On Sunday, Annemiek van Fruten followed up her victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in February with a win at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, recapturing the trophy she won in 2019 with a solo attack from the Côte de Roche-aux-Fochons to spring He finished just as he started.

The Dutchwoman has rarely been far from the podium this spring campaign, winning twice with second places in Strade Bianche, Tour of Flanders, and La Flèche Wallonne.

After the Liege-Bastogne-Liege finish, Van Vleuten called this spring his best ever, citing the improving level of the women's peloton as the reason for his victory.

"I know it's the best spring in my history," Van Vleuten said at the post-race press conference, citing power data and her best time ever at Mulle de Huy in Flèche.

"I noticed that the level has gone up. I think this is the development we want. But every victory is more beautiful if you really have to fight for it."

"That's one of the reasons we decided on La Redoute, because with Roche aux Faucons, the strength of the women's peloton is so much higher; when I won in 2019, I ran La Redoute solo, but I didn't expect that today, I didn't expect that, I just wanted to win it.

Van Vleuten's victory certainly came from two attacks, the first of which was in response to Ashley Moolman-Pasio's (SD Works) acceleration on the Côte de la Redoute with 29km to go.

The move, which she made with SD Works breakaway rider Marlen Reusser through the summit, was shut down shortly after, but her move on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Focons was decisive, as no one in the elite group was able to respond.

Van Vleuten later said that she did not think she could get away on the final climb to the finish in Liège because of the headwind. She did it, and actually extended her lead going into the last kilometer.

"I couldn't believe it. I knew there was a big headwind after Roche-aux-Focons this morning, so if I escaped alone when there was a headwind in the last 12km, if they found each other they would chase me."

"I was actually celebrating after crossing the finish line. In the last kilometer, the Sportif director told me, 'You can have fun,' so I looked around and tried to enjoy the moment, but I was still pedaling."

"I think I could have gone home happy even if I didn't win. 'I had a lot of confidence that I was in really good shape from the frache. I still believed in myself and my level of performance because it was my best ever in the spring campaign. It was more difficult and I think I should be happy with that."

Van Vleuten said that even at age 39, her drive is still more about the process of improving her race than the ultimate goal of winning. Still, she has four wins in 2022, making her the top rider in the women's peloton through three months of the season.

"My driving force is not winning," she said. My drive is to find little things that I can improve, for example with my team and with myself, in training, tactics, course knowledge, and even in training and preparation." The drive to improve is still there." "

After taking a few weeks off at the end of the spring campaign, van Breuten will take on the Ituria women and the Vuelta a Burgos in May and then the Giro Rosa and Tour de France Fam double in July.

Before the new Giro and Tour double challenge, she will join the Movistar men's team at a camp in Andorra before heading to Livigno, "my happy place," for a training camp.

"I like challenges and the Giro is, for me, too beautiful a race, so I do both. I'll do both because [the Tour] leaves it up to the media to decide who's the favorite."

"My goal is to be in the best shape possible at the start of the Tour de France with my team, optimally prepared. After the race is over, you should see how fresh I am.

"I think that's the strength of my training. My fitness level is probably the highest in the peloton.