian rider with 80km to go. Edseth was caught 4km later. Vollering’s Dutch team was doing much of the racing at the front and reeled in various breakaway attempts, including a dangerous-looking move by Mireia Benito (Spain), Antonia Niedermaier (Germany) and Sara Casasola (Italy).

Maeva Squiban (France) launched with 52km to go and had 45 seconds over the race favorites with three laps remaining.

However Puck Pieterse then hit the front with 40km left, hammering it on the climb, and paving the way for a big Vollering surge with 38.5km left. She caught and passed Squiban, while behind Niewiadoma joined up with teammate Dominika Włodarczyk, Elisa Longo Borghini Italy), Pieterse, Marlen Reusser (Switzerland) plus the French trio of Squiban, Juliette Berthet and Célia Gery.

Vollering was trying to stretch out her lead but despite going deep, her advantage was still only 22 seconds with two laps to go. Longo Borghini attacked on the climb with 25km left and dragged Niewiadoma clear. With the two of them chasing Vollering, it made for a replication of the penultimate stage of the Tour de France Femmes but, this time, they would bring her back.

They bridged with 15.2km left and Longo Borghini then went solo just before the start of the final lap. Her move was very gusty but she was reeled in before the summit of the climb and distanced by the other two riders.

Niewiadoma attacked hard with 4km to go, giving it everything on the uphill there. Vollering clung on to her and that set things up for a two up sprint which she won.

She said strength of mind was a big part of that final effort.

“I was not planning to give it away any more from that moment,” she stated. “I was like, ‘no, now it is mine.’”