The day before this 7e stage, the manager of a rival team of Annemiek van Vleuten’s Movistar had a clear idea of the day’s scenario: “If she is good, she will attack from the first pass and blow everything up. » The Dutchwoman is as predictable as she is irresistible. This Saturday, July 30, she did not crush the Tour de France Women. No, it rather scattered it, dynamited it, blew it up, and its rivals with it, during this Alsatian stage between Sélestat (Bas-Rhin) and the Markstein station (Haut-Rhin). A real, beautiful mountain stage with more than 3,000 meters of elevation gain in 127.1 kilometers. Of those promised to the history books of the discipline.
The gaps also refer to other times… and black and white images: rides across the Col des Coppi, Gaul or Bahamontes, when cycling was more a matter of minutes than seconds. Contemplate the differences instead: his compatriot Demi Vollering (SD Worx) finished at 3 min 26 s after having had the audacity and the legs to follow Annemiek van Vleuten in the Petit Ballon; the Danish Cecilie Uttrup-Ludwig (FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope) crossed the line 5 min 16 s later, just ahead of the French Juliette Labous (DSM), amazing 4e stage and overall.
? Alone in the lead for the last 60km, ??@AvVleuten wins the stage and takes the Yellow Jersey! ? ? Relive the last… https://t.co/178YbNwGEX
Officially, the new yellow jersey was born in… Vleuten on October 8, 1982. Evita Muzic, however, has a doubt. “She must be from another planet”advances the Frenchwoman as the only rational explanation for this unsuccessful pursuit behind the winner of the stage. “There were five of us riding and we didn’t spare our efforts, yet she kept taking up our time”, says the FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope rider exhausted at the finish but on track to finish in the top ten of this Tour – for the moment, she is 9e.
In front of the Movistar bus, we have the “go” thunderous and the satisfaction of the plan rolled out without a hitch. First at Sebastian Unzué. The general manager of the Spanish formation admits it now, its leader was easy prey at the start of the week, the fault of gastric problems. “She had very difficult days and so did we, he confides. I don’t really know how to explain it, but the other teams weren’t able to see it and take advantage of it. »
“Six days of waiting, survival and recovery”
Too bad for them. Annemiek van Vleuten attacks and strikes without warning. Without waiting for the start of the TV broadcast either. Fortunately, Aude Biannic was well placed to see the take-off of the Dutch rocket at the foot of the Petit Ballon. The Breton woman from Movistar recounts the firing: “I went in a breakaway of thirty girls, I rode at my own pace to wait for Annemiek. Once she got back into my wheel, I tried to put in the biggest pace I could for a big mile. Then she left. That was the plan and we followed it to the letter. »
Far behind, Marianne Vos understood that it was not her war. The “Queen Marianne” is picking up her stride as if to make the most of her last hours in yellow. His delay of 25 minutes is anecdotal. As soon as the road rears up, Annemiek van Vleuten can give the impression of pedaling against cadets. “My style is always to attack without waiting for the final”, says the 2019 world champion after a solo trip of 104 kilometers in Yorkshire (against 60 “only” this Saturday). ” After six days of waiting, surviving and recovering, I wanted to make the biggest time gaps possible and that meant attacking on the first climb”continues the recent winner of the Tour of Italy.
The double extends his arms to him. There remains one last choice piece on Sunday with the arrival at the top of the Super Planche des Belles Filles, in the Vosges, but we can always appeal to the pranksters of the place, those who caused the loss of a Tour won in advance. in Primoz Roglic for the benefit of Tadej Pogacar in 2020, Annemiek van Vleuten has mastered his subject too much and the competition is already vying for the right to accompany him on the podium.
“The objective is to ensure victory overall, but winning with the yellow jersey at the top of the Super Board would be very nice”, warns Aude Biannic. When Annemiek van Vleuten regains her appetite, she only leaves crumbs for others.