🎥 Anger, tears and - after a pep talk - realism for Wiebes: "Will definitely keep Demi's words in mind"

After some time, Wiebes appeared on NOS for a brief reaction. "I am beating myself up over this, it's true," she started off her analysis. She goes on to give her account of the final sprint: "Longo Borghini moved on the centerline, and I was already to the left of her wheel. She almost pushed me into the barriers, but somehow, I managed to squeeze through. Because of this, I was too focused on the right, which is why I didn't see Marianne coming."

"Yes, I thought I had it nailed. But then I saw Marianne crossing the finish line," she said with a pained smile. "It's a terrible feeling and just plain stupid. Many riders have made the same mistake, but this is definitely a learning point. Hopefully, it doesn't happen again next time. Normally, I always sprint to the line, but as I said, Marianne surprised me."

After the podium ceremony, when the Dutch runner-up came to the press conference to give some extra context, it seemed that anger and tears had already given way to realism. "After a special and notable race, the team played my card," she hinted at the long neutralization and the significant shortening that came with it. "Despite being boxed in during the final meters, I managed to find my way. But I didn't see Marianne coming anymore. That is, of course, a very dumb mistake, one that you only make once in your life. I think I'll lose sleep over this for a few nights."

According to Wiebes, it wasn't that SD Worx-Protime was 'all in on Wiebes' that Sunday afternoon. "Demi Vollering was also a very strong candidate. It was more that we decided to go for me one last time on the Cauberg, provided I was still there. And I was." It was Vollering who, after the finish, spoke some encouraging words to Wiebes. "Demi told me that next year I would be even more determined to win. I myself felt mostly very stupid after the finish. It's a big disappointment, especially since the girls worked so hard for me. In the final kilometers, Demi did very well."

When Wiebes was asked if she realized immediately that Vos had passed her at the last moment, she answered in the affirmative. "As soon as we crossed the line, I thought: ooh, that was really close. The dream of winning this race is now even bigger. Looking forward to revenge next year, haha! It remains a big goal. I will definitely keep Demi's words in mind. This is the first time something like this has happened to me. Hopefully, it's also the last. I'm taking a small break now. A few days off, no bike. After that I'm off to a training camp in Girona and will also ride some gravel races. And, of course, enjoy life a bit."

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European champion Bredewold, a teammate of Wiebes, briefly addressed the dream that shattered into a thousand pieces after a race. "It's super disappointing, especially for Lorena. I haven't really spoken to her myself, just gave her a hug. She was very disappointed and I understand that very well. It wasn't necessarily the plan to throw all our eggs in one basket for Lorena after the restart. It was certainly one of the options. I myself had a bad day, which meant I couldn't counter all the attacks I needed to."

On the other hand, Vollering seemed to have a very good day and proved to be an exemplary teammate. "Demi had to do a lot of work. She really fought for us. That's really good of her. That kept everything together, and it was all in on Lorena. Demi and Lotte (Kopecky, ed.) could have also been in a breakaway group and finished it off. But that didn't happen and then we decided to go for Lorena. And that's also racing. Things certainly don't always happen by themselves."

Finally, Vollering herself reacts. "I mainly tried to express my confidence when I spoke to Lorena," she confirmed the words of the runner-up. "She's been riding so well lately. She's also digesting the climbs better and better. I have confidence that Lorena will one day win this race. She's still so young, so she'll definitely make it. Ultimately, we had a pretty good scenario for us. We turned the pressure on and worked for Lorena. The plan in the finale was simply to keep the pace as high as possible and ensure no more attacks came. And then Lorena could make a beautiful sprint. It's a pity that it just wasn't enough, but she can still be very satisfied. She rode a very strong race. Now we can only be there for her. She might not feel like it at the moment, but I'm sure she will be alright."