At 40 years old, Annemiek van Vleuten facing his final campaign as a professional cyclist. This was done after being proclaimed champion of the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France, the Tour of Spain, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the World Championship in 2022.
the cyclist of Movistar team He will shoot this year for the last time, a decision he made in his head, as he said in an interview with RTVE. “Because my motivation is not to win the race, my motivation is actually to always improve and I feel that I have exhausted the details to improve. I made the decision with my head and not because my body told me to stop. It’s time to stop, because my performance is definitely going down and I think it’s good to be able to decide for myself. I’m sure there are many other things to come, much more to life than professional cycling. I am ready for new challenges”
van vleuten He loves the sport, the sensations it creates and everything that comes with it. It will continue to be linked here, although it will look for a different function. “I hope I can find a place, maybe new challenges, maybe not the bike, but a different function, I don’t know how, or what, but I want and I’m sure I’ll start riding a bike. Something I really like is helping my teammates, teaching them a little, especially the younger ones, my experience and tell them that they don’t make mistakes that I did, I learned from my mistakes and yes, it’s something I want to do”, he said.
A FAREWELL WITH NO FIXED DATE
Everyone points to that Glasgowseat of National championship in August, this is the last city to see van vleuten as a professional. “I haven’t decided exactly where my last race will be, but Glasgow looks like the number one candidate. of the Dutch team.”
Where you won’t be safe is in Paris 2024 Olympic Gamesan appointment “too flat and more designed for sprinters” and that van vleuten He had never enjoyed it so much.
He doesn’t want to be remembered for his achievements, he doesn’t talk about them when assessing his legacy, he wants to remember how he won. “I hope you remember me for some entertaining moments, I like to entertain people on television. I think there are some races where people enjoy seeing a finish or an attack, fighting at the front. I hope to inspire people to always have the same mindset because although the situation may change, you adapt and move forward, set new goals. This is how I have achieved many of my successes, my weapons , and that’s what I hope for, to inspire even when you’re struggling. in life,” he explained van vleuten.
A 2023 WITH A FLAVOR OF 2022
Last season was perfect. van vleuten He has prevailed in the most important events and knows how to get the most out of his best version. “I want to reach last year’s level to improve myself, in cycling it is not so easy to control what wins, especially in the classics which are usually my biggest challenge. I have the support of Movistar, where everyone is very inspired by the classics, and I’m going to go with the rainbow jersey, which makes everything so special. I want to run, for example, the Street Bianche and the Amstel Gold Raceespecially in my own home, at Netherlands“, be honest.
He Tour de France It was one of the races that moved him the most, perhaps for that reason also the most desired goal. “It’s huge, how the public followed… It’s probably the goal I like the most, to run there and people want to see it. I’m happy, I think it has substance for everyone, for me more good if they all go to the mountain days, but the last two are really hard to Tourmalet“.
The second edition of the Women’s Tour de France, which will take place from July 23 to 30, 2023, will have eight stages, a hilltop finish in Tourmalet and an individual time trial in Pau on the final day.
TRAVELING IN SPAIN, AN INTERESTING APPOINTMENT
The Return and Tour They will have a similar finish this year. The lakes of Covadonga They will host a stage and race finish “very interesting, it is important to finish on a famous peak”, he said. “The location makes it more impressive, I’m excited to be there. I’m looking forward to it because I know it’s very hard, a very beautiful Vuelta, although I’m not so happy to hear about the three flat stages, but there has to be something for everyone and to make the race exciting,” he said with a laugh. van vleuten.
ON THE ROAD TO SPORTS EQUALITY
The equality between men and women continues to make great strides in cycling. “I think the biggest change we’re seeing is to be able to follow any race on television, you can enjoy watching them. When I win the Tour de France in 2011 They only appeared on television for two seconds and because all the cameras were ready at the finish line for the boys. That’s where the victory ends. Now people are wondering if there is live TV from the beginning!” “Now having a race like the Tour de France, which last year was a huge, huge step forward, I hope it continues,” he is sincere -heart. van vleuten.
When asked about the future of Spanish cycling, van vleuten he admits that he is “difficult”. “It’s hard for me to see how to enter Spain they must reveal many hidden talents. Sometimes I stop and ask my boyfriend, but how is this possible? There is a lot of wasted talent and I would like to show it a bit, but there are not many top-level events for women’s cycling in Spain. If we see them, it will be more attractive for Spanish cyclists to come to cycling.”
His ally, the Spaniard Sarah Martin, it taught him some amazing things. “You can’t avoid ups and downs in cycling, the past year was a tough year for her, but the talent is there. What she has shown, at such a young age and also studying, is really amazing. I hope she returns to her peak level and I hope we get to see a lot more of him in the future.”
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
