SD Worx-Protime refused to touch upon the reported information of Demi Vollering leaving the crew after Dwars door Vlaanderen however crew boss Danny Stam did say the riders have been “probably not centered” as they uncharacteristically missed out on a podium spot.
The drama began for the dominant ladies’s crew when Stam reportedly broke the information on Vollering’s departure after 2024 on the race’s begin in Waregem, stating funds issues and Lotte Kopecky’s current extension as causes to GCN.
The saga continued when the crew responded on social media stating that they “made Demi Vollering a beneficiant provide” with a deadline, however assumed she could be departing the crew having not replied in time.
However as soon as the 114 kilometres of racing have been up and so they had been defeated by Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) and outnumbered by Lidl-Trek, “no remark” was the reply given to something concerning the reigning Tour de France Femmes champion.
“You shouldn’t ask it,” Stam advised Cyclingnews when pressed to make clear his earlier feedback on Vollering, solely keen to reply “sporting” questions from the press.
Nevertheless, it had additionally been a tough sporting day for the tremendous crew with Kopecky ending fourth, an enormous disappointment by her requirements particularly with the Tour of Flanders approaching Sunday.
The World Champion missed strikes, together with the profitable one, and was pressured into bridging on her personal to the main group earlier within the day after the likes of Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) lit up the racing alongside Vos and eventual runner-up Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek).
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It wasn’t the usually brutal show from Kopecky that now we have come to anticipate within the cobbled Classics.
“She [Kopecky] stated additionally by herself that “I made some errors and that I used to be not fully centered’ and due to that she was behind,” Stam stated conscious {that a} repeat could be unacceptable at De Ronde.
“They’re errors which might occur in this type of race however can not occur in Flanders.”
An understandably disgruntled Kopecky flew by the blended zone post-race, not stopping to reply any questions on her personal race or the Vollering state of affairs. However because the Champion she is, did emerge later from the Bus to signal autographs and take footage with younger followers.
Not one of the six riders commented on their teammate’s state of affairs and Vollering’s Dutch nationwide champion’s jersey was absent from those who rolled previous the media en path to the buses.
Vollering, who was on the centre of the day’s consideration and the defending champion coming into immediately, had a disappointing return to the Belgian cobbles, summed up by her premature mechanical with 25km to go.
A sluggish again wheel change from Shimano impartial service noticed her hopes finish however even previous to this, she wasn’t precisely on the world-beating type that noticed her dominate the Tour de France Femmes final yr, leaving Kopecky on her personal to struggle a irritating battle up entrance.
“She [Vollering] was additionally probably not centered. She missed each break,” Stam admitted after Vollering was the final member of the crew to reach again on the bus some 4:21 down on Vos.
“It was not one of the best race. I believe it is only a race the place we made some errors and we must be sharper for the subsequent.”
He was in the end unfazed by the crew’s efficiency with Kopecky nonetheless taking fourth after doing a big quantity of labor on her personal and lacking the race-winning transfer began by Van Anrooij 12km from the road.
“We modified three ladies already and on an appointment, we’re all the time there. This isn’t the Ronde van Vlaanderen, this isn’t Gent-Wevelgem,” Stam stated.
“I believe if we modify three spring ladies for the ladies that raced immediately, now we have a completely completely different squad within the entrance. So I am not so frightened.” I did really feel sharp immediately and I reacted on the appropriate moments, just one time not,” Kopecky later stated by way of the crew. “I haven’t got any doubts. I am wanting ahead to de Ronde van Vlaanderen.”
Niamh Fisher-Black, Femke Herritse and Mischa Bredewold have been the riders who got here in immediately in substitute for Gent-Wevelgem winner Lorena Wiebes, Marlen Reusser and Christine Majerus. And Stam was very assured concerning the sprinter’s probabilities for Sunday after exhibiting her improved versatility final Sunday.
“She [Wiebes] will likely be good for positive and I am not doubting on the form of the ladies,” he stated. “At the moment we have been just a little bit not fully centered however I believe we needn’t fear. We all know the situation is nice, they confirmed that already.”
Whereas Vollering’s future continues to be unknown, what’s sure is that SD Worx-Protime, even with their three choices for victory at Flanders, definitely look essentially the most weak they’ve for some time.
