Demi Vollering’s bid to win this year’s Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is still alive, after she was cleared to continue the race following a crash on stage three.
The FDJ-SUEZ leader came down in a mass pile-up inside 4km to go during Monday’s stage. One of the last to get up, she was helped to the finish by her teammates, and was later tested for concussion.
Vollering’s team manager, Stephen Delcourt, also confirmed she suffered pain in her knee and back. She has now been deemed fit enough to ride on.
Less than three hours before stage four, FDJ-SUEZ issued the following update: “Further medical examinations and a second concussion protocol Demi Vollering underwent this morning with the team doctor, ruled out the risk of concussion.
“With the support of FDJ-SUEZ team, Demi Vollering is determined to take part in today's stage. The team remains vigilant and will further follow her situation during the efforts (warming up and race).”
"I feel OK," Vollering said to the media before stage four. "I hit my head also a bit but the team did a really good examination and for now it doesn't look like I have concussion so that's the good news.
"When I was on the ground I had some throwback to last year but luckily this time it was in the last kilometres, for the rule, so I didn't lose time. My team was there with me, so I'm really glad."
Beyond the finish line in Angers on Monday, Vollering was captured by SBS telling her soigneur that she had a “headache” when she was on the ground. She then returned, limping, to her team bus, where she and her team staff examined her helmet for signs of damage.
FDJ-SUEZ issued a statement at 11pm after the stage to confirm that Vollering had suffered “multiple contusions” and had undergone an initial concussion assessment. She did not go to hospital, but instead was scheduled to have a second concussion test in the morning, “to rule out any suspicion”.
As her crash came within the 5km safety zone, Vollering was given the same finishing time as the front group on the stage and did not suffer any losses in the GC.
Speaking ahead of the race, she said she was “looking forward to a battle” for the yellow jersey she won in 2023. The Dutchwoman lost out on the overall victory on her title defence last year by just four seconds to Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), in what is the narrowest winning margin in Tour history.
Stage four of this year’s nine-day edition is expected to finish in a bunch sprint in Poitiers. The race will have its first mountains test on Thursday, stage six, in the Massif Central.
