Don’t count your chickens before they hatch they say. Perfect example.
Lorena Wiebes is currently the fastest female sprinter in cycling. It wasn’t shocking to see her leading the pack at the prestigious Amstel Gold Race last Sunday.
However, the surprising part was that Wiebes didn’t win the race, even though she thought she had secured it. She began celebrating too early, before crossing the finish line, which ultimately cost her the victory. Marianne Vos from Visma-Lease a Bike caught up to Wiebes in the final stretch. As Wiebes looked over her right shoulder without checking her left, and slowed down to celebrate, Vos seized the moment to sprint ahead and win the race by a narrow margin. This win marked Vos’s second Amstel Gold Race victory since 2021. Meanwhile, Wiebes faced a heartbreaking loss and will have to wait another year to try for the title again. Continued below the clip
Marianne Vos wint Amstel Gold Race. Op de streep worden de prijzen verdeeld
Lorena Wiebes, een blunder. pic.twitter.com/ahkY7T226U— Frits Sparnaaij (@CommentaryNL) April 14, 2024
“I made a really stupid mistake,” said Wiebes, 25, after the race.
This type of premature celebration is not new in professional cycling. Other top cyclists like Julian Alaphilippe and Wout Van Aert have lost races this way. Jasper Philipsen and Annemiek Van Vleuten have also mistakenly celebrated thinking they won, only to finish second.
“It happens to every cyclist at some point,” Wiebes remarked about her error. “It’s a good learning point. Normally, I always keep sprinting. I hope not to do it again next time.”
