On Tuesday afternoon, Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ) rolled across the stage 4 finish line in Poitiers unscathed and visibly relieved. After a hard crash the previous day, it had been uncertain whether the Dutch GC favourite would be able to continue the nine-day Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
The FDJ-SUEZ leader was caught in a mass pile-up with 4km to go on Monday’s stage, and she was among the last to get back on her bike. With a torn kit and in evident pain, Vollering was escorted to the finish line by her teammates. She underwent an initial medical evaluation that evening, with further assessments scheduled for the following morning.
It wasn’t until just hours before the start of Stage 4 that her team confirmed she had cleared a second concussion protocol and would continue her bid for the yellow jersey.
“I was really relieved. This morning I had a lot of pain in my neck. I could barely hold my head up,” Vollering said after the stage. She sported kinesiology tape on her neck and was attended to by the team’s medical staff upon her return to the team bus.
“Luckily, it went well on the bike, which gave me a good feeling. No headache either, so that was good news," Vollering commented.
Stage 4 presented another sprint day with the same crash risks as the stage before. The peloton was tense at times, especially when crosswinds split the group and riders scrambled to hold position. But Vollering’s team kept her well protected near the front.
“The team did a great job keeping me hidden and protected all day,” she said. “Today’s finish was a little chaotic again, so that tension was definitely there. Everything was going fine until a rider slammed into my side, and I came to a complete stop for a moment. But I made it through and luckily didn’t lose any time.”
As in Stage 3, the 5km safety zone was in effect for Stage 4, meaning Vollering retained her position in the General Classification.
Still, the crash brought back difficult memories. In last year’s Tour de France Femmes, Vollering suffered a similar fall and ultimately lost the race by just four seconds—the narrowest margin in Tour de France history. Monday’s crash left her both physically sore and mentally shaken.
“A crash like that always affects you,” she admitted. But her confidence appears to be returning. “I think the shock has faded a bit now.”
With the mountains looming at the end of the week and the GC battle about to ignite, Vollering is now focused on what’s ahead. With the crash behind her and her composure restored, she said she’s “looking forward to a battle.”
