Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a bike) secured a hard-fought victory at the Tour de France Femmes, crossing the line ahead of her teammate, who had launched a solo bid for glory halfway up the final climb. The one-two finish for Visma-Lease a Bike also saw them gain valuable time on key rivals,including Kasia niewiadom-Phinney (Canyon-Sram),Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez),and Anna van der Breggen (SD worx-Protime),who finished fourth,fifth,and seventh respectively.
Vos, who had experienced a series of near-misses in recent races, including multiple second and third-place finishes, expressed her relief and satisfaction at breaking her victory drought. “It’s cycling. Sometimes you’re close, sometimes it doesn’t work out,” vos commented after the stage. “We all work for it, and it’s keeping the faith, but it’s also the faith that’s put in from the team.If they believe,then you also feel a bit of pressure,but you wont to finish it off. With what happened today, everything came together.”
Her teammate, who initiated the decisive move, admitted to focusing on reaching the finish line rather than contemplating victory. “I didn’t really think [about winning],” she stated. “I thought, ‘Make it to the end, and then we’ll see.’ I didn’t turn around as that’s no use. When I saw Marianne come past me, I thought, ‘Uff, it’s Marianne, not someone else.’ I smiled when I saw her as I was relieved it was her. I don’t remember [if I said somthing to her] I was going so deep. I was really going hard; I wasn’t pretending. The plan played out like a dream, so it’s really, really good.”
Vos acknowledged that her teammate’s aggressive move was “part of the tactic,” but emphasized that the ultimate one-two result was an outcome they “could not have expected.” This victory marks a significant moment for Vos, who has maintained a consistent presence at the top level of the sport for two decades, demonstrating enduring dedication and belief in her capabilities and those of her team.
