Tokyo 2020 - ‘A gold that shines extra’ - Annemiek van Vleuten puts ghost of Rio Olympics to rest by winning time trial

ByRichard Newman

Updated 28/07/2021 at 13:27 GMT

The Dutch rider had a difficult Olympic history before claiming time trial gold, suffering a horrific crash at Rio 2016 while leading the road race, which looked potentially career-ending at the time. Van Vleuten also mistakenly celebrated ‘victory’ in Sunday’s road race, as she was unaware that Anna Kisenhofer had won it. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+.

Annemiek van Vleuten admits her time trial victory at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics means more following her horror crash at Rio 2016.

The Netherlands’ 38-year-old former world champion claimed gold by finishing quicker than Switzerland’s Marlen Reusser and team-mate Anna van der Breggen.

There were huge concerns five years ago when Van Vleuten suffered a serious crash while leading the road race, falling off her bike on a sharp turn before she was taken to hospital. Miraculously, she was not there for long.

Tokyo 2020

'I deserved it' - Six months on from Olympic dream, Kiesenhofer on how she did it

16/03/2022 at 12:10

“I can’t believe it. I knew the journey to get here was not optimal preparation but [I was] still having a lot of fun,” Van Vleuten told Eurosport.

It was not that I really needed it as a reward but it makes it extra beautiful. Also the whole story about it being more for the people around me that believed in more and made it extra beautiful. This is really a gold that shines brighter because of what happened in 2016.

Van Vleuten and the Dutch team also suffered slight embarrassment in Sunday’s road race, when she celebrated ‘victory’ without knowing that Austria’s Anna Kiesenhofer had already crossed the line having broken away earlier in the race - she had to settle for silver instead.

'I was wrong!' - Heartbreak as Van Vleuten wrongly believes she's won gold

“I used it as fuel. At the National Championships in June I didn’t have a really good feeling but I went to a training camp and had a really good time there.

“The road race was for me the first in a race situation where I felt awesome. Everyone around me was talking about the miscommunication [after believing she had won Tokyo’s road race] and no-one was talking about the performance. I closed myself on social media as I knew I was in really good shape which gave me extra confidence today.”

• Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: Schedule, key events, every medal and more
• Van Vleuten powers to Olympic time trial gold

Despite the disappointment five years ago, Van Vleuten insisted she had not obsessed about burying any demons.

“Every time I thought about the result I stopped because my thoughts were going until the finish line. I worked so hard for it but there was also a lot of work beforehand with the Dutch mechanic because this project started way before.”

--

Watch every unmissable moment live from Tokyo 2020 across Eurosport, the Eurosport app and discovery+. Download the Eurosport app for iOS and Android now.

Tokyo 2020

Kenny could be tempted to push for place at Paris 2024

08/08/2021 at 20:26

Tokyo 2020

'No one deserves it more' - Wiggins hands over British Olympic mantle to Kenny

08/08/2021 at 16:25

Tokyo 2020

Bradley Wiggins - How Thomas will pick himself up (physically and mentally) after untimely crashes

29/07/2021 at 15:39