Annemiek van Vleuten wins UCI World Championship race in Wollongong with a BROKEN ELBOW
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Cyclist wins World Cup race in Australia with BROKEN ELBOW and reveals tremendous courage to keep going: ‘It was hell’
- Annemiek van Vleuten stuns the cycling world by winning with elbow fracture
- The come-from-behind win is arguably the biggest of her storied career
- van Vleuten broke her elbow on Wednesday during a relay race
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Annemiek van Vleuten has taken a stunning come-from-behind victory at the UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong – just three days after breaking her elbow in a horror crash.
The 39-year-old Dutch cycling legend won her second world road title with an attack in the last 600 meters that surprised the other eight leaders.
On Wednesday, Van Vleuten crashed in the mixed team relay and fractured her elbow, leaving many to believe her chances of winning Saturday’s big event had been lost.
Annemiek van Vleuten of the Netherlands, front right, races past the finish line to win the elite women’s road race at the World Road Cycling Championships in Wollongong, Australia
van Vleuten crashed three days before and broke her elbow and would not win the event
Fortunately for Van Vleuten, the medical clearance came on Friday and after 164.3km of racing, the Dutch rider stole an unlikely win in the Women’s Elite Road Race.
The 2019 world champion and reigning Olympic time trial world champion claimed the cycling sport’s triple crown this year when she landed the Italian, French and Spanish tours.
But for the veteran, who will be celebrating her 40th birthday in October, what she accomplished on Saturday was something else.
“Perhaps this is my greatest victory. … I’m still speechless. I still can’t believe it,” she said.
“It took me some time to realize that I really made it happen because I’m waiting for them to tell me someone was standing in front of me or that it was a joke. I had a feeling it couldn’t be true.’
The 39-year-old veteran won her second world road title with an attack in the last 600 meters that surprised the other eight leaders
The amazing win with a broken elbow adds to Van Vleuten’s legend as one of the toughest riders in the world.
“It was hell,” she said of riding with the injury.
“I couldn’t get out of the saddle, so I had to do everything sitting down and my legs exploded on the climb.
“Normally I really enjoy getting out of the saddle and attacking. I had such a different plan. I want to attack.
It was a cat and mouse game in the final kilometers of the race as no one in the pack made a move.
The Dutch rider believes the win may be the biggest of her incredible career
Then Van Vleuten suddenly came out of the rear of the group and started sprinting with the finish not far away.
The chasing peloton began to approach ominously at van Vleuten. However, the lead was just enough to reach the line first.
‘I had the feeling that I was waiting for the moment,’ said Van Vleuten.
“All I thought was, ‘I have to attack from behind. That’s the only, only, only chance I have.”
“I waited and waited for them to sprint over me, but they couldn’t catch me,” she said.
It is the second time in as many years that Van Vleuten has won the UCI Road World Championships, claiming the 2019 title.
The win means Van Vleuten will likely spend her last full season wearing the iconic rainbow jersey
Since 2016, the Dutch rider has experienced major hurdles in her career, the highest of all highs and lowest of all lows.
The world’s number one rider in the women’s peloton has continued to set goals and achieve her bizarre goals despite these setbacks.
The win means Van Vleuten will likely spend her last full season wearing the iconic rainbow jersey.
“It’s so beautiful to be able to wear the rainbow jersey. Especially I had it in the COVID year and it was not the best year to have it, the rainbow jersey.
“I still enjoyed it, but now I’m going to enjoy it to the fullest next year.”
The UCI Road World Championships will conclude on Sunday with the Men’s Elite Road Race from 10.15am.