Demi Vollering wins echelon stage Vuelta a Burgos after disqualification of Lorena Wiebes
"We dictated the race AND finished it"
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Spectacle from the start in the second stage of Vuelta a Burgos. In a stage where the wind took it right away to the side, Team SD Worx dictated the race. The Dutch WorldTeam had four riders in the front with Demi Vollering, Lorena Wiebes, Marlen Reusser and Blanka Vas. Together with Trek-Segafredo, Team SD Worx further thinned out the leading group. Lorena Wiebes then sprinted to victory, ahead of teammate Demi Vollering. Due to a disqualification of the European champion, Vollering took the win. "It is unfortunate that Lorena missed out on the win like that, but fortunately we still win the stage as well as doing a good job for the general classification," sports manager Danny Stam takes stock.
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In an animated second stage of the Vuelta a Burgos, it was important to be alert from the first minute. "We had warned that it would be right on the edge. So it was important to ride as much as possible as a group at the front. After all, it's not just about the stage win, but in a classification race you have to try to gain time everywhere. It worked out very well with a nice time gain. When it broke, we found a good ally in Trek-Segafredo to ride the other classification riders as far behind as possible," Stam said.
Lorena Wiebes adds: "From the start, the race was lightning fast. There was a constant crosswind or tailwind. Every time the wind blew from the side, we were able to thin out the group further. The aim was to be the first to turn up the final slope, which worked out perfectly thanks to the preparatory work of Blanka Vas and Marlen Reusser. After that, Demi Vollering would accelerate. I wanted to stay in her wheel and see if I could keep up. However, I felt other riders coming up from behind, so it was time to go. It was a nice piece of teamwork and a nice finish with one and two again," Lorena Wiebes said immediately after the finish.
Unfortunately for her, the judges ruled that Lorena Wiebes crossed a line when she touched Chloe Dygert at the moment she wanted to take over from Demi Vollering. As a result, Wiebes was disqualified and set back to third place. Teammate Vollering, who initially finished second, was thus awarded the stage win. Stam: "Demi started the sprint and Lorena tried to take over. That didn't go the smoothest way, touching Dygert. Personally I don't think it was over the line. This is a decision of the UCI jury and they are always right. So we have to accept this. In the end, they don't damage us so much with this because we still win the stage."
"I especially remember how strong Team SD Worx came out today. We were four in front, dictated the race and also finished it very strongly. And for sure Lorena will be even more keen after today to sprint for the day's victory tomorrow," Stam concluded.
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