After lacking out on a medal simply 11 days in the past, Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime) averted any probability of a repeat of the Olympic Games street race, swiftly marking a late assault from the newly topped Kristen Faulkner earlier than sprinting to victory in Amnéville from the decreased group.
Vas was the primary and final to answer Faulkner’s profitable transfer within the Paris Olympics however did not have the ability to shut the hole. Once she flicked her elbow for Marianne Vos and Lotte Kopecky to take over, the race was achieved and she or he ended up fourth. On stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes, she did not lack the ability.
The younger Hungarian noticed the Stars and Stripes package of the US nationwide champion gearing as much as launch, prompting her to snap straight onto the wheel earlier than overpowering Kasia Niewiadoma on the line for the largest win of her profession. She provides this to triumphs from the Giro d’Italia Donne and Tour de Suisse,
“The first two days after the Olympics, I may probably not sleep as a result of at one level I used to be ready for the victory with Marianne [Vos], after which I got here house with out a medal,” recalled Vas in her post-race press convention.
“So it was laborious however I attempted to recollect the nice issues as a result of I used to be racing for victory and with the strongest rider. So however, it gave me a number of confidence and I feel it helped me for this Tour de France victory as a result of additionally within the closing, I knew that we couldn’t let Faulkner go.
“Also within the dash, I used to be very, very drained however I reminded myself that I can do it and the Olympics was in my head, which simply gave me a number of vitality and belief.”
While it was bittersweet as Vas’s group chief Demi Vollering crashed and misplaced management of the yellow jersey, she did admit “I’m tremendous pleased with my victory, that is my largest one”, with the remainder of her Tour probably going to be targeted on serving to regain the maillot jaune.
For Faulkner, whereas her assault was unsuccessful, she nonetheless had one other nice day on the Tour de France Femmes, netting her second top-five stage end result on the 2024 race and shifting as much as second total. But this hasn’t modified her lack of ambition within the total standings, with a stage victory nonetheless being all she’s vying for.
“No, we’re nonetheless going for a stage in tomorrow. Every day I’m requested if I’m going for GC and the reply isn’t any, we’re going for phases,” Faulkner advised reporters on the end.
“I feel for me strolling away with a stage win is extra vital than strolling away with a high 10 on GC. We do not know the way the mountains will deal with my legs, possibly they’re going to be nice, possibly not. We’re simply going to take it at some point at a time.”
While Vas was fast to shut down Faulkner’s transfer with 700m to go, the Olympic champion believes it was her personal lack of complete dedication that maybe price her a maiden Tour win.
“I attempted to simply drill it to create a spot, however I seen they had been on my wheel and if I dragged them to the road, they had been all going to beat me,” stated Faulkner of her late transfer. “I feel I misplaced my shot once I attacked and simply hesitated a bit.”
