In the tip recreation of the Paris Olympics girls’s street race, Blanka Vas (Hungary) appeared to be set to safe at the very least a silver medal when she escaped with Marianne Vos (Netherlands) within the remaining 20 kilometres, however within the final 5km, Kristen Faulkner (USA) and Lotte Kopecky (Belgium) caught the duo.
After Faulkner escaped and rode to victory, Vas was left having to dash for the medals towards two of the most important names within the sport – however completed fourth by millimetres within the photograph end behind Vos and Kopecky.
There was a mixture of unhappiness and pleasure within the 22-year-old’s eyes as she instructed Cyclingnews, “It was shut so it is painful. Again the fourth place.”
Vas has notched up some huge outcomes each in cyclocross and on the street, profitable phases within the Tour de Suisse and Giro Donne in 2023, and profitable the under-23 title on the UCI Road World Championships in Glasgow final 12 months.
However, she referenced a distinct fourth place, her equally shut end on the 2021 Road World Championships in Belgium.
Finishing out of the medals was heartbreaking however Vas regarded on the brilliant facet. “I feel I should be pleased as a result of I used to be within the remaining. It was an thrilling race, I used to be on a regular basis within the entrance… I nonetheless have some years to enhance. I’m nonetheless younger so it is a huge motivation once more for the long run.”
To her rivals in Paris, Vas is hardly an unknown. She and Vos have been pleasant rivals in cyclocross and, she recalled her first main success in 2019 in Essen.
“I bear in mind in my first cyclocross podium in Belgium, I used to be second behind Marianne Vos, so this was in my head, perhaps now, I can go and do it once more, simply within the Olympics. Unfortunately, not however in cyclocross, we have now been combating collectively, and I had the identical feeling [here] – it is simply so particular to journey along with her.”
Her fourth place was much more exceptional in that Vas began the race with out teammates, whereas Vos and Kopecky each had three teammates and Faulkner one.
“I got here to the race with out strain. I simply needed to take pleasure in it – I had some wheels in my head, for instance, Marianne’s and Lotte’s wheel. And I used to be like, perhaps if I’m there, I want to comply with them. So this was my aim. I feel I should be pleased as a result of I may comply with them, and it was a extremely onerous race. I simply want extra expertise.”
Vas will proceed to achieve expertise and rise by way of the ranks with SD Worx-Protime, having signed a contract extension by way of 2027.
