Demi Vollering has opened up about her struggle with anxiety and pressure at last year's Tour de France Femmes, revealing that she "hit a breaking point" on the penultimate stage.
In an effort to challenge the stigma around mental health, Vollering wrote about her emotional anguish in an honest and vulnerable Instagram post, detailing what she described as one of the hardest days of her career on the stage to Le Grand-Bornand.
Vollering lost the yellow jersey and over a minute to Kasia Niewiadoma two days prior due to a crash which left her with a broken tailbone and questionable tactics from her team when she was left with little assistance to close the gap.
All eyes were on her to start mounting a comeback on the first of two mountain stages, with Alpe d'Huez still to follow on the final day. However, for the Dutch rider who finished third that day, on reflection, just finishing stage 7 was a triumph.
"This was one of the toughest days of my career. Physically, I was still recovering from a crash 2 days earlier, Mentally, I was weighed down by pressure – from the media, my team, my loved ones, and from myself," wrote Vollering.
"Everyone kept asking how I was feeling, and while I tried to stay positive, inside I was scared and uncertain.
"Looking back, I realize this was one of my biggest wins – not just because I finished third, but because I overcame one of the hardest moments I’ve faced. For me, this might have been my most meaningful personal victory in the entire Tour de France Femmes."
Vollering went on to try and put words to the feelings of anxiety she endured that day and how hard it was to articulate what was wrong when she sought help from her teammate Mischa Bredewold.
"During the race, I hit a breaking point. It’s hard to describe what it felt like, but anxiety took over, and my thoughts spiraled," said Vollering. "I couldn't focus. I felt like I was letting everyone down. For the first time, I couldn’t just power through it alone.
"That's when I opened up to my teammate. Even though I couldn’t fully explain what I was feeling, just saying 'I'm not okay' helped ease the weight I was carrying. Mischa didn’t try to fix it or brush it off; she simply stayed with me, reminding me that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed and that I wasn’t alone.
"That day, I realized how important it is to talk about what we’re going through. Anxiety can make you feel stuck and isolated, but sharing your feelings – even when it’s hard – can be the first step toward relief."
Breaking down the stigma around mental health
While conversations around mental health in professional sport have become more common, insight from the men's or women's peloton in cycling remains sparse.
Vollering, however, has never shied away from sharing her emotions, in success or hardship, also going on to acknowledge the struggle female athletes undergo when balancing the pressure of elite competition and their hormonal cycle in her post.
"I also want to share something personal that many women might relate to: later that day, I got my period," she said.
"Hormones can amplify emotions, and with the pressure I was already feeling, it was a lot to handle. It’s a reminder that our bodies and minds are deeply connected, and sometimes, things are just beyond our control."
The Dutch rider, aware of her position as a leading figure in sports, a role model and someone who experiences extreme pressure regularly, is hoping to encourage more people to open up and not suffer in silence.
"I’m sharing this because I know many, especially young people, carry the weight of expectations and pressure. It’s not easy to talk about these things, but the more we do, the more we can break down the stigma around mental health," she continued.
"We’re all human. We all face battles. And no matter how big or small they seem, they matter. You matter!
Vollering laid out three statements of guidance after revealing her own experiences with anxiety and pressure: "If you can, talk to someone you trust. Even a small conversation can make a difference.
"Be kind to yourself. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed, and you don’t need to have it all figured out.
"Remember, it’s not about fixing everything at once—it’s about taking small steps forward, at your own pace."
After the pressure reached its breaking point, Vollering endured heartbreak on the final day up Alpe d'Huez. Despite bouncing back to take the stage win, which is even more remarkable now given her latest revelations, Niewiadoma held onto yellow by four seconds - the narrowest margin in Tour de France history, men's or women's.
She'll be back in 2025 to try and win back the title she claimed two years ago on a new team, FDJ-Suez, after moving away from SD Worx-Protime. All eyes and the same pressure will be back on her as the likely favourite against former teammate Lotte Kopecky, who will have the help of the returning Anna van der Breggen, Vollering's former coach.
