‘This déjà vu came back’ – Vollering turns tables to her favour after seizing Tour de France Femmes lead with stage 8 win

‘This déjà vu came back’ – Vollering turns tables to her favour after seizing Tour de France Femmes lead with stage 8 win

The FDJ United-Suez leader turned a 15-second deficit into an eight-second advantage in Nice, then disclosed the knee problem that disrupted her winter preparation.

By Peter Stuart · · 4 min read

Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) regained the Tour de France Femmes yellow jersey on Saturday by winning stage 8 in Nice, leaving her eight seconds ahead of Katarzyna Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon//SRAM) before the final day.

Vollering made a late attack with 6km remaining on the 171.9km stage from Sisteron to Nice, finishing 17 seconds ahead of Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team L’Imad) and Niewiadoma-Phinney. The 10-second winner’s bonus helped turn her overnight 15-second deficit into an eight-second advantage.

Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team) remains third overall at 1:12, while Longo Borghini is fourth at 3:05. Vollering’s victory was her second of this Tour after she won the three-rider sprint on stage 5.

Results

Aug 8

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Demi Vollering
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ4:02:39
🥈
Elisa Longo Borghini
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+0:17
🥉
Katarzyna Anna Niewiadoma-Phinney
CANYON//SRAM +0:17
4
Mary Patricia Kimberley le Court de Billot - Pienaar
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+0:38
5
Lotte Kopecky
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+0:38
6
Dominika Wlodarczyk
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+0:38
7
Sarah van Dam
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:38
8
Noemi Rüegg
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+0:38
9
Paula Blasi Cairol
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+0:38
10
Cedrine Kerbaol
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+0:38
11
Antonia Niedermaier
CANYON//SRAM +0:38
12
Marlen Reusser
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:38
13
Thalita de Jong
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+1:37
14
Debora Silvestri
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+1:37
15
Kristen Faulkner
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+1:37
16
Lorena Wiebes
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+1:50
17
Elisa Balsamo
LIDL - TREK+1:50
18
Marianne Vos
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+1:50
19
Pfeiffer Zara Georgi
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+1:50
20
Emilie Morier
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+1:50
21
Clémence Latimier
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+1:50
22
Celia le Mouel
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+1:50
23
Nienke Vinke
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+1:50
24
Nina Buijsman
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+1:50
25
Puck Pieterse
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+1:50
26
Juliette Berthet
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+1:50
27
Isabella Holmgren
LIDL - TREK+1:50
28
Célia Gery
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+1:50
29
Josie Nelson
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+1:50
30
Femke de Vries
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+1:50
31
Daniek Hengeveld
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+1:50
32
Magdeleine Vallieres Mill
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+1:50
33
Amalie Dideriksen
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+2:10
34
Letizia Paternoster
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+2:10
35
Gaia Masetti
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+2:10
36
Lieke Nooijen
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+2:10
37
Laura Asencio
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+2:10
38
Niamh Mary Fisher-Black
LIDL - TREK+2:10
39
Urška Žigart
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+2:10
40
Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset
UNO-X MOBILITY+2:10
41
Margarita Victoria Garcia Cañellas
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+2:10
42
Romina Hinojosa Cruz
LOTTO INTERMARCHE LADIES+2:38
43
Fiona Mangan
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+2:51
44
Malwina Mul
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+3:05
45
Paula Ostiz Taco
MOVISTAR TEAM+3:17
46
Jeanne Korevaar
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+3:22
47
Linda Riedmann
LOTTO INTERMARCHE LADIES+3:22
48
Eline Jansen
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+3:22
49
Yuliia Biriukova
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+3:22
50
Arianna Fidanza
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+3:22
51
Riejanne Markus
LIDL - TREK+3:35
52
Karolina Perekitko
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+4:08
53
Justine Ghekiere
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+4:31
54
Sophie von Berswordt
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+4:31
55
Rosa Klöser
CANYON//SRAM +4:31
56
Lotte Claes
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+4:31
57
Zoe Backstedt
CANYON//SRAM +4:31
58
Mischa Bredewold
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+4:31
59
Marte Berg Edseth
UNO-X MOBILITY+4:38
60
Franziska Koch
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+4:38
61
Lily Williams
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+4:38
62
Mireia Benito Pellicer
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+4:38
63
Sara Casasola
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+4:38
64
Titia Ryo
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+4:38
65
Alison Jackson
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+4:38
66
Nina Berton
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+4:38
67
Maeva Squiban
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+4:38
68
Lucinda Brand
LIDL - TREK+4:44
69
Loes Adegeest
LIDL - TREK+4:44
70
Amanda Spratt
LIDL - TREK+4:44
71
Anouska Koster
UNO-X MOBILITY+5:05
72
Carlotta Cipressi
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+5:05
73
Océane Mahe
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+5:05
74
Maud Rijnbeek
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+6:46
75
Quinty Schoens
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+6:46
76
Idoia Eraso Lasa
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+6:46
77
Millie Couzens
FENIX-PREMIER TECH+7:29
78
Caroline Wreszin
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+8:34
79
Natalie Quinn
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+8:34
80
Victorie Guilman
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+8:34
81
Noemie Abgrall
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+9:14
82
Silvia Persico
UAE TEAM L'IMAD+9:14
83
Ana Vitoria Gouvea Vieira Almeida Magalhaes
MOVISTAR TEAM+9:14
84
Chiara Consonni
CANYON//SRAM +9:14
85
Heidi Franz
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+9:14
86
Lucie Fityus
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+9:14
87
Alicia Gonzalez Blanco
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+9:14
88
Arlenis Sierra Canadilla
MOVISTAR TEAM+9:14
89
Liane Lippert
MOVISTAR TEAM+9:14
90
Sara Martin Martin
MOVISTAR TEAM+9:14
91
Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka
CANYON//SRAM +9:14
92
Francesca Barale
MOVISTAR TEAM+9:14
93
Sandrine Tas
LOTTO INTERMARCHE LADIES+9:14
94
Soraya Paladin
CANYON//SRAM +9:14
95
Elena Cecchini
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+9:14
96
Mia Griffin
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+9:14
97
Anneke Dijkstra
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+9:14
98
Ruby Roseman-Gannon
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+9:14
99
Alessia Vigilia
UNO-X MOBILITY+9:14
100
Paula Andrea Patiño Bedoya
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+9:14
101
Henrietta Christie
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+9:14
102
Alice Madeleine Towers
EF EDUCATION - OATLY+9:14
103
Valentina Cavallar
TEAM SD WORX - PROTIME+9:14
104
Julie Bego
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+9:14
105
Ema Comte
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+9:14
106
Marit Raaijmakers
HUMAN POWERED HEALTH+10:21
107
Malou Eisen
VOLKERWESSELS CYCLING TEAM+10:21
108
Constance Valentin
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+10:21
109
Marie le Net
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+10:21
110
Nadia Gontova
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+10:21
111
Marine Allione
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+10:21
112
Mackenzie Coupland
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+10:21
113
Naia Amondarain Gaztañaga
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+10:21
114
Usoa Ostolaza Zabala
LABORAL KUTXA - FUNDACION EUSKADI+10:21
115
Solène Muller
ST MICHEL - PREFERENCE HOME - AUBER93+10:21
116
Morgane Coston
MA PETITE ENTREPRISE+10:21
117
Silke Smulders
LIV-ALULA-JAYCO+11:24
118
Alice Coutinho
MAYENNE MONBANA MY PIE+11:24
119
Marion Bunel
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+11:42
120
Lore de Schepper
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+11:42
121
Robyn Clay
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+11:51
122
Shari Bossuyt
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+12:00
123
Letizia Borghesi
AG INSURANCE - SOUDAL TEAM+12:00
124
Evita Muzic
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+12:00
125
Amber Kraak
FDJ UNITED - SUEZ+12:00
126
Nikola Nosková
COFIDIS WOMEN TEAM+12:00

