'That was not the plan' – Demi Vollering and FDJ United-Suez rue missed opportunity on Mont Ventoux at Tour de France Femmes

Dutchwoman hoped to take the yellow jersey on stage seven. Instead, she fell three seconds back in the GC

Demi Vollering's hopes of a triumphant return to Mont Ventoux during the Tour de France Femmes were dashed on Friday. The FDJ United-Suez rider had envisioned herself standing atop the mountain, tears in her eyes, but instead, she struggled to keep up with the lead rider Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-Sram). Starting the day just 12 seconds behind Reusser, Vollering ended 15 seconds off the yellow jersey.

With only a few hundred meters left, she halted, downing a water bottle and descending to her team bus amid the cameras. Team director Nicolas Maire acknowledged that the plan had not gone as anticipated, stating, "That was not the plan." He further added, "At least we pushed her to fight until the line and to still believe that it's possible on the next day."

However, the duo's strategy was criticized for looking too much at each other, allowing Niewiadoma-Phinney to build a significant lead. Reusser agreed, admitting they had made "stupid" tactics. Vollering later expressed her disappointment, saying, "I launched an attack, and then Kasia very cleverly went straight over the top of it."

Despite the setback, FDJ's sports director Maire remains optimistic, stating, "Until the finish line in Nice, all is possible."

Written by urgent.news from Cycling Weekly's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.