"She simply climbs very well, and it is not a climbing course" - Annemiek van Vleuten attempts to justify Urska Zigart's Olympic non-selection

Annemiek van Vleuten very much enjoyed her time as a regular analyst for the NOS during the Tour de France. There, she even hinted that a start on the Paris Olympics was an option, but for that, the parcours would have to be very different from what we'll see next weekend.

"I was on the plane back home, with all those cycling teams. Visma | Lease a Bike, Dylan Groenewegen. I didn't see any sick bags. I think there was some partying, but it didn't get out of hand. I actually really enjoyed doing the men's Tour, and not the women's race, because I still know a lot of people there," she said at Bureau Sport podcast shortly after the end of the French three-week race.

Now on to the Games. Van Vleuten briefly discussed Urska Zigart's non-selection. "She simply climbs very well, and it is not a climbing course. That is the reason why I am no longer there myself." Apparently, the 41-year-old from Vleuten would have liked to continue cycling if a mountainous course had been drawn up for the 2024 Games.

"Suppose they had considered setting up a course in France that would finish on the Alpe d'Huez, then I would have thought about continuing for an extra year. But now I am very happy that I stopped. I knew that there would be no course for me, and I did not want to give everything for the time trial anymore. Maybe for a road race. But, I had not even beaten the top riders, I have to say," said the reigning time trial champion. Perhaps the failed road race in 2021 is still in Van Vleuten's memory...