The women’s Tour explodes: Niewiadoma accuses Vollering’s team of “bad arts”

Kasia Niewiadoma, who lost the yellow jersey this Saturday at the end of the penultimate stage of the women’s Tour and who is now 8 seconds behind Demi Vollering, has reproached a teammate of the latter for having “pushed her against the fences” in the final stretch.

“I wasn’t at Demi’s wheel – when she attacked and left alone – because Célia Géry blocked me against the fences,” the Pole complained to the Eurosport microphones after crossing the finish line.

The Canyon//SRAM team cyclist reiterated her criticism before several journalists about the moment of the race chosen by Demi Vollering to attack six kilometers from the finish line before winning.

“I was very angry at the beginning of the climb because (Célia) Géry deliberately pushed me against the fences, to the point that I had to stop pedaling,” she explained.

«If those from the FDJ want to compete, they must do so cleanly. “It seemed like a very childish attitude to me and, honestly, I have lost all respect for them,” added the winner of the 2024 Tour.

Very angry, the winner of Friday’s Mont Ventoux stage then tried to address the French champion directly: “Why did you do that? Why did you block my path against the fences? Was that part of the plan?” she snapped before her assistant pulled her away.

Although the television images did not allow us to judge the situation and Célia Géry was not sanctioned by the stewards, Demi Vollering tried to calm the controversy.

“I didn’t see anything. I only saw what was in front of me, that is, nothing; it was completely dark. The same thing probably happened to Célia, because we were at the limit of our strength,” explained the new yellow jersey.

“I’m sure that at the time he swerved, he probably didn’t see Kasia and that he didn’t do it on purpose. I think Kasia also knows, deep down, that this kind of thing sometimes happens in a race,” Vollering concluded.