Dream Season Continues as New World Champ Vollering Defends European Title

One week after becoming world champion for the first time, Demi Vollering has doubled up with the European champs jersey, successfully defending the title she won last year.

Vollering continued a dream season with an assertive solo performance, going clear on the final lap with worlds runner-up Kasia Niewiadoma (Poland) and her own Dutch teammate Puck Pieterse. They dropped the other favorites on the Možjanca climb, with Vollering then kicking clear alone with just under 15km remaining.

Niewiadoma chased hard but with Pieterse sitting on, the duo were 34 seconds back with 12.2km to go. They were joined by Elisa Longo Borghini (Italy) and Antonia Niedermaier (Germany), with Marlen Reusser (Switzerland) bridging soon afterwards.

That gave the chasers numerical advantage but Vollering was too powerful, driving onwards towards the finish and notching up yet another win in what is a stunning season.

“It is really a golden year,” she said. “It is sad it is already over. Only the TT, and then it is off season already. But I cannot wait to race next year all year in this jersey and hopefully have a good season again.”

Niewiadoma crashed towards the finish, losing any chance of a medal. Pieterse won the sprint for second, five seconds back, with Reusser and Longo Borghini third and fourth. Niedermaier was 15 seconds adrift while a disappointed Niewiadoma limped in 45 seconds behind.

She will rue losing the chance to go for a medal, but Vollering was clearly a class above everyone.

“I just really love winning and it never gets boring for me,” she said, making clear that she still has many dreams in the sport.

“I think also it is not only the winning for me, but just proving yourself and getting better every day. Working on yourself every day and seeing what is still possible for the future. I think that is what I love most about this job.”

Another masterclass performance

The elite women’s road race had a very different course to that of last week’s world road championship. The course in Montréal was very draining but Saturday’s 130km event in Slovenia was primarily flat for the first two thirds. However, following the start of two finishing laps, things did get more difficult.

The riders would face the Možjanca climb on each of those laps and while it was just 2.1km in length, it averaged 10.4 percent.

The days break saw Carina Schrempf (Austria) and Margot Vanpachtenbeke (Belgium) go clear less than 10km from the start and remain out front until 39km to go. The first ascent of the climb saw Reusser surge with 35km to go and force a group clear containing the world champion Vollering, Pieterse, Longo Borghini, Niedermaier, Niewiadoma and Juliette Berthet (France).

However while these are all very powerful riders, the terrain enabled a large regrouping on and after the descent.

Franziska Koch (Germany) and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Denmark) then played their hand with 28km remaining. They got 25 seconds but were gobbled up with 19km left, just before Liane Lippert (Germany) attacked on a ramp and was joined by Noemi Rüegg (Switzerland) and Femke De Vries (Netherlands).

That trio sped towards the climb with a lead of 20 seconds but were reeled in with 16km remaining. Vollering, Pieterse and Niewiadoma pushed forward on the uphill but when the world champion surged with just under 15km remaining, she quickly moved clear.

Niewiadoma chased, with Pieterse sitting on, and while Longo Borghini, Niedermaier and Reusser rejoined, that collective strength could do nothing against Vollering.

She was well able to hold them off, racing to her second major triumph in eight days.