Marianne Vos. If you ask a group who is the most respected athlete, the girls will answer with her name.Winning a lot and gaining respect is not a given. Annemiek Van Vleuten, for example, wins a lot and is also Dutch, but she is not as loved. Perhaps because when she loses she becomes intractable, while Over the years, Marianne has been able to dominate, but also accept defeat with style, showing respect for whoever beat it.
ask Martha Bastianelli, Tatiana Guderzo e Giorgia Bronzini that they have taken a good beating from her, but they also put her behind them in their world championships.
And so, on the threshold of 34 years of age and with ever-exceptional motivation, the girl from s'Hertogenbosch continues his great journey in cycling with eyes still capable of shiningAnd the feeling in those who saw her arrive and become great is that she's having more fun today than she did when she was a terrible little girl and played to break all the records.
New Year New Life
At the end of 2020, Marianne said goodbye to the Liv she was a reference for and accepted the proposal of the Jumbo Visma. He brought with him a career made of 2 Olympic gold medals, 3 world road championships, 2 world track championships and 7 in cross country and a list of achievements that has seen her seize the opportunity since 2006 253 road victories, to which must be added those on the track, in cross-country, and in mountain biking. It's not wrong to say that we're about to speak with the greatest athlete in women's cycling.
The appointment is by telephone. And the strange thing is that she is the one callingThe Tour of Flanders is just a few days away, after her victory in Ghent-Wevelgem made it clear she's in good shape. We don't have much time, so let's get right into it.
How are you?
Bene, grazie. Recovery after Ghent, which put us to the testI'm in good shape and I'm very motivated to race with this team.
In the first official photos you had the look of a little girl in a playground…
I'm fine here. I received a great welcomeIt was a train I absolutely had to take, a unique opportunity for me.
A three-year contract is a good way to continue.
I didn't want to join this team for just one year. I know that in high-level sports, you never know how long you can continue to be competitive, but as long as I'm healthy, my desire is to continue racing and improving. Leaving the old team wasn't easy, but I felt that change would restart my growth and it would have given me new motivation. The image of the playground is quite fitting.
What did you bring to Jumbo Visma?
My experience, first of all. Being part of this black-yellow group motivates me to work hard, to give 100 percent. I knew that here I would have found the opportunity to take care of the details, even with the men's team, and that this will help me grow. Racing alongside a champion like Van Aert, so strong, has given me a new horizon. I wanted to be part of it.
Looking at you, you get the feeling that you're having more fun today than when you were 15 years younger.
I'm having a lot of fun, it's true, maybe more than in the past. I love my job, the training, and the competitions. I'm always looking forward, bringing out the best in every day and it's amazing to be able to do that.I have changed a lot, but I continue to use the talent that God gave me.
Compared to the early days, you have a unique experience: how does it help you?
Mostly to better manage the endings, making the differenceIt allows me to better manage the pressure, which is undoubtedly there. At the same time, I like seeing the younger girls arrive and grow. I like that they have questions for me. And I'm happy to share my experience so they can learnBut rest assured that I also learn from them and I'm happy about it. Experience means learning from your mistakes every day and I don't know if I would have made this reasoning 15 years ago. Every day is a new day, a new battle is being preparedWe take care of the details…
In Stuttgart 2007, he bows only to a great Bastianelli Mendrisio 2009, Tatiana Guderzo lets them escape and comes in second Copenhagen 2011, Giorgia Bronzini beats her: there's mutual respect between the two.
In Stuttgart 2007, he bows only to a great Bastianelli Mendrisio 2009, Tatiana Guderzo lets them escape and comes in second Copenhagen 2011, Giorgia Bronzini beats her: there's mutual respect between the two.
Do you think the WorldTour has changed women's cycling a lot?
It's been a nice change. The teams have well-built structures and there are big differences compared to smaller groups. Now the standard in the group is very high. Plus Having live television coverage allows our fans to follow us and sponsors to get greater gratificationYou just have to run to realise that winning is increasingly difficult.
Even the calendar has a different consistency now, doesn't it?
There's talk again of a women's Tour de France, we have the Tour of Flanders, the Flèche Wallonne, the Liège, the Giro d'Italia. They are races that people know, unmistakable names, historic races. Now there really is a great opportunity to show off.
Lizzie Deignan has asked for a three-week tour, would you agree?
I like the idea of a Tour that lasts a long time and has big mountains, sprints and time trials, but perhaps three weeks is too much in relation to the calendar as a wholePhysically, I wouldn't see any problems. It would be an immense effort, to manage day after day. But I would think about the Tour being on the calendar and perhaps it would create an imbalance. We have to do the best for the sport, harmonizing it with the Giro and the other races.
Speaking of the Giro, you've won 28 stages and the overall classification three times. Will we see you again?
The Giro is in the plans, I like it so much. I think that for the roads, the landscapes and the fans, it is the most beautiful race in the world. The passion for cycling is evident.
What motivates you today?
In my palmares There are no big gaps to fill, but I want to improveAnd I want the team to grow together. Perhaps that's the biggest goal. There are races I'd like to win for the first time, and others I'd love to win again. And then this year there are the Olympics, and for that very reason it will be a very important season.
You said: "Every day is a new day, a new battle is brewing." Next step: the Tour of Flanders?
Absolutely, big challenges motivate me a lot.
So shall we see each other at the start?
All right, I'll wait for you on my streets.
