Demi Vollering is in a lot of pain after her crash in the final stage of the third stage of the Tour de France Femmes. The favorite for the overall victory hopes to be able to get back on Tuesday, but her team could not yet provide certainty about that.
Vollering crossed the finish line in Angers on Monday together with teammates Amber Kraak and Juliette Labous, long after winner Lorena Wiebes. The leader of FDJ-SUEZ herself did not respond. Only her team boss Stephen Delcourt spoke to the press.
“Demi is in pain,” said Delcourt at the FDJ-SUEZ bus. “That’s logical after a fall at such a high speed. She is now completely in shock. She has pain in her knee, her buttocks and her back. She is positive and wants to continue in the Tour, but she must first be examined by our doctor and in the hospital. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Vollering was involved in a major crash 5 kilometers from the finish. It took a while before she got back on. After the finish, she also seemed to indicate that she had a headache. “Demi has not yet been tested for a concussion, but that will happen in the coming hour,” said Delcourt. “Our priority is Demi’s health. We will not take any risks with that.”
The French team boss was angry and frustrated because of the crash in the nervous finale of the sprint stage. “This is not normal,” he said. “It seems that we have lost mutual respect in the peloton over the past year. Many teams and riders are pushing forward and not paying enough attention to the safety of others.”