Vollering Caught in Late Crash,Time Bonuses Impacted
A significant crash with 3.6 kilometers remaining in the stage disrupted the finish, with only approximately 20 riders contesting the final sprint and the associated time bonuses. The incident occurred on a right turn as cyclists exited a bridge, leading to a narrowing of the road. Several riders touched wheels, resulting in a multi-rider pile-up. Vollering was reportedly hit at speed by another competitor.
After the crash, Vollering remained on the road for a brief period before being assisted to her feet by a teammate. Initially, teammates Amber Kraak (FDJ-suez) and Juliette Labous (Team Picnic PostNL) helped push her towards the finish line in Angers, and she was ultimately able to continue riding.
Vollering crossed the finish line more than six minutes behind the stage winner. However, she was not concerned about the time loss due to the five-kilometer crash rule, which is in effect for sprint stages.
Despite the rule, vollering has dropped to sixth place overall in the general classification, now trailing by 19 seconds. She is three seconds behind rivals, including Kasia Niewiadom-Phinney (canyon-Sram zondacrypto), the 2024 winner.
