FDJ-SUEZ team boss Stephen Delcourt believes that the crash of his leader Demi Vollering on Monday in the Tour de France Femmes is due to a lack of respect in the peloton. Yellow jersey wearer Marianne Vos saw a normal fight for the front positions.
Vollering has a long embrace with her partner and manager Jan de Voogd after the third Tour stage. The mood at the FDJ-SUEZ team bus is subdued. The press officer of the French team makes it clear to the massed media that Vollering will not give interviews. Only team boss Delcourt will give a reaction.
The French CEO is visibly frustrated. His team made one of the biggest transfers in cycling last winter by taking Vollering over from SD Worx-Protime. The main goal was to win the Tour with the Dutch top rider. But in the third stage, the leader suddenly lies on the ground 3.7 kilometers from the finish in Angers.
Vollering is suffering from her knee, backside, and back, but she does cross the finish line on her bike. It cannot diminish Delcourt’s anger. The team boss starts talking about “a lack of respect” in the peloton on his own.
“The attitude of many teams and riders is not normal,” he says. “We already said it this morning: the riders themselves create the danger. Today we saw that one rider took too much risk in a corner. And maybe that ruined our Tour. It is really time for everyone to show respect for the safety of the others in the peloton.”
Vos sees no lack of respect
The third stage of the Tour was a flat sprint stage. Therefore, the rule applied that crashes less than 5 kilometers from the finish would not count in the general classification. Nevertheless, it became a very nervous final. That was also due to the course.
“From the 5 kilometer point there was still a fairly fast descent,” says Vos at her press conference after the stage. “In addition, there were several roundabouts and a lot of traffic furniture on the road. That made it very difficult.”
The 38-year-old Brabantse finished second behind Lorena Wiebes in Angers. As a result, she took the yellow leader’s jersey back from Kimberley Le Court. Vos was close to the crash and heard the commotion. She does not agree with Delcourt that the problem was a lack of respect between riders.
“This is the Tour, so everyone wants to be at the front,” says Vos. “Of course that makes it chaotic. But fighting for a good position in the peloton is part of this sport. It is nice if that happens in a fair way and we give each other space. But sometimes things go wrong, like today. I just don’t think that has to do with respect.”
Vollering wanted to be at the front constantly
The crash in the streets of Angers took place at the front of the peloton. According to Delcourt, it was Vollering herself who insisted before the stage that she wanted to remain in a good position constantly, even after the 5 kilometer point.
“I think it was the right tactic,” says Delcourt. “But we have no control over the actions of the other teams. I would like to call on everyone to be careful, because in the peloton we are all dependent on each other.”
It will probably only become clear on Tuesday morning whether – and how – Vollering can continue in the Tour. What is certain is that the top favorite has taken a significant hit, long before the riders go into the mountains.
“We want to remain positive,” said Delcourt. “The team and Demi have worked very hard for this Tour. We just want a little more respect.”