Movistar Team (Spain) - Press Release: 18 Grand Tours!

World Road Champion conquers her fourth stagerace title in just 10 months atop Lagos de Covadonga; makes it happen again together with strong, talented, intelligent Telefonica-backed squad after absolute thriller at final climb.

Three Giri Donne, one Tour de France, two Challenge by La Vuelta and, from Sunday, the first-ever La Vuelta Femenina. Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Team) further increases her endless palmares as she rewarded the Blue squad with her first success in 2023 at the best possible venue: the Spanish team’s home Grand Tour.

“I feel very tired, happy and super proud of my team,” said Van Vleuten after the finish. “In the end I thought I was losing the race because I could feel that they had a little more than I had today, perhaps also because of yesterday’s effort. I felt it in my legs. I didn’t have the best day on a super-steep, hard climb like this.

“The rivals put me to the limit, they played it well. But I never gave up, I kept pushing until the end. At the finish line I saw the happy faces of my team and I knew I made it. But I only knew when I crossed the finish line.“