Markus wants to shine at the Liège-Bastogne-Liège cycling monument
After Marianne Vos's nerve-wracking victory in the Amstel Gold Race, Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women is heading to Liège-Bastogne-Liège with a strong team. Riejanne Markus has big ambitions for the last cycling monument of the spring season, where she finished 4th last year. The Dutch rider is looking forward to the eighth edition this Sunday.
Markus says she has had a very relaxing time recently. She went to Tenerife for a three-week high-altitude training camp with teammates Eva van Agt and Anna Henderson. "I get on very well with both of them. The time flew by. Life is relatively easy in a high-altitude training camp. You watch what you eat and get enough sleep to have good training blocks. The training camp in early spring is always an important first step towards the upcoming goals", the 29-year-old rider says.
Last Saturday, she ticked off the Amstel Gold Race, her first major goal of the season. Vos, the leader of the Dutch cycling formation, beat Lorena Wiebes with an ultimate jump at the line. Riejanne's form is also great, as she proved on Wednesday. A strong attack in the final kilometres of the Flèche Wallonne ended on the Mur of Huy.
"I enjoyed the Amstel Gold Race", Markus says with a smile. The race in her own country is her favourite. "The atmosphere is always great. Especially because of the beautiful weather, the roadside was very busy. We showed that we are in good shape as a team. Sunday will be different; the climbs will be much tougher."
In the final of the 153-kilometre Ardennes classic, the riders will face the Côte de la Redoute and the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons. "I am looking forward to this. After my high-altitude camp, I couldn't wait to return to racing challenging classics. We have made great progress as a team this year, and the young riders have already proven themselves. This motivates me and makes me hungry for more success."
"After my high-altitude camp, I couldn't wait to return to racing challenging classics"
After La Doyenne, the Dutch time trial champion will head to Spain for the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta, the first grand tour of the season. Just like in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, she finished fourth there last year. "Hopefully, I will be as sharp at the start as last year and be able to fight for the win. Then, of course, the big championships will follow", says Markus, referring to the Dutch national road championships, where she won the national title in 2022.
But first, Liège-Bastogne-Liège is on the agenda. Despite its name, this year's race will start in Bastogne. In addition to Markus, Team Visma | Lease a Bike will be represented by the following five riders: Marianne Vos, Anna Henderson, Eva van Agt, Mijntje Geurts and Rosita Reijnhout.
