Demi Vollering's decisive dash during stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes lessens the immediate worry from her crash, yet her overall impact still appears to be affected.
Demi Vollering Shines in Tough Stage 5 of Tour de France Femmes, Climbs to Third Place
In a thrilling display of endurance and speed, Demi Vollering finished second in Stage 5 of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes. The 165.8km race from Chasseneuil-du-Poitou to Guéret featured a series of climbs, including two category 4 climbs and a category 3 climb, and tested the riders' mettle.
Vollering, who had a tough crash on stage 3, demonstrated her recovery with a strong performance. She stayed with the leading climbers over the decisive Maupuy climb, showcasing her climbing ability. In the final sprint, she narrowly missed out on the stage win, but her second-place finish was a testament to her sprint speed among the GC favorites.
The stage concluded with a fractured peloton, leaving a select group of seven riders to battle it out on the run into the line. Vollering earned six bonus seconds in the stage, moving her up to third overall.
In the General Classification (GC), Vollering now sits in third place, 23 seconds behind the new race leader, Kim Le Court-Pienaar. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is second, just 18 seconds behind the leader, and the top five riders are separated by less than half a minute.
Vollering's tactical awareness and consistency in the race have been key factors in her strong performance. She was in the right group for the final sprint, demonstrating her strategic acumen. Her third-place GC position confirms her status as a major contender for the overall victory as the race progresses into more mountainous terrain.
Van der Breggen, a former teammate and coach of Vollering, is fifth, just three seconds behind her. The other riders in the final group included Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Kim Le Court, Sarah Gigante, defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Pauliena Rooijakkers, and Anna van der Breggen.
Sources: - CyclingNews live report and GC standings after Stage 5 - Bicycling's Stage 5 results and analysis - Pro Cycling Stats Stage 5 and GC results
Vollering told the media, including Cyclingnews, that she felt the final part of the stage was like "playing the game". She expressed satisfaction with her performance, stating that she felt "pretty OK" and enjoyed the final part of the stage. However, she is cautious about her recovery, stating that she is still tense due to the crash.
The upcoming stages, particularly stage 6, feature long climbs, which promise to test the riders even further. The fight for the overall victory is heating up, and Vollering's strong performance in Stage 5 has positioned her well for the challenges ahead.
Sports enthusiasts will be excited to see how Demi Vollering performs in the upcoming stages of the Tour de France Femmes, given her impressive second-place finish in Stage 5 and her current third-place standing in the General Classification (GC). Her climbing ability, sprint speed, and strategic acumen make her a strong contender for the overall victory as the race progresses into more mountainous terrain.
