Yet the history of cycling shows that every era comes to an end eventually. The intriguing question, therefore, is not whether Vollering will one day be dethroned, but who has what it takes to do so. And the answer to that could be more exciting than ever before. For women’s cycling is currently undergoing a generational shift that could lead to a much more balanced balance of power in the coming years.
Antonia Niedermaier: Germany’s great hope for the Tour
From a German perspective, it is almost impossible to ignore Antonia Niedermaier in this discussion. Despite her young age, the Canyon//SRAM rider is already one of the strongest climbers in the peloton. Particularly on long climbs and in stage races, she possesses the qualities that have become indispensable in modern women’s cycling.
Whilst many talented riders initially make their way to the very top of the sport via classic races or sprint stages, there are many indications that Niedermaier’s greatest successes will come in multi-day stage races. Not least because there are many signs that Niedermaier, from the the role of captain for the coming season will take her place in the team. Where Vollering regularly makes the difference today, the German could become a serious contender in the future. The key will be how her performance in time trials and her consistency over three weeks develop. In any case, she appears to have what it takes to become a Grand Tour winner one day.
Franziska Koch: Germany’s hope for the major classics
Franziska Koch is taking a different approach. The eighth-placed rider at the European Championships has a very different riding style to Niedermaier. Her strengths lie on undulating terrain, in races prone to strong winds and in the gruelling one-day classics. She demonstrated this, if not before, then certainly with her Victory at Paris–Roubaix as evidenced by.
When it comes to the overall classification in major stage races, Koch is likely to be less of a contender than Niedermaier in the long run. Nevertheless, she belongs to a generation that could shape women’s cycling in the coming years. Races such as the Tour of Flanders, Gent–Wevelgem or the European Championships on selective courses are much better suited to her strengths. To achieve this, however, she will have to beat not only Demi Vollering, but also riders such as Lorena Wiebes and Lotte Kopecky.
Precisely because women’s cycling is becoming increasingly diverse, you don’t necessarily need to be a carbon copy of Vollering to be among the biggest names on the scene.
Puck Pieterse: Perhaps the most versatile talent of all
When it comes to potential successors or rivals for Vollering, one name comes up particularly often: Puck Pieterse. The Dutch rider has impressively demonstrated in recent years that she is capable of world-class performances on the road, in mountain biking and in cyclo-cross. When Vollering won the World and European Championships, Pieterse was the key support rider, leading out her compatriot.
Her explosive power on the climbs, her technical prowess and her enormous versatility make her a rider who could win almost any major race in the future. Many observers even regard her as the most complete rider of her generation. Should she focus more on road racing in the long term, she could become Vollering’s biggest rival.
Cat Ferguson and the next wave of young talent
Cat Ferguson is even younger. The British rider has been regarded for years as one of the most exceptional talents on the international junior circuit. Even in the junior women’s categories, she dominated on the road, on the track and in cyclo-cross.
Many experts compare her progress to that of riders who have already broken into the world’s elite in their early 20s. Whether she will one day win stage races or shine more as a classics specialist remains to be seen. One thing is clear, however: her potential is more than sufficient to enable her to compete for world titles and the Monuments in the future.
Who will succeed the current generation?
Alongside the young talents, riders such as Marlen Reusser, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Elisa Longo Borghini must not be forgotten. They are among the world’s best and will continue to give Vollering a run for her money in the years to come. At the European Championships, the riders lived up to their status as favourites and were in contention for the top places.
However, the age gap between them and the up-and-coming talent cannot be overlooked. Whilst the current elite are still battling it out for the biggest victories, ever younger riders with more professional training and better development opportunities are entering the sport.
The future of women’s cycling is becoming more diverse
This is probably where the most exciting developments lie. Women’s cycling is now more professional than ever before. Teams are investing more money in youth programmes, the level of competition is rising steadily, and more and more riders are specialising in specific roles from an early age.
For Demi Vollering, this means that it will be harder to maintain her dominance in the long term than it was a few years ago. For the time being, the Dutch rider remains the one to beat. But with talents such as Antonia Niedermaier, Puck Pieterse and Cat Ferguson, the next generation is already coming through.
Vollering may well continue to win the biggest races for a few more years. However, the likelihood of several riders competing on equal terms for the most prestigious titles has not been this high for a long time. This is excellent news for fans of women’s cycling.
Lukas Niebuhr
Editor