Henderson and Van Agt head to La Vuelta with fond memories
With two sprint victories for Marianne Vos, a team time trial win and four days in the leader's jersey, the riders of Team Visma | Lease a Bike have fond memories of the last edition of La Vuelta. Like last year, Anna Henderson and Eva van Agt will be part of the team in Spain. The riders are looking forward to the first grand tour of the year.
After crashing out of the Tour of Valencia, Henderson missed much of the spring classics. She made her comeback two weeks ago, finishing 11th in the Amstel Gold Race. "Unfortunately, I broke my collarbone in the first race of the season. Luckily, I recovered quickly, but it was frustrating to miss my favourite spring races, where I had big goals. The team and I decided to go to Tenerife for a training camp. The camp went well, and I noticed my level was good in the last few races."
"I hope to continue this good form in La Vuelta", the 25-year-old Briton continued. "It would be nice to play an important role in the team time trial like I did last year. I also hope to ride with the team and win the subsequent stages."
"We will do our best to match last year's performance"
Last year's team time trial victory allowed Henderson to start the second stage in the red leader's jersey. "I love the team time trial, and I hope to see it more often on the calendar", she said. "This year's team time trial is less technical, but we have a strong team at the start. Crossing the line first in the team time trial last year and wearing the leader's jersey was very special and something I will never forget. To see Marianne take over the leader's jersey and keep it for four stages was especially nice. We will do our best to match last year's performance."
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Van Agt also looks back with a good feeling and looks forward to racing in Spain again. "It was my first grand tour with the team and to get such results right away was incredible. I have always enjoyed racing in Spain. The roads are good, and there is often little stress in the peloton. We are in for another challenging tour with climbs, sprints, stages with a chance of echelons and a team time trial."
"But no victory feels like a team victory, which is why the team time trial is also the best"
"It's a wonderful and terrible cycling discipline", the 27-year-old Dutchwoman continued of the team time trial. "Everyone is afraid of being dropped, even the best time trialists in the world. But no victory feels like a team victory, which is why the team time trial is also the best."
Van Agt was part of several breakaways in the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. She hopes to prove herself again in Spain. "I hope to be able to support the team where necessary, and if the opportunity to ride in the breakaway arises, I will be happy to take it."
Riejanne Markus, Marianne Vos, Carlijn Achtereekte, Maud Oudeman and Sophie von Berswordt-Wallrabe join Henderson and Van Agt in the seven-rider Visma | Lease a Bike Women squad.
