Demi Vollering ended her contract with Parkhotel Valkenburg a year early and signed a two-year deal with SD Worx for 2021 and 2022.

"From the first meeting with the team there was a great feeling," said Volering. The team management at SD Worx expressed admiration and gave me a clear plan for the next few years." This was something I could fully get behind."

The 23-year-old Vollering is an up-and-comer, and last year he finished in the top 10 at the Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, where he finished third. Last year he also won the Giro de Emilia.

This year, she finished third behind Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo), who won La Course, and Marianne Vos (CCC-Liv), who finished second.

"I was really, really happy. The start of the season was a little hard on me emotionally because I wanted to get [on the podium] earlier, but it didn't go the way I wanted," Volering said of her La Course performance. This third place was really, really good, and confirms a little bit what we saw last year." [Last year was also a really good year, and we'll have to see how this year goes. This year we're already on the World Tour podium, which is really cool."

"I feel a lot stronger than last year and I feel a lot more tactical and closer to the riders in the races. Right now I am sprinting with Lizzie and Voss, but I didn't sprint with them last year. In the future, when I sprint with them, I will know a little bit more about what to do."

Vollering said she wants to focus on both the classics and major stage races such as the Giro Rosa, which runs from September 11-19 this year, and the women's Tour de France, which could be held in the future.

"The Giro Féminaire will certainly be a challenge, and of course it would be great to have a women's Tour de France starting in 2022. I am already looking forward to it," she said.

Director Danny Stem said Vollering and Anna van der Breggen, who plans to retire from racing and become sports director at the end of 2021, have something in common.

"Over the next few years," Stem said, "I think Demi can develop into a racer who can follow in Anna van der Breggen's footsteps."

"In the classics, she has already proven her class, but she also has the potential to compete with the best in stage races.

Vollering had signed a contract with Parkhotel Valkenburg until 2021. However, a mutual agreement between Parkhotel Valkenburg and SD Worx allowed Volering to move earlier. [I am very grateful to Parkhotel Valkenburg and the team for their trust in me over the past years. I am also happy that the team helped me to make this transfer a success," Volering said.

This is the second time this year that Volering has left early, following Lorena Wiebes' move to Sunweb in June.

Volering's move to the Dutch team for the upcoming Imola World Championships was also announced. This team will also include defending champion Annemiek van Grooten, van der Breggen, Marianne Foss, Chantal van den Broeck-Blaak, Amy Peters, Ellen van Dijk, and Florche McKay.