Van Vleuten's Solo Glory

Dutch star attacks with 100km to go to win women’s road race

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“I was thinking it’s not possible, but if it is possible it’s epic,” said Annemiek van Vleuten of her 100km solo attack to take the World Championship road race title. She wasn’t the only one. No team CW spoke to thought the Dutchwoman could stay away that long — it happens so rarely.

It was a ride that bore comparison to Chris Froome’s attack on the Finestre from 80km out to win the Giro in 2018, Claudio Chiappucci’s over 100km attack in the mountains of the Tour de France in 1992, Eddy Merckx in the Alps at the Tour in 1969 and Fausto Coppi’s solo break in the Giro d’Italia in 1949. On Saturday van Vleuten rode herself into the history books as she turned ‘not possible’ into ‘epic’.

“All day I thought it was super-stupid, what I was doing,” she added. “I thought my national coach would say, ‘This is stupid, stop and wait for that group,’ but she said, ‘No, it’s super-good for us, continue.’”

As impressive a solo effort as it was, it was the Dutch strength in depth and coach Loes Gunnewijk’s astute tactical decisions that made the difference. Van Vleuten had been tasked with attacking the Lofthouse climb, safe in the knowledge that the team would have the fast Marianne Vos in the peloton for a sprint in the case of a late catch, and the punchy Anna van der Breggen available for a medium-range attack should the break get brought back earlier.