Annemiek van Vleuten
Today was AvV’s last race as a professional in the Simac Ladies Tour in Arnhem, not far from her home. Her career was absolutely incredible and she pretty much won everything there was to win. Her racing style was aggressive, always trying to do something for the win. She absolutely maximised her talents and really changed women’s cycling with her approach to training and will to win. I supported her for years and then recently got to meet her on numerous occasions and rode twice with her out in Colombia. Here I discovered just how incredible a person she was too. Laser focused, but kind and generous. She leaves an incredible legacy in the sport and watching the races without her just won’t be the same.
10
Comments
-
A genuine great, with a staggering capacity for suffering. Most of the time she could count on the fact that everyone chasing her felt worse - at Harrogate she was in a class of her own, and never looked slightly threatened from the roadside.2
-
-
She says she wants to go into coaching, particularly the mental side of things, and will do the necessary training. Wants to work with young riders. She doesn’t want to be a DS/in the car. I would imagine she’ll get plenty of media work offers too as her opinions are pretty forthright!davidof said:I wonder what Annemiek will do next?
1 -
And, crucially, is well liked as is, as you say, just a nice person and funnydavieb78 said:
She says she wants to go into coaching, particularly the mental side of things, and will do the necessary training. Wants to work with young riders. She doesn’t want to be a DS/in the car. I would imagine she’ll get plenty of media work offers too as her opinions are pretty forthright!davidof said:I wonder what Annemiek will do next?
0 -
Good send off crowds at the simac.... she defined her era ....feels like she boardered a new one."If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
-
The probably doesn't want to race anymore, but I think she would be insanely good at gravel racing.PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20231
-
There are plenty of gravel riders that don't have those. They learn it in time. Being able to ride endlessly just below threshold seems to win the races. There are plenty of races that are not all that technical in nature and can't really be compared to CX or MTB XCO courses in terms of technicality.PTP Champion 2019, 2022 & 20230
-
She's racing the gravel worlds[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]1
-
-
She said it is very much a one-off. The team proposed it to her, and she thought it would be fun, but has no intention of riding any more gravel events.daniel_b said:
Maybe she read your postm.r.m. said:The probably doesn't want to race anymore, but I think she would be insanely good at gravel racing.
It makes a bit of a mockery of the status of the gravel worlds though, if you can just parachute someone in to ride it who has no previous experience of racing gravel.1 -
The regulars should be better, then it would make no difference.andyp said:
She said it is very much a one-off. The team proposed it to her, and she thought it would be fun, but has no intention of riding any more gravel events.daniel_b said:
Maybe she read your postm.r.m. said:The probably doesn't want to race anymore, but I think she would be insanely good at gravel racing.
It makes a bit of a mockery of the status of the gravel worlds though, if you can just parachute someone in to ride it who has no previous experience of racing gravel."Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago0
