Demi Vollering penalized at Tour de France Femmes
Team SD Worx - Protime rider drops from 2nd to 7th
Demi Vollering (Team SD Worx) lost some valuable time during Stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes on Wednesday, after drafting her own team car. German Ricarda Bauernfeind won the 126.1 km stage from Onet-le-Château to Albi in a terrific solo victory, staying clear of Marlen Reusser (SD Worx-Protime) and Liane Lippert (Movistar.)
How long can you actually hold onto a sticky bottle in a pro race?
The Dutch cyclist had a flat tire in her rear wheel with 66 km to go. She got a wheel change and then drafted the team car for well over a minute before catching on to the main field. As she did so, a race commissaire whistled at her to stop, but she continued. The official then pointed at the team car driver letting them know the rider would be penalized.
#TDFF2023 – ? 62 km
That will be a fine for the Team SD Worx sports director after drafting Demi Vollering.#DomestiqueLive pic.twitter.com/fHONWEnL52
— Domestique (@Domestique___) July 27, 2023
Vollering finished 20th on the stage in the main bunch, 32 seconds behind the bunch, but was docked another 20 seconds for taking the slipstream of the SD Worx vehicle.
Here’s the video of the incident:
