'I wanted more' - Demi Vollering hunting bonus seconds, predicts tight Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift GC battle
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Published 01/08/2026 at 22:00 GMT+1
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Demi Vollering believes this year’s Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will be decided by the finest of margins after making an early gain on her general classification rivals despite missing out on the opening yellow jersey.
Highlights: Wiebes storms to Stage 1 sprint victory
Video credit: TNT Sports
With a time trial and the ascent of Mont Ventoux still to come, the opening stage may prove only a small chapter in the overall story. But if Vollering’s prediction is borne out, every second claimed in Lausanne could become increasingly significant as the Tour unfolds.
The FDJ United-Suez leader finished third on Stage 1 in Lausanne, collecting four valuable bonus seconds that could yet prove decisive in the race for the overall title.
Having lost the 2024 Tour de France Femmes by just four seconds to Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney - the smallest winning margin in the race’s history - the Dutchwoman knows exactly how valuable even the smallest advantage can become.
”I wanted more,” Vollering said afterwards. ”Of course, I wanted to get yellow, but in the end I got some seconds for the GC and I think the whole Tour will be like that. I fought for the podium, so that also feels good.”
Vollering’s podium finish came after she recovered from a late scare in the closing kilometres, when she was forced to unclip from her pedals to avoid a crash before launching an attack inside the final kilometre.
”The fact I got back and still had power in the legs, I’m satisfied about that,” she said.
The 29-year-old also said that she has approached this year’s Tour in a much more relaxed frame of mind than she did 12 months ago.
"Last year I woke up every morning and I thought, 'S***, another morning closer to the Tour,'" she said of her preparation. "This time I woke up every morning and I was super motivated and excited."
While Vollering focused on the general classification battle, it was Lorena Wiebes who claimed the first yellow jersey of the race.
The SD Worx-Protime rider produced a perfectly timed finish to win the opening 138km stage ahead of Kim Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal), with Vollering completing the podium.
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Wiebes 'launches her way to a memorable stage win' in race opener
Video credit: TNT Sports
The victory was Wiebes’ sixth Tour de France Femmes stage success and the 132nd win of her professional career, as confirmed by Pro Cycling.
"I almost cannot believe it. The team, SD Worx-Protime, worked super hard today," she said.
"Anna [van der Breggen] still came to the front with 1km to go and then Demi attacked. I was like, 'I need to follow.' It was a long sprint but I'm super happy with this."
Wiebes leads the overall standings by four seconds over Le Court Pienaar and six seconds over Vollering after collecting the maximum time bonuses at the finish.
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'Not third time lucky!' - Cyclist fails to grab multiple bottles during opening stage
Video credit: TNT Sports
Vollering still gained time on several of her biggest rivals, including defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM), giving her an early psychological boost before the race reaches the mountains.
Her sports director, Lars Boom, was encouraged by the team's opening performance and stressed the importance of accumulating every possible advantage.
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”Of course, you hope to do better,” he said. ”But no, we did good, I think, and the team is doing well.
”Of course, you want to gain a few seconds every day. Of course, you try to win today. It didn’t work out, but you’re third, so not too bad.”
How to watch the 2026 Tour de France Femmes on TV and live stream
Watch every stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift from start to finish live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
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Watch and stream the 2026 cycling season, including the Tour de France Femmes, on TNT Sports and HBO Max
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