tour reporter
Marianne Vos takes the yellow jersey on Stage 2 of the Tour de France Femmes. She is a big star in women’s cycling and is a big part of the women’s tour.
Behind the finish line in provinces there were the first briefings. The 2nd stage of Tour de France of the women had just ended and the almost 140 drivers who were still in love in the race stood together in groups to make initial analyses. There was a lot to talk about after this one “chaotic stage” as the German champion Liane Lippert put it.
Hectic because of wind and small roads
In the morning still in Meauxwhere the fan park had people walking around in costumes complete with hats in the shape of the cheese named after the city Briex de Meaux belonged, most teams probably had a sprint finish in provinces expected. On the way, however, the fear of crosswinds and a one-kilometer-long uphill home straight created a completely different scenario.
“Because of the narrow streets and the wind, the tension was great”reported the stage winner Marianne Voswho also immediately took over the yellow jersey. “Everyone wanted to be up front.” But that always goes wrong in cycling. The result was that the peloton quickly provided an early breakaway and then stayed together for a long time. In the hustle and bustle, the drivers often got in each other’s way.
stage winner Vos drives for the women’s team of the Dutch Jumbo Vismateam that just made their mark on the men’s tour. Vos‘ Female teammates largely kept her out of trouble. And when the field first crossed the finish line in provinces crossed to start the 19.7-kilometre final lap, the Dutchwoman also stayed in the picture.
Van der Duin together with her role model
It was only 20 years old Maike van der Duin, who was able to break away 27 kilometers from the finish. Vos and five other riders, including world champion Elisa Longo Borghini and one of the co-favorites for overall victory, the Polish Katarzyna Niewiadoma from German Team Canyon SRAMmade the connection after the sprint classification at the first crossing of the finish line.
This group then drove the day’s victory among themselves. Van der Duin, who finished fifth, was recognized as the most combative rider for her attack and was also allowed to don the white jersey for the best young rider. Afterwards, the young woman beamed and told how, as an eight-year-old, she received an autograph card from Marianne Vos got. “And today I rode with her in a breakaway – unbelievable.”
241 victories stand up Vos‘ list
Vos is a big star of women’s cycling. Her father is building a museum of sorts with all the cycling memorabilia his daughter has collected over the years. A lot has come together: The list of her 241 victories includes three world championship titles, one Olympic victory and 32 stage wins at the Giro d’Italiathe most important stage race on the women’s racing calendar to date.
Seven years ago she won the Champs Elysees the first edition of “The Course”a women’s one-day race as part of the Tour de France of men. This race was a milestone for women’s cycling, she said Vos. At the time, she campaigned for the tour operator ASO to give women this chance.
But even then, she wasn’t satisfied with women being allowed to play a supporting role for a day on the big men’s stage. One Tour de France of women was already then Vos‘ Target: “The fact that we now have a real Tour de France, with all the emotions that a stage race brings, is another milestone.”
Radiance of the yellow jersey
Vos is aware of the radiance of the yellow jersey – no other jersey in cycling is as charged with meaning as it is Maillot Jaune. But she never dreamed of it: “I saw the tour at the track as a kid and watched the boys. They were all heroes, the last one just like the first one.”she said. “But the yellow jersey was never a dream of mine because it didn’t exist for women.”
Now though, it’s also getting big riders like Marianne Vos A meaning. Already on the 1st stage on the Champs Elysees on Sunday she would have liked to be at the front, it seemed to be the best chance for her as a sprinter, but she was clearly inferior to Lorena Wiebes in terms of speed. That’s why it had to be done in a different way. “I couldn’t have ended my career without wearing it”said Vos. “It’s something big. And it will be special to wear it tomorrow.”