The month of cycling in France ended last Sunday in Pau, not far from the Pyrenees, with victory for Dutch rider Demi Vollering in the women's version of the world's best race. Seven days of great protagonism by the teams dressed by Gobik, Movistar Team and FDJ Suez.
Reigning world champion, Vuelta and Giro winner and legend of the sport, Annemiek Van Vleuten led the FDJ offensive to the finish. Movistar Team to retain last year's crown. With her were Liane Lippert, Paula Patiño, Floortje Mackau, Emma Norsgaard, Aude Binnic and Sheyla Gutiérrez.
Two victories of the Movistar Team
From the very start in Clermond-Ferrand, not far from where Matteo Jorgenson came close to winning in the Puy de Dôme, the telephone team, with its "Iceberg"The team, with its kit specially designed for the two versions of the Tour de France, was always at the forefront of the race.
As we say, Movistar Team defended the number one bib on the back of Annemiek Van Vleuten, who competed here in one of her last races as a professional. The favoritism of the Dutchwoman forced great collective efforts, but also allowed individual victories that gave the team a presence on the podium.
Already in the second stage, an orographically hilly and rainy finish opened the team's account thanks to Liane Lippert. The German champion moved perfectly towards the finish overtaking the leader and favorite Lotte Kopecky. It was the first stage in the count.
The next would come just before the decisive weekend of Tourmalet and time trial in Pau. Emma Norsgaard, Mathias' sister from the men's team, caught a distant breakaway more than 100 kilometers from the finish line to row and row until she reached the finish with a minimal chance, with the sprinters' teams pulling. Never giving up, the Danish rider never stopped believing and, in the final stretch, she pulled her breakaway companion off the wheel to go solo and arrive with the peloton behind her.
Faith, talent and enthusiasm were described in the smile of a rider whose luck this year had not been the best, given the broken collarbone in the Strade Bianche.
Annemiek's penultimate
Undoubtedly, the final weekend of the Tour Femmes had a spotlight on the Dutchwoman.
Annemiek Van Vleuten failed in her particular duel with Demi Vollering, but she did not give up the battle until the end. Once she crossed the finish line in Pau, in the time trial, with all her teammates and staff of Movistar Team She knew that an important chapter in her life was closing.
At the age of 40 last autumn, Van Vleuten is now facing the final stretch of a fruitful career in which she has won everything, sometimes more than twice and three times.
Behind her were 48 hours of high tension, seeking to retain her crown in the Tour Femmes, as she had done in the other two majors. Vollering was stronger on the Tourmalet, as he had managed to neutralize Van Vleuten's attack on the previous Col du Aspin.
With her fourth place overall, one of the all-time great legends of women's cycling said goodbye to the most important race and, with it, a little piece of Movistar Team remains in the memory.
Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, seventh overall
The presence of FDJ Suez The French team in its most important race of the year once again had in the Danish rider Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig its most outstanding rider. This time she did not wear the jersey the coolest in the peloton, the national champion, but she was well ahead in the important moments of the race.
Both she and Marta Cavalli entered the top ten on the historic day of the Tourmalet, in an important team performance. Cecilie did not win a stage again, as she did last year, but she did repeat her seventh place overall. In fact, Cecilie had started the race very well, with a couple of top ten finishes in the first few days.
Italy's Vittoria Guazzini also rode very well, several times in the top ten, one of them in the time trial in which Grace Brown closed the participation with an outstanding fourth place.
The FDJ seven Suez was formed by Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, Evita Muzic, Marta Cavalli, Grace Brown, Jade Wiel, Loes Adegeest and Vittoria Guazzini.
