From ‘flustered’ to ‘performance of a lifetime’ – Annemiek van Vleuten beat odds to win Stage 8 at Tour de France Femmes

Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) produced a “performance of a lifetime” after earlier travails on Stage 8 had left her “flustered”, that is according to Dani Christmas and Dani Rowe who were speaking on the latest episode of The Breakaway. The 39-year-old suffered an untimely mechanical on Stage 8 of the Tour de France Femmes that saw her change bikes three times. She also suffered a puncture.

Each time she would re-join the main group. Ad/> Then, despite expending that energy to get back on, she rode away on Super Planche des Belles Filles to conquer the iconic climb as she was crowned winner of the Tour de France Femmes. /> Tour de France FemmesHighlights: Van Vleuten tames Super Planche to seal Tour de France Femmes win2 HOURS AGO First, she had to swap bikes with Sheyla Gutierrez ahead of the descent of the Cote d’Esmoulieres and descended more cautiously than usual.

However, the drama did not end there. Shorn of team-mates – Gutierrez returned to the team car to change bikes – Van Vleuten fell 30 seconds behind the polka dot jersey group of Demi Vollering (SD Worx) and had to chase back on herself. But again the drama had not ended as she changed bikes a further two times.

First on to her yellow bike, which she had ridden at the very start of the day in the neutral zone – at the bottom of the second climb, the Ballon d’Alsace — but she was not happy with that set-up again, so changed bikes to her preferred first bike. She then suffered a puncture. Van Vleuten conquers Super Planche to cement historic Tour de France Femmes win Van Vleuten suffers mechanical, gets distanced and changes bike three times ‘I don’t dream, I set goals’ – Van Vleuten on grabbing yellow And yet, despite expending all that effort to get back