"I enjoyed it, it was fun and very beautiful" - Annemiek van Vleuten about the final race of her racing career

Sunday, September 10, 2023 will go down in history as the day on which Annemiek van Vleuten finally ended her active career as a cyclist. She waved goodbye to professional cycling in the Simac Ladies Tour.

In the final stage of the Dutch stage race, with start and finish in Arnhem, Van Vleuten still missed the trick. "I was a bit disappointed at first, because I wanted to be in the front group. But in the last lap I started to enjoy it, people were standing along the entire lap. I could also take the time to enjoy it," she told NOS after the finish.

"It felt really good to have my last race here, with all the people close to me and in my training region," said Van Vleuten. She has seen women's cycling make great strides since she started in 2008. "The peloton competes at a much higher level. That is beautiful. The racing is more attractive, at a higher level and more in breadth. I have been part of the growth. The profession of professional cyclist didn't even exist when I started."

Cycling has brought Van Vleuten a lot. "It is something very unexpected that has come my way. I feel so lucky that I was able to experience this," she says. "High peaks, deep valleys, but it has brought me a lot as a person. Nice titles, but also stories. I will have to think back about this in the coming years and I have already recalled many memories in recent weeks."