Kastelijn: Victorious day in Tour de France Femmes was the ‘longest trip I ever did’
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With 177.1 km plus an 8.3-kilometre impartial zone earlier than the true begin, stage 4 of the Tour de France Femmes was the longest race within the historical past of the Ladies’s WorldTour. And as an alternative of the GC favourites preventing for the stage win on the steep ending climb into Rodez, Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) may rejoice her first street victory after a solo assault.
Kastelijn took off from a 14-rider breakaway when her companions started to falter on the second-category climb of the Côte de Moyrazès, 20 kilometres from the road. On the winner’s press convention, Kastelijn thanked her teammate Marthe Truyen and the group workers for making her stage-winning assault potential.
“I feel this was the longest trip I ever did. I by no means trip 180 kilometres as a result of if I had to try this in coaching it is simply boring and I do not like that. Right this moment it was nearly attempting to avoid wasting power, to eat and drink as a lot as potential as a result of that may make a distinction within the last. Our sports activities director and our efficiency coaches make a plan for that every single day, I simply needed to follow the plan. I feel that is the rationale I had power sufficient within the last,” Kastelijn defined.
When Kastelijn and Truyen joined the breakaway on the primary climb of the day, the stage win was very removed from their minds. As a substitute, they needed to defend the mountain jersey that had been within the group since stage 2 – however this plan quickly modified.
“We simply needed to take some factors for the mountain jersey, and I used to be actually completely satisfied that Marthe was with me. I am not explosive sufficient to beat the opposite ladies, after which they gave us so many minutes. As a result of I had my teammate with me, I did not must push the entire day and will save my legs. On the final two climbs, she advised me, OK, now it is on you, simply go. Marthe put in lots of work at present, I’m actually proud that now we have this victory, I did not take it alone, we did it with the entire group,” she stated.
Kastelijn made her transfer on the Côte de Moyrazès, the penultimate labeled climb, using arduous from the underside of the 4.6-kilometre ascent and slowly however certainly pulling away from the remainder of the group. Solely Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Human Powered Well being) tried to comply with her however needed to let the Dutchwoman go midway up the climb.
“I began by simply going to the entrance of the group, attempting to hurry up a bit, I did not truly do an actual assault. Solely once we have been with two, I attacked once more. After I was alone, it was only a TT to the end line, staying targeted and using as arduous as potential. And the ultimate metres have been simply wonderful,” Kastelijn described the ultimate.
Her victory was the primary time within the fashionable Tour de France Femmes {that a} rider from an early breakaway gained the stage. The dimensions of the breakaway and the size of the stage in addition to the eight-day race performed a job on this.
“We have been fairly an enormous group at present, with nearly each group in it. Some groups have been there with two riders, and so they all labored collectively very well. I additionally assume that it was positive for the peloton to simply allow us to go as a result of the stage was so lengthy. And it is truly actually arduous to race all-out for eight days,” the stage winner defined the dynamic on the stage.
For a number of years, Kastelijn was greatest often known as a cyclocross rider, ending fifth within the World Championships for 3 years in a row from 2020 to 2022. However forward of the 2023 season, she and her coach determined to change issues round. She had a constant spring season with a tenth place within the Flèche Wallonne as her spotlight, however a street victory had eluded the 25-year-old till now.
“We modified the plan a bit to focus extra on the street as a result of I confirmed final yr that I’m street bicycle owner. I used to be a bit aggravated after the Spring Classics as a result of I used to be at all times there however by no means completed it off. To then take a victory now, it is loopy and unbelievable.”
The victory was made much more particular by the truth that Kastelijn’s household have been able to welcome her on the end.
“My mum and pop are right here the entire week, and my brother will come subsequent week. My household is all the things for me, so I’m actually completely satisfied that they’re right here and I can rejoice this with them,” Kastelijn completed.
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