• Valverde. "It doesn't overwhelm me to lose the throne"

Women's cycling is for the elderly. The new world champion in the background on the road is the Dutch Annemiek van Vleuten , a Dutch lady who will turn 37 in eight days and who on Saturday surprised her opponents with an admirable exercise of courage: she attacked when 105 kilometers were left for the finish line and the platoon was unable to neutralize it. An exhibition in which the Spanish were very discreet: Mavi García was 25th and Ane Santesteban , 26th. And it is that the World Cups are for old people, that they tell Alejandro Valverde .

Double Dutch party on the Harrogate podium, the second place on the stage of honor went to Anna van der Breggen , winner of the gold last year in Innsbruck, and the third for the Australian Amanda Spratt . Holland sweeps women and on Sunday it aims to succeed with Van der Poel in the men's category.

The Netherlands set a trend, in the time trial they achieved silver (Van der Breggen) and bronze (Van Vleuten herself), the gold went to the young American Chloé Dygert , who finished fourth on Saturday. Fifth ended Italian Elisa Longo Borghini , and sixth Dutch veteran Marianne Vos , roadside champion in 2006, 2012 and 2013.

Third World Cup Gold

Van Vleuten adds this online World Cup gold to the two obtained against the clock in 2017 and 2018, as well as to the Giro d'Italias conquered in 2018 and 2019. A fireproof runner and with a permanent hunger for titles, such as the eternal Valverde.

"It was a crazy plan but it has come out," said the Dutchwoman as soon as she finished the race, revealing that what "she wanted to do" at the time of the attack, in the hardest part of the route and still 105 km. The goal was "to climb the butt". "Then I went on full throttle. Yes, it was crazy but the crazy things have this prize, " he said happily and "with goosebumps" for the triumph achieved and also for the support received from the people.

"People do not know how I train and what I sacrifice. My father, my mother, my luck earrings were here (who taught television reaching the finish line, when it already looked winning) ... it has been a great dream I already had gold in the chrono, but I lacked a road. How I enjoyed it! "

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