Tour de France Femmes champion Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) added a second Grand Tour victory to her palmarès on Sunday, triumphing on the Vuelta Femenina.
The Dutchwoman, who already led by 52 seconds going into the eighth and remaining stage, attacked with 6km to go on the ending climb, and soloed to a second stage win. Her climbing heroics meant she dominated the overall classification, securing the purple jersey by one minute and 49 seconds.
Riejanne Markus (Visma-Lease a Bike) completed second total, overtaking Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek), who closed out the rostrum in third.
The scene this time spherical was a world aside. After weaving throughout the street smiling, Vollering stepped off her bike after the road in Madrid, and lifted it above her head, champion ultimately.
“It is very nice,” the 27-year-old mentioned post-race. “The staff did a very good job all day. I used to be a bit nervous as a result of I believed this final climb was not so tremendous exhausting. It is tough as a result of it was once more a headwind and it was not tremendous steep.
“There was one half the place we turned a bit,” she continued. “There, I believed I wanted to assault and have a niche in order that the remainder may also have a headwind to chase me again.”
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(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
When Vollering upped the tempo, no one else may comply with. As she did on stage 5 – when she took her first victory of the season – the Dutchwoman sailed away from her rivals, crossing the road alone. Behind, stage six’s winner Évita Muzic (FDJ-Suez) got here dwelling with Markus 30 seconds later.
“I am actually glad to win this stage,” Vollering mentioned. “It is very nice to complete off like this. We did a very good tour right here: some podiums, two stage wins. I believe we will be actually happy with ourselves.”
Requested what the victory meant to her, the Tour de France Femmes champion mentioned it marked a “good begin” to her season. “I hope I can do another very nice stage races, after all,” she mentioned. “I am wanting very a lot ahead to the remainder of the season.”
Vollering additionally sealed the mountains classification, because the race’s finest climber. Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike), winner of two phases, wrapped up the factors classification, whereas Mireia Benito (AG Insurance coverage-Soudal) was declared essentially the most combative rider.
