On Sunday, Marianne Vos reeled in her second victory in the Amstel Gold Race, but the Dutch rider of Visma | Lease a Bike might not fully have realized she was about to pull it off during the sprint. Lorena Wiebes, representing SD Worx-Protime, seemed a bit stronger, but she celebrated too early. Literally. Vos, cunning as she is, was ready to take full advantage. The race came down to a sprint, partly due to a major neutralization, reducing the distance upon resumption to just 55.2 kilometers. "In a moment like that, there are more important things than racing," Vos said, clearly feeling sympathetic towards the motor officer who had to be taken to the hospital after an accident during the race. "We waited and hoped for good news. From the restart, we had to refocus for a big finale."
Vos empathizes with Wiebes after wild sprint
Since it was only a short distance, Vos mentioned they rode "full throttle". "Everyone wanted to be up there, and with Eva van Agt, we had someone with us. That was a perfect situation for us, although we needed to stay focused heading towards the last climb of the Cauberg. The team set me up very well, and during the sprint, I thought Lorena and I were boxed in, but she found a gap. She clearly celebrated too early. I kept going and only felt when I reached the jump that I had more speed. It's a pity for Lorena, but I'm happy with the win."
"Keep going until the finish," Vos tells
NOS in conclusion. However, she does not think of this as a laughing matter. Indeed, Vos empathizes with Wiebes. "It's incredibly disappointing for her, something like this. Somehow, this can happen pretty quickly here. I saw that she started celebrating, but I just thought: until the finish, until the finish! It's great that it worked out, even though I feel three ways about it. Because of that accident along the way, and because I can empathize with Lorena..."
After the ceremonial formalities, the Dutch laureate - originally from North Brabant - came to the press conference, where she shared more about her day in South Limburg, including the final phase. "I knew we would face headwind in the sprint," she starts off. "I also knew that Lorena was obviously the woman to beat. We both got boxed in, but it still turned out alright. I didn't think I would catch her," she emphasizes again. "But when she was celebrating, I noticed I had more speed. Even then, I didn't think I could still win."
In 2021, Vos almost cheered too soon herself
As a veteran, Vos knows how crucial it is to sprint all the way until the finish line. "I myself almost celebrated too early in 2021. I know all too well how important that is. Because the race was so short, we also had to be extra sharp. Of course, we were aware of that. I had to stay focused, but that went well. I must also thank the team tremendously since they were present in every breakaway. That was important for controlling the peloton. That made it a lot easier to save our legs for the last time up Cauberg, and for the finish sprint."
Vos also spoke about her empathy for Wiebes. "I told Lorena that I was very sorry for her. I've never experienced something like this before, but I'm sure it will be the last time for her too. You feel really bad about it. I'm convinced she'll come back stronger and will win this race," she says encouragingly.
Finally, Vos also reflected on Paris-Roubaix, where she finished fourth and immediately headed backstage after crossing the finish. "After Roubaix, I was indeed quite frustrated. But in my opinion, sports aren't about making things right or anything like that," she says, referring to her sporting revenge around Valkenburg. "It's always about giving your best. And sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. Last week in Roubaix, we also played the game, and I finished fourth. I had hoped for more and was therefore disappointed. But I also came out of it with a good racing feeling, with lots of ambition and confidence for the upcoming races, including this Amstel Gold Race. And here things went very well again. Luck was on my side this time. We wanted to do well as a team, and I'm glad it worked out."
Van Agt animates the race and has "respect and admiration" for mentally strong Vos
Vos mentioned in her analysis how the women of Visma | Lease a Bike were continuously present in the breakaways, especially Eva van Agt, who rode a strong race along with Yara Kastelijn and Ricarda Bauernfeind, forming a trio at the front. "I kept riding with the idea that Marianne was behind me. We knew she was super strong. And that ultimately turned out to be the case, haha! In the breakaway, I rode hard, but always intelligently. Of course, I did so with the idea of finishing it off in one way or another," van Agt reflected.
"We suddenly had a minute's advantage. That was really a lot," the 27-year-old lady continued. "Yara didn't really help out. She played the game very smart. She can bluff really well. She might say, for example, that it's over and out for her, but then she still keeps coming back regularly. But that's the game, right? She's certainly allowed to do that. It's part of racing, but it's frustrating when you're there, haha! It's her right."
Every now and then, Van Agt tried to make a move, although it was not always with full commitment. "I tried once on the Bemelerberg. But when I accelerated, I immediately got a cramp. Luckily, I could continue, but you saw that we all started to ride together less and less. Of course, I thought about our own chances in the breakaway for a moment, but then you quickly realize that you have a very strong Marianne. She can really finish races. I wasn't so sure about myself in the sprint. Anyway, the plan was to stay with Marianne on the last Cauberg and, if necessary, to bring her back. But she was so strong that it wasn't needed. Marianne is also incredibly mentally strong. She always rides until the end. That's not normal. I have a lot of respect and admiration for that."
