After sailing through a winning streak on Spanish soil, Demi Vollering, the Dutch champion, is all set to take part in the Tour of Burgos (16-19 May) for a third consecutive victory. The recent victories at La Vuelta Femenina and Itzulia Women have given a considerable boost to her morale which has been reflected in her renewed self-confidence.
Vollering said, “The wins in Spain were a relief. My fitness level was good but the real confirmation only comes when you win.” She went on to add, “Now, I’m more relaxed again. But you’re only as good as your last race, so naturally I’m going for the overall win again at the Tour of Burgos.”
With a hint of relief and satisfaction, Vollering expressed how she regained her confidence, “Earlier, it was always not quite right, so this is a sort of relief. I knew I had to be patient. Hard work is always rewarded. You just don’t know when, so it’s important to keep calm. It’s true that once the first win arrives, you immediately boost your confidence and can race more relaxed. You trust your instinct more quickly. Otherwise, you tend to be a bit more cautious.”
Expressing her excitement for the upcoming race, which she won last year, Vollering shared, “I’m really looking forward to racing with Lorena Wiebes again. I enjoy working towards a sprint. Setting up a good lead-out is a team performance, and I derive great satisfaction from that. It’s a different kind of challenge. It’s lovely when you can put your teammate in a perfect position for the finish. That’s what the beauty of cycling as a team sport is all about.”
Although Vollering enjoys the prospect of securing a hattrick in Burgos, she’s not overly occupied with it. She stated, “Normally, this stage race suits me well. However, the course has changed. The tough final climb to Lagunas de Neila in the last stage has been removed. Instead, there are two hill stages, which I’m really looking forward to. But as I said, I live from goal to goal. And first off, that’s piloting Lorena Wiebes perfectly to stage victory on Thursday, hopefully.”