"In the team, we said: ‘Let’s not talk about seconds, let’s make it minutes.’ I wanted to take as much time as possible and I’m happy I did it for my team. They kept saying: ‘You’ll set things straight on the Tourmalet.’ But I told them, it’s one thing to say it but I need to do it, and I was a bit nervous. I know they said it because they truly believe in me and that gives me a lot fo strength. I told Annemiek [van Vleuten] it was not up to me to ride with her because I had teammates behind, and if the girls wanted to drop Lotte [Kopecky], then it was up to them. At one point, I felt it and I just went. With the mist, I knew that if I opened a gap quickly, then they wouldn’t be able to see me. I went full gas and never looked back. When I crossed the line, I was just happy that it was over, that I had made it happen."
