Annemiek van Vleuten has deliberately chosen not to defend her Olympic time trial title in Paris in two years. The Dutchman, who announced on Wednesday that she will end her career at the end of 2023, would like to stop at her peak.
“Some people will probably wonder why I’m stopping before the Paris Games. My career has always been about finding long-term motivational projects that I can put my energy into. My career is never focused on specific goals or competitions,” explains the 39 year old Van Vleuten.
“The main reason for quitting is that I would like to end my career while I am still at my peak. I want to complete the process at Movistar and then look for new challenges in life. I am sure that I will with a small tear because I love this sport.”
Van Vleuten won the Olympic title in the time trial in Tokyo last summer. She took revenge for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, when she fell hard in the leading position in the road race and saw the gold go to Anna van der Breggen. In Tokyo, Van Vleuten finished with silver in the road race.
Annemiek van Vleuten decides to stop at her peak.
Annemiek van Vleuten decides to stop at her peak. Photo: Getty Images
‘Would be a shame to stop at Movistar now’
The three-time world champion started at Movistar in 2021 and has since won the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. In her opinion, Van Vleuten is not yet ready for the Spanish cycling team and decided to spend the last year of her cycling career there.
“I want to contribute even more to this team, as I have done for the last two years. That is why I have signed another year. We have started the way up and it would be a shame to stop halfway through that process. Two years feels a bit short, three seasons is a nicer period,” says Van Vleuten.
Van Vleuten will continue her season on Thursday with the women’s edition of the Giro d’Italia. The Tour de France Femmes follows a month later. Later this season – from 18 to 25 September – the World Cycling Championships are scheduled in Australia.