Annemiek van Vleuten ready for time trial and Tourmalet on 2023 Tour de France Femmes route
"I’m happy that there is no gravel" says defending champion
Fresh from a record-breaking year where she won the inaugaural Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift amongst a haul of stunning victories, including the World Championship road race and the Giro d'Italia Donne, Annemiek van Vleuten is ready for next year's Tour.
She was one of the stars of the route presentation, held in Paris on Thursday, and while her dream of Alpe d'Huez being included in the race is yet to be realised, she can still be happy that a climb as iconic as the Tourmalet is in.
For the first time in the Tour's short life, there will be an individual time trial too, which will close the whole event out. It should be just the thing to help the two-time time trial world champion close out victory for a second time.
“I’m happy to see some famous climbs in the route for next year with the Tourmalet finish. It makes me already excited. It was important that we have an uphill finish with a climb that has a big name,” Van Vleuten said.
“It also makes me happy to see a time trial at this Tour de France. Last year, we had an awesome start and this year they have fine-tuned the parcours and I think they did a good job.”
The only summit finish comes on stage seven, the penultimate day, when the iconic Col du Tourmalet will become the first hors catégorie climb ever scaled in the Tour de France Femmes. The peloton will climb the Col d’Aspin first, before taking on the eastern ascent of the 17km-long Pyrenean giant from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan.
Standing at 2,115m altitude, the Tourmalet will mark the race’s highest ascent to date, trumping last year’s 1,193m Col du Platzerwasel by almost 1,000m. While this is the only mountain stage, there are other hilly stages peppered throughout that will test the peloton.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
“For sure, there are opportunities with the uphill finish, but there are also some really tricky stages," Van Vleuten said. "I’m happy that there is no gravel. I think it’s a good balanced program.
"For myself, the most important will be the uphill finish but it’s also really important in the six days before to have the focus."
She will be present at the second edition of the Tour in the rainbow stripes after a second World Championship road race victory, but the yellow jersey was the peak of her career.
“I think to win the first edition of the Tour de France this year was the most special thing that I have achieved in my career, especially because of the impact that it had,” Van Vleuten said.
“To win a stage race and to win the first Tour de France, I felt that cycling fans and also non-cycling fans would have watched it at home and so many spectators. I was not used to that and, when I went home, I was aware that some people that don’t like cycling were watching it and it made me super proud. It’s the biggest thing I achieved in my career.”
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Adam is Cycling Weekly’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling on tarmac, he's happy. Before joining Cycling Weekly he spent two years writing for Procycling, where he interviewed riders and wrote about racing. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds. Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.
-
Specialized slash prices up to 50% as brands navigate post Covid turmoil
Half price savings go live on the Specialized website as industry chaos continues
By Michelle Arthurs-Brennan Published
-
Was this the best women’s Classics campaign ever?
Every race seemed to go down to the wire, with little in the way of control or domination. It could hardly have been better
By Adam Becket Published
-
'First I focus on the Classics': Lotte Kopecky unsure of Tour de France Femmes participation in Olympic year
Belgian aiming to peak in April with Paris-Roubaix a potential target
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'It was the first time I dropped everyone uphill' - Annemiek van Vleuten on the ride that changed her
Despite a horror crash, the Dutchwoman looks back on the road race at the 2016 Olympics as a turning point in her career
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Opinion: Is the 2024 Tour de France too hard?
With so much packed into the route, is it too rich a meal?
By Adam Becket Published
-
Demi Vollering and Jonas Vingegaard crowned as best riders in the world for 2023 at Vélo d'Or awards
Mathieu van der Poel and Lotte Kopecky named as best Classics riders at French awards ceremony
By Adam Becket Published
-
How to watch Giro di Lombardia: Live stream the 2023 edition
A Giro di Lombardia live stream is the best way to keep up with this year's race. Here's how to watch in 2023.
By Cycling Weekly Published
-
Bedankt Annemiek! - Saying goodbye to a legend
Annemiek van Vleuten today rode her last professional race. Crossing the finish line just 25 kilometers from her home, the almost 41-year-old ended her career in the same place it had started.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Opinion: There will never be another bike rider like Annemiek van Vleuten
The flying Dutchwoman could almost win it all, but now her era has almost ended, she should be remembered as the greatest
By Adam Becket Published
-
'I still can't believe it' - Demi Vollering wins Tour de France Femmes 2023
SD Worx rider seals yellow jersey with three-minute gap, as team-mate Marlen Reusser triumphs on stage eight
By Tom Davidson Published