Demi Vollering crowned Strava’s athlete of the year 2023
Dutch super star had an outstanding season
Photo by:
Sirotti
Demi Vollering has been crowned Strava’s Athlete of the Year 2023. The SD Worx rider had an incredible year, with wins at the Tour de France Femmes, Ardennes classics, Dutch National Road Race Championships. It’s no surprise she was also given the the Women’s Vélo d’Or award. The 26-year-old, who comes from Pijnacker beat competition from Sam Ruddock, Cal Calamia and Jim Walmsley to take the title.
Favourite follower competition
In 2023, the Strava Community conducted its first-ever vote to determine their favorite follower, and the tight competition saw Average Rob (aka Rob van Impe) emerge as the winner. The Belgian, self-dubbed a ‘mediocre dude’ with a substantial social media following, embraced the world of Ironman that year, earning recognition and applause from the Strava community.
Demi Vollering and her dog broke the Internet in an amazing viral video
Reflecting on the journey, Average Rob shared, “Those who follow my channel are aware of my penchant for pushing boundaries. However, when the idea of completing a full IRONMAN surfaced, many deemed us crazy.” Undeterred, he dedicated eight months to rigorous training alongside his younger brother, meticulously documenting every session on Strava. As Average Rob puts it, “If it’s not on Strava, did it truly happen?”
Mathieu van der Poel and his Ironman bet
The YouTuber made headlines when he had road and ‘cross world champion on his show, and the result was a series of bets. The first wager took place on his channel featuring the Dutchman alongside YouTubers Average Rob and Arno the Kid. In the first video, Van der Poel said that if it reached 10,000 likes, he would teach the duo mountain biking. With the channel with well over 400,000 subscribers, this target didn’t take long to meet.
Mathieu van der Poel lost a bet and has to do an Ironman now
In the next video, “Becoming a Mountain Bike Champion ft. Mathieu van der Poel,” Average Rob upped the stakes. He said that if the video reached 42,000 likes, the Dutchman would have to tackle an Ironman. Van der Poel, broke into a smile, sealing the deal with a handshake.
Vollering’s upcoming season: what’s next?
Vollering, like van der Poel, had incredible seasons and they will be tough to better in 2024. However, at 26 and 28, they both have several years left in their careers, so there’s still more they can accomplish.
