'She has the engine, and she has the instincts' – Bodine Vollering steps up to the WorldTour with EF Education-Oatly

Bodine Vollering is set to step up to the WorldTour with EF Education-Oatly starting in 2025. The Dutch rider aims to continue her development after spending two seasons with the ProTeam VolkerWessels Cycling Team.

“I talked with Esra. The way she spoke about the vision of the team, the way she selected this group of riders, what she’s trying to achieve with them is all to get the best possible results. It’s not just taking a rider and then replacing her after two years. The team has long-term goals, and how they approach everything is really nice. With these conversations, wow, it really woke something in me,” Vollering said.

“And then I see the videos on YouTube. I see how they incorporate fun and how they have a balance between fun and achieving results. I think it’s a really nice environment.”

Vollering said she connected with the EF Education-Oatly team at Classic Lorient Agglomération, where she applauded their strategy and teamwork during the one-day top-tier event.

“I raced Plouay, and I saw the girls from EF Education-Oatly,” she said. “They were controlling the peloton. I saw how strong they were and I thought, wow, because Plouay is a long race. They were in control all day. That’s really amazing, and to be part of such a team, such a community, is exciting.”

This year Vollering was sixth at Festival Elsy Jacobs, and she has finished in the top 10 at Tour de Feminin and Region Pays de la Loire Tour. General Manager Esra Tromp said the team is looking forward to supporting her development in cycling.

“She has the engine, and she has the instincts. She knows the sport inside and out. But she has never had the luxury of being able to dedicate herself completely to racing and training, nor has she had the full range of resources and support to see how far she can go. We can provide that,” Esra said.

Vollering outlined her early experiences with riding as a child with her family but says that she prioritised high school as she got older. She says that following her sister Demi Vollering's career through two overall victories at the Tour de France and a recent win at the World Championships has inspired her.

"I got into cycling, and I did some races, but then when I was in high school, I had a lot going on, so I didn’t race anymore," she said.

"Later, with my sister Demi [winner of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes and world championships], I watched her races, and it really started the fire within me. I wanted to get back on a bike. I wanted to race again. I wanted to see where I could get.”

During the last two seasons, Vollering has split her time between cycling and studying to become a tax lawyer. After completing her thesis, she will focus solely on racing.

“I came to law, and then with my background in high school, I ended up in tax law. That was before I knew I was going to be a cyclist. Now I only have my thesis left to do. It’s exciting because from next year on, for the first time I will be a real cyclist. I can focus on cycling all the way, instead of always having to be exhausted because I have to study, and that's mentally exhausting," she said.

She said that while she enjoys long climbs, she believes the punchy race parcours suit her ability better. Her main goal in her first season with EF Education-Oatly will be to settle in with the team and play a support role for her teammates.

“To be realistic, my main goal for next year is to work for my teammates, and see how I can help them and learn from them the best I can. I think that's really nice to do. My big dream for the future, I dream of the Tour de France. Every year when I watch it gives me goosebumps. I want to be there one day. And also the classics. Amstel Gold because it’s the one big race in the Netherlands,” she said.

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