Demi Vollering has never hidden her opinions, and she knows that comes with a price. The European road champion says her outspoken nature often draws criticism, but she refuses to be silent. “If I don’t do it, I think I’ll lose more energy because I’m thinking about it all the time,” she told de Volkskrant.
“I now know that every time I open my mouth, there will be comments. So be it,” Vollering said. The Dutch rider was referring to her earlier remarks about Tour de France Femmes winner Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, when she suggested you can also win without being “super skinny.”
Cycling Twitter™, or Cycling Bluesky, (or Mastodon, how did that go?) took that as a jab at the French champion — something Vollering says was never her intent.
Vollering misunderstood
“It was another eye-opener how my comments were then taken out of context, how clickbait was turned into clickbait. I was very disappointed about that… She had won the Tour not only because she was lighter in weight, but also because she had prepared well.”
Vollering says she’s learned that other riders often hold back their views. “I had a small discussion with Marlen Reusser about it,” she said.
“After I had spoken out, the time trial world champion also decided to express himself.”
Despite the fallout, Vollering says she has no plans to change. “I’m not going to get quieter about it,” she said. “But I don’t want to give another hundred interviews on that one subject when I’ve spoken out about one thing.”
The 2026 Tour de France Femmes route is pretty spectacular, in case you missed it. Including a stage up the iconic Mont Ventoux. The Tour de France for the fellas is pretty wild too. Not one, but two times up ole Alpe d’Huez. Next year’s Tour will be here before you know it, fam. And Canadian Cycling Magazine will be there.