Vollering described the return of yellow as emotional after what she called a difficult previous year. She had worn the jersey earlier in this race before Niewiadoma-Phinney took the lead with a solo victory on Mont Ventoux during stage 7.

“It’s pretty special to have yellow back finally,” Vollering said in a post-race interview where Velora was present. “To have it back now, it’s even more amazing.”

She said recovering from disappointment during a stage race required moving on quickly, with little time to dwell on the previous day.

“You just need to do it,” Vollering said. “In a stage race, you live day by day, so you can be disappointed at night, but then the next morning you need to put on a new mask and you go again. You try again, you make a plan with the team.”

“Maybe it was in January when I did the recon here, I somehow saw this flashback in front of my eyes that I would take yellow here, but it didn’t make sense in my eyes,” Vollering said. “But then this morning, this déjà vu, it came kind of back, and I was like, maybe it’s true, maybe it was really like how it should be.”

During the race, she used that memory to reinforce her belief that FDJ United-Suez could overturn the deficit. Vollering said the team had to “dig so deep” to make the plan work, crediting the people around her for the result.

An eight-second lead for the final stage

Vollering revealed after the finish that a knee problem had prevented her from riding for almost all of December. “Actually over the winter I had some knee problems,” Vollering said, “I never told the outside World, actually.” She suggested she had kept the injury private and only resumed training in full in January, when she completed some of her first efforts on the climbs she will face during the final stage.

“I was just so grateful to be back on the bike,” she said. “So tomorrow I will try to find it.”

Stage 9 covers an aggressive 99.2km from Nice to Nice on Sunday, August 9, with four repeat ascents of the Cole d’Èze. Vollering expects another aggressive contest from Niewiadoma-Phinney, whose eight-second deficit leaves the race open to an attack or time bonuses.

“I think tomorrow it’s going to be a hard fight again, but I will do everything I have left because I don’t want any regrets afterwards,” Vollering said. “I have had that feeling already too much, and it’s the worst feeling I have had in my life.”

Vollering said beginning the final stage in yellow already fulfilled one of her ambitions, while accepting that the classification could still change.

“Everything can happen on the last day, but at least I start in yellow tomorrow, and that’s already a dream coming true,” she said. “We’re going to try everything to keep that yellow tomorrow.”

Cover image credit: BILLY CEUSTERS

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Peter

Peter Stuart

Editor

Peter is the editor of Velora and oversees Velora’s editorial strategy and content standards, bringing nearly 20 years of cycling journalism to the site. He was editor of Cyclingnews from 2022, introducing its digital membership strategy and expanding its content pillars. Before that he was digital editor at Cyclist, and then Rouleur. Before joining Cyclist in 2012, he completed freelance work for titles including The Times and The Telegraph. He has reported from Grand Tours and WorldTour races, and previously represented Great Britain as a rower.