"It did not affect my performance" - Annemiek Van Vleuten gets away from crash unscratched

Annemiek van Vleuten crashed in the Tour de France on Monday fifty kilometers from the finish, but reassures that she hasn't sustained any significant damage in the incident.

"No, it did not affect my performance," she tells NOS. "Two riders in front of me hooked into each other's handlebars, causing me to fall. Liane also fell because of that, but it was not too bad. It was a bit treacherous because of the rain. In the Tour you can see that it is at the cutting edge. Then there is extra risk. In the Giro you sometimes let each other in for fun, but here it is really fighting for your place."

The world champion can also celebrate a small party tonight: Van Vleuten saw her teammate Lippert triumph. "She is very strong on finishes that are a bit uphill. This day is of course great for the team spirit," she ends. "And I had a good day myself."