LA PLANCHE DES BELLES FILLES, France — Dutch
veteran Annemiek van Vleuten produced the perfect ride on Sunday to win the
women’s
Tour de France with a resounding victory in the eighth and final stage
from Lure to La Planche des Belles Filles.
اضافة اعلان
The 39-year-old Movistar rider, who grabbed the lead
with a brilliant solo performance in the mountains on Saturday, bided her time
in the peloton before powering up the final climb to seal her triumph.
Demi Vollering (SD Worx) finished second to claim
second overall with Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon/SRAM) third in the final
standings after a fourth-place finish on Sunday’s stage.
Van Vleuten, a
three-time winner of the
Giro d’Italia and time-trial gold medalist at the
Tokyo Olympics, began the 123km final stage with a 3min 14sec lead over
Vollering who was never in danger in spite of having a mechanical problem with
her bike 57km from the finish which required a quick swap with a teammate.
The yellow jersey group reeled in the 11-rider
breakaway with 5km to go at which point van Vleuten climbed out of her saddle
and began powering her way up the final crippling climb.
She crossed the line 30secs ahead of compatriot
Vollering to give her a 3min 48sec winning margin over the eight stages.
Vollering at least had the consolation of winning the Queen of the Mountains
polka dot jersey.
Valcar rider Silvia Persico of Italy took third on the
stage, crossing the line just ahead of Poland’s Niewiadoma.
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