“That was f***king hard!” Annemiek van Vleuten reacts after winning stage four of the Giro Donne
The Dutch rider warns that she is not in her best shape yet after arriving at the race from an altitude camp.
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

“That was f***king hard!” said Annemiek van Vleuten between gulps of water and recovery drink, while removing her helmet.
Sheltering from the brutal Italian sun in the shadow of Cesena’s Rocca Malatestiana castle, the world’s best stage racer was recovering from winning the fourth day of the Giro Donne. It was a victory which propelled her into the overall lead and towards her ambition of winning a third title in the 10 day Italian race.
It was a consummate victory, but perhaps not the kind of win we have grown used to seeing from the 39 year-old. She created the winning move on the second of three classified climbs, had increased the pressure on the descents, then attacked in her fellow escapees.
But, unusually, she did not come to the line alone, instead having to use her head to get the best out of her legs. in a move redolent of her win at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in the spring, she forced Mavi García (UAE Team ADQ) to the front, sweeping past her in the final bend then opening her sprint to put a second into her Spanish rival.
But it wasn’t the plan. At least it wasn’t when she saw the road book before the race. It was the route recce after arriving from the three opening stages in Sardinia which made her think she had to do something, if only just to defend.
“I saw the crazy descents,” she said in a post race TV interview. “We have Johan Cruyff in the Netherlands, the famous footballer, and he always says that attack is the best way to defend and that’s what I did today. I thought it’s more easy if I attack and then I can do the descents easy so the idea was more to stay safe and more out of trouble today, but then I saw I had a gap and I had to go for it.”
Podium done, race leader’s jersey received, and an endless warm down on the turbo later the Movistar rider was back for interviews.
“Also for me I like to attack and for me GC riding is boring if I have to wait all day so yeah, I had this opportunity and I took it.”
The stage result has devastated the GC. On Monday morning the gap from first to 100th place was just 1-51, now Elisa Longo Borghini is five minutes behind Van Vleuten in fourth place. And while García is only 25 seconds down in second, and Marta Cavalli (FDJ-Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope) is at 57 seconds, surely the GC is surely decided.
“I leave that to the journalists, for me it’s focus day by day. Everything can happen in a stage race”
And it has done. In 2017 she lost 1-59 in cross winds on the fourth stage of the 2017 race, eventually finishing third, 1-39 behind the maglia rosa. “[I will be] super attentive, for sure it’s a little bit more easy to defend and maybe less exciting for the GC.
“I was not expecting that to be honest, I expected to have quite a group of a favourites, I was not expecting to drop them on the first climb already.”
Van Vleuten has not had the best of years, at least not when compared to her normal dominance, and then there were some injuries which meant that when she started last week’s Giro time trial she had not raced since her dominant win at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. However, she warned that despite Monday’s performance she’s not yet at her physical best.
“I just came back from altitude just before the prologue, I flew directly from Livigno, so I'm now not in my best shape. The altitude effect is top two weeks after you come back and it will sustain for four weeks, so I will make it to after the Tour de France.
“The most challenging element is to mentally recharge, because for me it's hard to recharge yourself for another stage race. But with a beautiful stage race as the Tour de France coming up it’s not hard to get pumped again.”
The Giro may well be gone, those with Tour de France Femmes ambitions should be afraid. Very afraid.
Thank you for reading 5 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
Owen Rogers is an experienced journalist, covering professional cycling and specialising in women's road racing. He has followed races such as the Women's Tour and Giro d'Italia Donne, live-tweeting from Women's WorldTour events as well as providing race reports, interviews, analysis and news stories. He has also worked for race teams, to provide post race reports and communications.
-
-
Specialized Align II review - budget friendly helmet brings MIPS to the people
Not only do you get MIPS at an almost unbelievably low price, but this helmet is well made and a good fit too
By Paul Grele • Published
-
Jess Roberts leads the Brits with Points Race Silver at the European Track Championships
Team GB take two Bronze medals in the men’s Team Pursuit and Team Sprint the first day of finals in Munich
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
History made: five talking points from the Tour de France Femmes
Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift: Our key takeaways from the women’s Tour de France revival
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
Seven woman teams a possibility at the 2023 Tour de France Femmes
Race Director Marion Rousse confirms the organisers ASO are considering other changes for 2023, including the possibility of a time trial
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
“I feel my legs a bit less when I hear the crowd,” riders react to the Tour de France crowds
Huge crowds, excellent organisation, a good route and plenty of press attention, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is a huge step for the women’s sport
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
Why Annemiek van Vleuten kept switching her yellow bikes mid-race
In the first half of the final stage of the Tour de France Femmes, Annemiek van Vleuten swapped bikes five time. Here's why.
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
All yellow: Canyon and other sponsors go big on Annemiek van Vleuten's yellow jersey celebration
Canyon and other sponsors went big on the Annemiek van Vleuten yellow jersey celebration with a yellow bikes, wheel decals, bar tape, helmets, socks, head unit wraps
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
Gear check: What gear ratios did riders choose to conquer the Grand Ballon?
Before Saturday's seventh stage in the Vosges Mountains Cycling Wweekly took a look at the preferred fear ratios in the Tour de France Femmes peloton
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
Attack to defend: Van Vleuten on the edge of Tour de France greatness
Anything can happen, say Movistar but he team are confident Annemiek van Vleuten will ride into history on Sunday’s final Tour de France Femmes stage
By Owen Rogers • Published
-