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Tour de France Femmes race leader Marianne Vos is trying to be realistic and look at things the way they should be. She is currently leading, but Stage 4 was a big challenge. "Of course, you have to be realistic, and with the climbs coming up this weekend, normally, the GC riders are very strong and will take a lot of time,” Vos said for eurosport.
“It's a different kind of racing on the weekend, but I'm very happy to wear the yellow jersey now." Many cyclists had problems during the race, but that was to be expected. Cycling is one of the most demanding sports and carries various things.
She is happy for herself and the team because they gave their best and emphasized that luck sometimes plays an important role. "It's part of cycling,” said Vos.
"It's always hard to tell. If you get through it nicely then you would say, 'this is quite nice'
So, for me it was okay today. We spent a lot of energy to stay in front with the team, to fight for position, especially before the gravel sections and climbs. You need a little luck.
"I can imagine that for the riders that go for general classification, it was a difficult day, and for the riders it can be stressful.
But, it's part of cycling as well, and I hope that everyone came through okay."
Longest stage
On Thursday, she will have a big challenge, and it is the longest stage. However, she is not too worried and believes that everyone is sufficiently prepared for such a challenge.
Of course, Vos expects only the best from herself, but she is still cautious and does not expect an easy challenge. "It's a very long stage, but I don't think it will make much of a difference because of the length. All the riders are well trained at the highest level and they can cover this distance.
After some days of racing, it is in the legs, and maybe on the final [stages] it will make a difference," she said.
"It's a long race and a lot can happen. There might be sprinter teams interested in sprints and other teams interested in a breakaway.
I don't expect an easy stage tomorrow." Marianne Vos has shown her quality many times and she will have the chance to show her capabilities this time as well. We expect an interesting race!