It was supposed to be the day things came full circle for Demi Vollering. A decade ago, on the slopes of Mont Ventoux, the then teenager scaled her first mountain by bike on a trip away with her speed skating team-mates. It was the moment she realised she had something special. She then transitioned to cycling, powered to the top of the sport, and, on Friday, returned to the limestone giant where it all began, this time within touching distance of the yellow jersey at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
The script was written. The finale scene would be uplifting: Vollering standing at the summit, applauded by the crowds, a tear in her eye. Instead, she couldn’t get away from the climb sooner.
