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

Annemiek van Vleuten on stage at the Tour de France Femmes
(Image credit: Alex Broadway/Getty Images)

On Sunday evening, a blonde Dutchwoman, probably the best climber in the world, triumphed at the Tour de France Femmes after a commanding performance in the final two stages of the race. 

However, this time around, in 2023 rather than 2022, it was Demi Vollering (SD Worx) and not Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) who pulled on the final maillot jaune and took to the top step of the podium in Pau, rather than the latter atop La Planche des Belles Filles.

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Adam Becket
News editor

Adam is Cycling Weekly’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling, he's happy. Before joining CW he spent two years writing for Procycling. 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.