Inches from victory: Julie Van de Velde's heartbreak at the Tour de France Femmes
"I didn't expect to come so close," said the Belgian, after glory slipped through her fingers


The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Julie Van de Velde had never contemplated winning a stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift until Tuesday afternoon.
With 60km to go on day three, the Belgian peeled off the front of the peloton in search of mountains classification points, and almost lasted to the line. She rode alone under the flamme rouge, spurred on by the crowds down the finishing straight, before she was caught with 200m to go by a roaring SD Worx lead-out.
"I didn't expect to come so close," the Fenix-Deceuninck rider said after the race. “The plan was to take points for the jersey, the polka dot jersey, to keep it in the team. It wasn’t the goal to go full gas to the line on my own. But I was there on my own, so I couldn’t turn back. I just went for it.”
Victory in Montignac-Lascaux went to SD Worx’s Lorena Wiebes, who won from a bunch sprint. Van de Velde, having come inches from victory, crossed the line 36th.
“It was a double feeling,” she said of the moment she was tagged. “I saw them coming in the last few hundred meters, so that was of course a disappointment, but I’m really proud that I came so close.
“In my radio, they were really believing in it, so I also believed in it. Unfortunately, it was not the case.”
One of the voices in Van de Velde’s ear was that of Michel Cornelisse, her directeur sportif.
“I’m still sweating,” he told Cycling Weekly by the Fenix-Deceuninck bus. “[I was telling her] that she’s unbelievably strong, and she must believe in it. You can see also the other girls from our team, everybody was in the front, trying to block it. I can only say that I am very proud of the team.
“If you lose like this, then you can only be proud. I feel very sorry for her because she’s not winning much, and she was just so close, maybe the best chance of her life. But she gave everything, it was a long solo.”
A win for Van de Velde would have doubled her palmarès, adding to her sole victory from 2019 in a small Belgian race.
Fortunately for the 30-year-old, there was a consolation prize waiting for her at the finish line. Her polka dot jersey raid had paid off, and she leapfrogged her team-mate Yara Kastelijn to top the mountains classification.
“Normally you say we have to try to keep it to Paris, but we don’t go to Paris, we go to the Tourmalet,” said Cornelisse. “We’ve tried every day to keep it, and for sure one day maybe we’ll lose it, but we won’t give it away for free.”
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
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer. He is the host of The TT Podcast, which covers both the men's and women's pelotons and has featured a number of prominent British riders.
An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides.
He's also fluent in French and Spanish and holds a master's degree in International Journalism.
-
-
‘A gateway of just how far their dreams and a bike can take them’ - Los Angeles’ first-ever pump track is now open
Los Angeles’ first-ever pump track opened to the public on Friday, September 22, after two years of construction.
By Kristin Jenny Published
-
UK cycle tech falls by a third, with bikes sales also struggling, says industry report
The cycle industry continues to face challenges, with tech in freefall and even ebikes lagging behind the rest of Europe
By James Shrubsall 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
-
'She was better' - Annemiek van Vleuten tips hat to Demi Vollering on Tour de France Femmes raid
Reigning champion concedes defeat to compatriot on Col du Tourmalet
By Tom Davidson Published
-
‘I don’t know how I do it’ - Demi Vollering stunned after Tourmalet victory at Tour de France Femmes
Dutchwoman lays waste to GC rivals on stage seven and takes the yellow jersey
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Demi Vollering wins stage seven of the Tour de France Femmes and takes overall lead
After the riders spent a lot of time looking at each other and riding quite conservatively, Demi Vollering showed she's the strongest at the 2023 Tour de France Femmes
By Jack Elton-Walters Published
-
'I did not expect this' - Emma Norsgaard woke up in a bad mood and won a Tour de France Femmes stage
Dane overcomes career set-backs to triumph on day six in Blagnac
By Tom Davidson Published
-
How to watch Clásica San Sebastián: Live stream the 2023 edition
A Clásica San Sebastián live stream is the best way to keep up with this year's race. Here's how to watch in 2023.
By Cycling Weekly Last updated
-
SD Worx blast ‘unjustified’ time penalty given to Demi Vollering at Tour de France Femmes
Dutchwoman docked 20 seconds in the overall standings after slipstreaming team car
By Tom Davidson Published