Is this the bike of the eventual yellow jersey winner?
Matt de Neef
The biggest transfer of the off-season across the men’s or women’s WorldTour was Demi Vollering’s departure from SD Worx-Protime for pastures new at FDJ-Suez.
However, it wasn’t just Vollering that moved over to the French-based team; with her came the full support of the big S, replacing the team’s previous bike sponsor, Lapierre. Out was the Xelius, and in its place stepped the most popular bike in the Women’s WorldTour, the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8.
In 2025 three teams, or 20% of all of the rolling stock in the Women’s WorldTour, are all aboard the SL8; at this year’s Tour de France, this figure sits at four teams with the inclusion of VolkerWessels Cycling Team.
So far this year (and that tally could be set to increase by the end of the week), Vollering has picked up where she left off in 2024, already with five race wins as well as four overall GC titles, three mountains classifications, and one points classification. In stage races she’s done in 2025, it is only the Tour de Suisse Women that she has so far failed to stand on the top step of the podium.
Whether this result will be a temporary blip in an otherwise faultless season for the GC talent will become clear in the next few days, although things have not got off to the best start through the opening stages of this year’s Tour de France Femmes.
In the closing kilometres of stage 3, Vollering was caught up in a pileup that saw her limping back on to her bike, and rolling across the line, pushed by two teammates. At the time, it looked as though her GC hopes had gone up in smoke. After further concussion checks, she was cleared to continue and managed to finish stage 4 safely inside the bunch.
Demi Vollering just aced her first big test
Remarkably, it seems like the Dutchwoman’s GC campaign is still on track.
As the race prepares to head into Vollering’s preferred terrain, she will be hoping once again to dance away from her rivals on her way to claiming a second Tour de France Femmes title.
Although from a distance, Vollering’s S-Works Tarmac SL8 might look the same as the rest of her FDJ-Suez teammates, close up, the bike reveals subtle customisation worthy of her stature in the peloton.
Ahead of Stage 4, Matt de Neef got some time to capture the reigning Vuelta España Femenina champion’s bike, which has a hidden personality and a nod to the character of the rider it belongs to.
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