Annemiek van Vleuten is certain of her retirement at the end of this season, and as the time comes closer she begins to think of her post-pro cycling plans. Mentoring younger riders and gravel racing might be two paths to follow from next year onwards.
"I will not train anymore. Maybe I will do events, but not at a high level anymore. Maybe I will do some gravel, but I will not do any interval [training] anymore to prepare for it," van Vleuten said in an interview with CyclingWeekly. “I’m happy just to stop being stressed about needing to keep my level high. That’s not what I want. But you will see me in the sport. I want to continue at something, but I think first a year to see a bit what I want to do, and take my time.”
As was the case with Anna van der Breggen, it is expected that the Dutch veteran will continue to be around the sport after hanging up the wheels in the coming months. A figure as influential as her serves as a role model for many riders, and her current link with Movistar Team is also one that could see her remain with the team even if not in the role of a rider. However what she really wants is to take time off and be able to relax, after which she will consider what to do next.
“If you asked me what I would like to do, I’d like to work on the mental coaching side with athletes, with young athletes. I’ve worked for a long time already with a mental coach, so I think it’s really, really good to be open about. Sometimes, I get the question like, ‘What issue made you start working with a mental coach?’ And I’m like, ‘No issue. I just want to get better in every area'. With my young team-mates, I like to help them a little bit on this mental coaching part. That’s something that gives me energy, so I think in that area, you will see me.”
Van Vleuten's final ride as a pro will be at the Simac Ladies Tour, in the Netherlands she wanted a final race without much pressure and she will get it. Fresh off an unlucky World Championships where she suffered a mechanical towards the end, van Vleuten is now not carrying the rainbow stripes anymore but instead the Spanish team's outfit, in which she closes her career with three glorious seasons.
“I’m still full of energy to get the best out of myself in races and it makes me proud that I still have that attitude. I know that if I continue too long, that level will go down, the energy level. I’m proud also of how I raced today (women's Elite Road Race World Championships, ed.). I’m proud to say goodbye to the sport like this.”
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