While Demi Vollering is about to experience her first race with new staff FDJ-Suez on Thursday on the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, she insists there isn’t any feeling of needing to take revenge towards former staff SD Worx-Protime when she strains up towards them.
The Dutch staff are but to announce their roster for the four-day Spanish stage race. However, Vollering will likely be racing towards Kasia Niewiadoma, six months after shedding the Tour de France Femmes to her by 4 seconds.
Vollering performed down questions of a pending two-team rivalry forming between her new and former employers, talking in a press convention on Tuesday, after her initially dramatic however in the end amicable switch in the summertime.
After a whirlwind ladies’s switch window, Vollering is properly conscious that Niewiadoma’s Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto and Lidl-Trek are additionally among the many groups vying to knock SD Worx-Protime off the highest spot.
“I do not see it as a battle between the 2 groups, I believe it is a battle between the entire peloton,” mentioned Vollering. “Numerous groups have stepped up with sturdy riders, so I believe we could have opponents in all types of groups within the peloton for the time being.
“It does not really feel, for me, like I wish to take revenge on the staff or one thing as a result of I left there with good emotions. It’s not that I wish to take revenge on them. Of course, we wish to win from them, however that is one other factor.”
The Dutch rider is seeking to hit the bottom working in 2025 heading into the Classics, nevertheless, her fundamental purpose will as soon as once more be the Tour de France Femmes. After airing out their soured relationship within the low season, it appears as if Lotte Kopecky might goal the GC in July and develop into Vollering’s greatest contender.
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World champion Kopecky confirmed she would goal the yellow jersey in January. She proved her Grand Tour potential by ending second on the Tour in 2023 behind Vollering and second ultimately season’s Giro d’Italia Women.
“I believe Lotte [Kopecky] confirmed certainly, that she she may be very sturdy on the climbs already,” mentioned Vollering. “So I’m very curious how she is going to put together and the way she will likely be within the race, however I’ve little question that Lotte is usually a nice competitor for the general win.”
Before the Tour, nevertheless, Vollering ought to come nose to nose with Kopecky and her former coach Anna van der Breggen in the course of the Classics. The first assembly is about for Milan-San Remo on March 22, after the latter got here out of retirement.
Vollering went winless till May’s Vuelta final season. She revealed that the stress of needing and wanting to alter groups, alongside the strain of making an attempt to repeat her gorgeous 2023 season performed an element in her outcomes.
With these stresses now resolved, and having built-in properly at FDJ-Suez, Vollering feels rejuvenated and able to get her 2025 season underway.
“I work with a brand new coach in order that makes already issues totally different, after all, however I believe I don’t change that a lot. But for positive, this winter was extra relaxed, far more calm,” mentioned Vollering.
“Last winter, I had so many choices I wanted to make and a lot stress I had in that interval. But additionally, I believe the yr earlier than was so profitable for me that it was very troublesome to match that once more the season after.
“I needed to verify I used to be making the fitting determination, so I used to be watching each little element and going into lots of conversations, not solely as a result of I knew I wanted to do one thing, however I needed to be fully assured.
“This winter I used to be tremendous relaxed and I might put together calmly for each calm scenario. I really feel method rather more prepared than I felt final yr.
“In the tip, it was an excellent determination, I hope. We will see this season, after all, however thus far, I really feel actually good, and I believe I’ve realized a lot already over this winter.”