Visma director Jos van Emden sticks to team line after Ferrand-Prévot’s costly Tour time trial

The Tour de France Femmes time trial in Dijon did not quite produce the result that Visma | Lease a Bike may have hoped for. Team leader Pauline Ferrand-Prévot conceded more than two minutes to stage winner Marlen Reusser of Movistar, a setback also acknowledged by sports director Jos van Emden. Speaking beside the team bus afterwards, the Dutchman offered his assessment in an interview with NOS.

On the other hand, there was also Lieke Nooijen, who came agonisingly close to winning the stage, finishing just four seconds behind Reusser. “To be honest, I was no longer thinking about that at the time; I was focused on Pauline. But naturally, you still pick up on some of what is happening. I saw that Reusser was 19 seconds ahead, and when only four seconds remain at the finish, it suddenly becomes very close. She simply rode a fantastic time trial.”

“I really gave everything today. It was incredibly tough, especially with the heat here. The first section was mostly uphill, so that was also the hardest part. Even so, I managed to keep pushing all the way to the finish. I am very proud of this,” Nooijen herself said.

And what about Ferrand-Prévot, who remained highly combative despite losing time? “Actually, that was good as well. This was a kind of baseline measurement because we did not know exactly where we would stand. We did everything we could to ride as fast as possible, and she absolutely did that today,” said Van Emden, an accomplished time triallist himself.

Whether the normally outspoken sports director revealed everything he truly thought, however, remains uncertain. “I have received clear instructions, so I am sticking to them this time: I should not give my personal opinion. The team’s view is that we do not have to take responsibility for controlling the race at this point and that there will still be more than enough opportunities for us. In any case, I am not disappointed either.”

The sports director continued his assessment with Sporza. “This scenario was possible. I am not dissatisfied,” Van Emden said. “We have not yet discussed the performance in great detail, but she is realistic as well. She knew there was a chance that she would lose time. I am not going to reveal what we had calculated beforehand. The time trial is part of this race, and we know that some of her major rivals are better in this discipline.”

“You must not forget that she is a very small woman,” Van Emden said, pointing to the height difference between Ferrand-Prévot and a rider such as Reusser. “Smaller riders do not sit as well on a time-trial bike as taller riders such as Reusser. That is simply a fact, and it is something you have to deal with. I cannot describe it in any other way than to say that a time trial is fair. This time trial will certainly help shape the race. It is part of cycling.”