"05.30 am the alarm clock was set, that can be done differently" - Annemiek van Vleuten unhappy with early start time of La Fleche Wallone Feminine

With La Fleche Wallone Feminine starting at the early time of 08:40 CET, riders throughout the peloton were required to set early alarm clocks in order to properly prepare. World road race champion Annemiek van Vleuten was not impressed.

"I'm not a morning person," she tells NOS pre-race. "I always have a bit of trouble with these races. It's a shame because I don't think it's necessary. There is therefore still some room for improvement in the coming years. I won't experience that again, but still... 05.30 am the alarm clock was set, that can be done differently."

Van Vleuten is riding her final year as a professional cyclist. One of the most successful riders of all-time the 40-year-old is a three-time runner-up at La Fleche Wallone Feminine without ever standing on the top step of the podium. In this her final attempt at success, the Dutchwoman wants to go out in style.

“The Mur de Huy is a four-minute effort. Last year I talked to Alejandro Valverde about it, so that was really nice. Now I know how to handle him, while I've been following him for the past few years," she says. "Now I have more of a plan, that really helped."