Van Vleuten dominates La Course race

Jul 20, 2017 - 11:28 AM Dutch cycling star Annamiek van Vleuten has continued her stellar season, taking out the opening race at La Course.

Less than a year after her horrifying crash at the Rio Olympics, van Vleuten broke clear on the brutal Col d'Izoard for an oustanding solo win.

The rider for Australian team Orica-Scott finished 43 seconds ahead of British star Lizzie Deignan in the 67km race from Briancon.

The women's race ended at the top of Col d'Izoard hours before the decisive 18th stage in the Tour de France had the same summit finish.

On August 7 last year, van Vleuten was leading the Rio Olympics road race when she crashed on the final descent.

She lay motionless for several minutes and onlookers initially feared the worst.

But van Vleuten recovered from concussion and three spinal fractures to incredibly win the Belgium Tour the following month.

In late January she took out the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Race and has since racked up a string of wins in Europe.

This is the fourth year that Tour de France organisers have run La Course to showcase women's cycling.

For the first three years, it was a one-day race in Paris, held on the final day of the Tour de France.

But this year it has switched to the tough Alpine climbs.

The second day on Saturday will be a pursuit-style event, held in conjunction with the men's Tour de France individual time trial in Marseilles.

Only the race on Thursday is part of the women's WorldTour.

"To finish here at the Tour de France with so many people is amazing," van Vleuten said.

"Especially when before, I wasn't a climber, but since the Rio Olympic Games when I was able to climb with everyone uphill, that inspired me to focus more on the climbing.

"To organise this uphill finish for the girls on the Tour de France is great."

Two Australians finished in the top 10 - Shara Gillow (FDJ) was fifth at a minute 33 seconds and van Vleuten's teammate Amanda Spratt was another eight seconds behind in sixth place.

Source: AAP