The women’s joint start cycling race provided a lot of emotions. The gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic) was won by Anna Kiesenhofer . The Austrian woman quit professional sport a few years ago because it was devastating her physically and mentally. The big favorite, however, was Annemiek Van Vleuten .
The Dutch women did everything to ensure that their compatriot stood on the highest step of the podium. 5 kilometers before the finishing line, they eliminated the break-away in which Anna Plichta was driving . However, the Austrian woman did not catch up.
Van Vleuten did not realize it, however. When she passed the finish line, she celebrated as if she had won her dream gold medal at the Olympic Games. Her joy lasted for a while. She later confessed to the Dutch media that she was wrong. “I didn’t realize it at all,” she said.
During the Olympic cycling race, riders are not allowed to use headphones, which are used to communicate during other competitions. Then they know perfectly well what the situation is during the competition.
“Van Vleuten mistakenly thought that she won the gold when she crossed the finish line. The Dutch woman was happy, but did not know that she was second. It was only after a while that she found out that she did not win the Olympic gold” – we read on the nu.nl website.
