One of the biggest surprises of an already eventful two days of the Tour de France Femmes 2022 is the notable absence of Annemiek van Vleuten’s name from the main headlines.
Having triumphed at the Giro Donne just two weeks before the new Grand Tour hit Paris on Sunday, Movistar's Dutch superstar had been tipped to double up at the race.
Ad/> However, two stages down and you have to scroll further than you might have expected on the general classification to find Van Vleuten’s name. /> Tour de France FemmesVan Vleuten 'not to be discounted' despite slow TDFF start — The BreakawayAN HOUR AGO Sitting 50 seconds off yellow jersey holder Marianne Vos, who was victorious on Stage 2, Van Vleuten will have her work cut out if she is to win the first edition of the revamped event.
Discussing her chances on The Breakaway, Adam Blythe pondered if she is in the right physical condition for the race. “Maybe she's not feeling as good as she was,” he said. “Because on the finish line when we saw her come through, she looked to be suffering. “She came across the line looking like she was… not in a bit of panic, but just trying to hold on to the positions.