Évita Muzic’s dream of profitable atop Alpe d’Huez turned more and more troublesome to achieve when race officers enforced a barrage after she took a nature break simply forward of the penultimate climb at Col du Glandon on the ultimate stage 8 on the Tour de France Femmes.
Despite the setback, the FDJ-SUEZ rider completed third atop Alpe d’Huez and simply off the rostrum within the basic classification, leaving the 25 yr outdated as the highest French rider within the total classification.
“I’m dissatisfied to not end on the rostrum, however the three women in entrance of me had been simply higher than me,” mentioned Muzic of her place within the remaining GC standings.
Muzic completed the eight-stage race in fourth behind the general winner Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM), runner-up Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) and third-placed Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck).
The FDJ-SUEZ rider revealed to the media that after the barrage – which stops workforce automobiles from transferring to the again of the group to keep away from them getting used to assist dropped riders rejoin – she was compelled to chase for practically 20km to get again to the peloton earlier than the primary HC ascent at 98.5km into the 149.9km race.
Once again within the subject, she could not reply to the assaults of Vollering and Rooijakkers on its steep slopes, however she had sufficient vitality to type a part of the chase group.
Also within the preliminary chase had been Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), Gaia Realini and Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek), Cédrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT) and Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal).
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“I used to be not at my greatest on the Glandon. I ended to pee, and the commissaries blocked me from coming again to the peloton. I used to be dissatisfied for this,” Muzic mentioned.
“Luckily, I had Grace [Brown] with me. It was 20km full gasoline to come back again within the bunch, and it price me vitality on the Glandon. I missed Demi and Pauliena within the entrance. But I felt higher for Alpe d’Huez.”
The chase group was lowered to only three as Muzic, Niewiadoma, and Realini set a quick tempo up the 21 hairpin turns, attempting to cut back the hole to the 2 leaders, which had dropped to 35 seconds mid-climb, however in any other case hovered at one minute.
“In one second, I used to be fascinated by the stage victory as a result of we had been coming again a little bit bit, and I needed to maneuver up on the GC. My workforce did nice work all week, and though it isn’t a podium, fourth on GC is the very best I may do,” Muzic mentioned.
FDJ-SUEZ had one of many strongest squads through the eight levels, at all times current on the entrance within the flatter days through the Grand Départ within the Netherlands and within the remaining two mountain levels this weekend.
“I misplaced an excessive amount of time within the first a part of the week. Maybe, for me, it could be higher if we had extra mountain levels on the Tour de France. I skilled loads on the brink on the lengthy climbs. It was the primary time in my life that I believe it paid off,” Muzic mentioned.
“But perhaps I used to be lacking a little bit of punch for the stage in Liège that was wanted for the GC in the long run, however we want to consider this for subsequent yr.”
Muzic mentioned that though she did not win on Alpe d’Huez, she is happy together with her efficiency and the ultimate outcome on the Tour de France Femmes.
“The environment was wonderful on Alpe d’Huez. I dreamed of the victory and was near coming again. In the tip, I did my all.”
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