DEMI VOLLERING
It all
starts
withdreaming
My story becoming
a pro athlete.
Follow
my journey
Here, you can learn about my journey, dreams, and life as a pro athlete. My goal is to encourage as many people as possible to chase their dreams. I hope to inspire you to follow your dreams, work hard, and achieve your goals. As part of this belief, I urge people to exercise and spend more time outside, as I sincerely believe that enjoying fresh air has a positive impact on our mental health.
#MoveToDream
I grew up in Pijnacker as the eldest of four in a greenhouse grower family. I fell in love with cycling early on, playing on the bike in our neighbourhood and participating in local ‘fat tire’ races. I was eventually competing in the National Championship for fat tire races and dreamed of becoming a pro cyclist one day. I even wrote this in my diary...
As a child I always wanted to cycle, I was a shy but stubborn toddler with a mind of my own. I had many older girls next door in the street who could already cycle. I couldn't do this yet, but I soon changed that. I set my sights on learning how to ride a bike and soon I was racing across the playground next to our house, first with side wheels, and when I was a bit older I insisted on having no side wheels. I just didn't really fit on a bike yet. My parents already had a bicycle, but it was still too big for me. My grandmother found a very small bicycle at a fair. Perfect for me, I was fine with that. So the real tearing could begin without the side wheels.
“It all starts with dreaming..” – Demi Vollering
If you can dream it...
You can do it
Cycling &
Speed skating
At 10, I joined Tourclub Pijnacker, enjoying Sunday rides with mostly men, as few girls cycled then. Inspired by my niece and nephew, I wanted to race, but as the eldest of four, I first chose ice skating. I trained in Zoetermeer and later competed at the Uithof in The Hague.
Eventually, at 16 years old, I joined RWC Ahoy and later RestoreCycling, racing nationally. Still, cycling remained secondary to ice skating, which was my main focus. Meanwhile, I balanced school, studying flower design, working in flower shops and greenhouses, and coaching kids at the local ice skating club.
Cycling & Ice skating
At 10, I joined Tourclub Pijnacker, enjoying Sunday rides with mostly men, as few girls cycled then. Inspired by my niece and nephew, I wanted to race, but as the eldest of four, I first chose ice skating. I trained in Zoetermeer and later competed at the Uithof in The Hague.
Eventually, at 16 years old, I joined RWC Ahoy and later RestoreCycling, racing nationally. Still, cycling remained secondary to ice skating, which was my main focus. Meanwhile, I balanced school, studying flower design, working in flower shops and greenhouses, and coaching kids at the local ice skating club.
Pursuing my Dream
In 2017, I met my fiancée who was a cyclist, and went on a training camp to the Ardennes with him. We were doing a crazy long and hard ride for me at that time, but it immediately struck him that I recovered very fast. He motivated me to quit work and ice skating and to fully focus on becoming a pro cyclist. I started to believe again in my dream as a kid...
In 2018, I joined SwaboLadies and, with a cycling coach's guidance, I made significant progress. I could show myself in stage races like Thüringen and Ardèche and got the attention of many pro cycling teams, eventually signing with Parkhotel Valkenburg.
Pursuing my Dream
In 2017, I met my fiancée who was a cyclist, and went on a training camp to the Ardennes with him. We were doing a crazy long and hard ride for me at that time, but it immediately struck him that I recovered very fast. He motivated me to quit work and ice skating and to fully focus on becoming a pro cyclist. I started to believe again in my dream as a kid...
In 2018, I joined SwaboLadies and, with a cycling coach's guidance, I made significant progress. I could show myself in stage races like Thüringen and Ardèche and got the attention of many pro cycling teams, eventually signing with Parkhotel Valkenburg.
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Turning professional
In 2019, my first pro year, I secured third in my dream race, Liège-Bastogne-Liège—my big breakthrough. Later, I won Volta Limburg Classic and debuted for the Dutch team. 🧡
After two years at Parkhotel Valkenburg, I joined Team SD Worx in 2021. Learning from Anna van der Breggen, I won my first World Tour race at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and La Course by Le Tour de France, fueling my Tour de France dreams.
In 2022, as team leader, I finished second in the Tour de France Femmes. I wasn’t strong enough to win—yet—but my determination only grew.
Turning professional
In 2019, my first pro year, I secured third in my dream race, Liège-Bastogne-Liège—my big breakthrough. Later, I won Volta Limburg Classic and debuted for the Dutch team. 🧡
After two years at Parkhotel Valkenburg, I joined Team SD Worx in 2021. Learning from Anna van der Breggen, I won my first World Tour race at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and La Course by Le Tour de France, fueling my Tour de France dreams.
In 2022, as team leader, I finished second in the Tour de France Femmes. I wasn’t strong enough to win—yet—but my determination only grew.
The year 2023 was remarkable, winning 17 races, including all three Ardennes Classics in a row, and achieving my biggest goal of the season, winning the Tour de France Femmes. As a result of all those wins, I became the best rider in the world. This was a really special moment and I was honoured with the Velo d’Or. Despite challenges in the spring of 2024, I was able to achieve significant wins, including winning another Grand Tour with the Vuelta Espana and the Tour de Suisse on ‘home soil’ as I live in Switzerland.
The Tour de France Femmes 2024 with start in the Netherlands was one of the highlights of my career so far. We started in Rotterdam, the city where I grew up close by. In the third stage I was able to win the time trial, in Rotterdam, in front of many family and friends. With that win, I also took the yellow jersey, and I will never forget this special moment. Later that Tour de France Femmes I lost the yellow jersey due to a crash. Later we found out that I had broken my sit bone in the crash.. I rode the last three days with this injury, completing the Tour de France, with a win on the famous Alp d'Huez, after a solo of 50k. Too bad, I came 4 seconds too short.
However, this whole week of racing, learned me a lot and I am ready to fight for yellow in the future. The World Championship in my 'another home town' Zürich, in Switzerland, the country where I live since 2021, ended in disappointment. A race where I was very strong, but made wrong choices. Loosing like that is difficult. It brought also realisation, that every win is very special in itself.
“It all starts with dreaming..” – Demi Vollering
My key
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Kristof Ramon
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