Annemiek van Vleuten has no plans to relax after a victory - "This was the toughest stage, but it is not over yet until Madrid"

Annemiek van Vleuten once again proved to be the best as she took the victory in the queen stage of the Ceratizit Challenge.

The Dutch rider dedicated her victory to her teammates, "But it was really good teamwork", said Van Vleuten. She continues, "And that makes it extra special. We made it tough on the third climb and set up the attack together like that."

She rode with the peloton before launching her attack 30 kilometers before the finish line. "It is a short stage, then I know it has to be tough. I really needed the team for that. We decided together to do that from the third climb. So everyone was already suffering before I attacked,” said Van Vleuten.

Even the best riders go down the spiral and doubt themselves after a break, and Van Vlueten was no exception to this, "I had no idea after the Tour. I had some time off and then started training again. Also, I just got back from an altitude training trip," she said.

Although she is somewhat relaxed now that the hardest stage of the tour is over she won’t be able to fully relax till she crosses the finish line in Madrid. "It's also only the second day of the Vuelta. That is different than in the Tour when I placed my attack on the seventh day. Now everyone is still fresh. This was the toughest stage, but it is not over yet until Madrid. In the fourth stage the wind can still play a role, for example,” concluded Van Vleuten. She currently holds the top position in GC.