Annemieke van Breuten (Movistar) entered the season with the ambitious goal of winning all three Grand Tours, and while she was successful in La Vuelta Femenina and the Giro d'Italia Donnay, she fell just off the podium in the Tour de France Femme He finished fourth and was upset.

"Of course there is disappointment that the last two days were not good," Van Breuten said.

"I was in the fight and gave it my all. I didn't make any mistakes, I didn't think that I wasn't smart or that I did something wrong. I don't know what happened. It's a little sad for the last Tour de France. I don't know what happened."

Van Vleuten entered the eight-day race as the defending champion and one of the overwhelming favorites to win, but struggled in the final two days of the decisive race.

On the Tourmalet pass on stage 7, he finished third, 2:34 behind winner Demi Vollering (SD Worx). In the time trial in Pau on stage 8, she finished in 14th place, 1:41 behind Voerling. Her overall ranking was 4th, 3:59 behind Vollering, the overall Tour de France women's champion.

She expressed disappointment with her performance, but also said that after the queen on the summit of Tourmalet on stage 7, she was not feeling well and had stomach problems, symptoms of which lasted until the morning of the time trial.

"When I woke up this morning, I already felt sick. Yesterday evening I felt that I was going to be sick this morning. I wasn't really sick, I didn't have a high fever, but I said I'm going to try because you never know unless you try," Van Bruten said.

"But I think people who are watching more women's cycling know from my run yesterday in Tours Marais that I'm not at the level I usually have.

"I knew how I felt and I knew it would be difficult to recover from that stage in a short time, so I went in expecting that, but I knew it would be difficult."

Van Vleuten said that his teammates Liane Lippert and Emma Norsgaard's stage wins were also a highlight of the week.

"Yes, there is great disappointment in my own performance. It was really nice to share the win with Riane and Emma and to win two out of eight stages," said Van Vleuten

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As she crossed the finish line of the time trial, she was surrounded by her teammates who had come to cheer her on in her last Tour de France femme before her retirement.

Van Vleuten looked emotional as she received congratulatory hugs from her teammates.

"I was emotional for my teammates. I was so happy to be there. They worked so hard for me all week and it was so nice to see them warmly welcome me at the finish line. The team is like a warm family and I really enjoyed the two years," said van Breuten, who is retiring at the end of the season.

"I think we created a lot of beautiful memories, and that's what the coach said. But we won two stages and achieved a lot together. It was nice to hear the director say that at the finish."

Van Vleuten enters the Glasgow World Championships as the defending champion. She will join the Dutch national team, which includes Vollering and Lorena Wiebes, and has made it clear that she will work for her teammates, not as team leader, at her last World Championships.

"I think Vollering will be the leader along with the sprinters.

"I think she has already reached a great level this spring. It was a shame that I couldn't compete with her at my normal level during the last two days [of the Tour de France].

Van Vleuten also praised the success of Vollering and SD Works in the Tour de France Femmes, noting that Vollering handled the pressure of being team leader and champion well.

"She was super good and the whole team was super good. She is a young rider and it is not easy to carry pressure. I feel the pressure too. I'm 40 years old, I feel pressure, and I'm used to it a little bit," van Breuten said.

"She can handle the pressure. It's not easy in the Tour de France and there is a lot of tension. She put in a great performance."

ASO announced that the Tour de France Fam will begin next year in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Van Vleuten said she will enjoy her retirement and watch as a fan.

"Certainly, I am a big cycling fan. In what role, maybe a role on a team already, but first of all, I'm taking a sabbatical next year, but for sure I'm a big cycling fan and I'll support it."