Wiebes already had a close look at the course in Paris: "Local lap more demanding than expected"

As the absolute team leader, Lorena Wiebes will start Sunday's Olympic women's road race in Paris. The SD Worx-Protime rider will have to face teammate Lotte Kopecky in the French capital but will have a solid Dutch team at the start.

'"The Olympic Games in Paris have been on my mind since 2020. When I heard it was in Paris this year, with not very high mountains, I thought: this could be something. This started as a long-term goal you plan to build toward in performance, but now it's approaching. I also had my goals before the Olympics, but that Olympic road race was always a good motivation throughout this season," said the Dutch rider on the site of the KNWU.

Wiebes and the rest of the team previewed the course in Paris earlier. "I found the local lap more demanding than I anticipated. The last climb at Montmartre, which is ten kilometers from the finish, can be tough, especially if they go full-out there, and that is something you can expect. The whole local lap goes up and down. I think this track is similar to last year's Super World Cup in Glasgow, but in Paris the climbs are less steep."

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Wiebes: "Interest of team Netherlands always comes first"

So, how will the race progress exactly? "The large starting loop is not especially exciting. But I am curious about how the race will unfold. We ride with a smaller peloton than at, for example, a European or World Championship, so we must remain focused. The best part of the lap? The finish in front of the Eiffel Tower. I would like to cross the line as the winner while cheering. That would be a dream come true and a victory that would make my list of achievements even more beautiful. You are an Olympic champion forever."

The Netherlands has several strong riders. "Of course, the Netherlands has some additional strong assets in the team. But that is no different at other championships. Marianne Vos can, of course, also get far ahead on speed, but normally, we always prioritize the interests of the Netherlands. We greatly respect each other and will race together to reach our goal. Demi Vollering is an asset in helping when a group is breaking away. She can then act as a disruptor at the front," Wiebes predicts.