First modification:
Dutch veteran Annemiek van Vleuten rode the perfect race on Sunday to win the Women’s Tour de France with an emphatic victory on the eighth and final stage from Lure to La Planche des Belles Filles.
The 39-year-old Movistar rider, who took the lead on Saturday with a brilliant solo performance in the mountains, waited for her moment in the peloton before speeding up the final climb to seal her victory.
Demi Vollering (SD Worx) finished second to consolidate second overall with Poland’s Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon/SRAM) third in the final standings after placing fourth in Sunday’s stage.
Van Vleuten, a three-time Giro d’Italia winner and time trial gold medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, started the 123-kilometre final stage with a 3 minute, 14 second lead over Vollering.
A lead was never in jeopardy despite having a mechanical issue with his bike 57km from the finish that required a quick swap with a teammate.
In fact, van Vleuten had the opportunity to gain another 30 seconds on his compatriot Vollering during the last stage and increase his advantage over the second to 3 minutes and 48 seconds. Despite the second position, Vollering had the satisfaction of taking the red polka dot jersey by establishing herself as the best competitor in mountain stages.
The Italian cyclist of the Valcar team, Silvia Persico, took third place in the stage, crossing the finish line just ahead of the Polish Niewiadoma.
News in development…
#Dutch #cyclist #Annemiek #van #Vleuten #wins #Womens #Tour #France