Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) has revealed that she aims to compete in the Giro d'Italia Donnay and Tour de France Femme with Zwift in 2023, her last season before retiring from a brilliant 16-year career.

"I clearly want to compete in both the Giro and the Tour again. I have already discussed this with my coaches and team. I still like racing in Italy and I would like to race the Giro again," Van Vleuten said in an interview with El Peloton (opens in new tab).

Van Vleuten is a candidate for the first women's edition of France's prestigious Velo d'Or award this year, after her remarkable success in the Giro d'Italia Donné, Tour de France Femme, overall victory at the Challenge by La Vuelta, and the elite women's road race at the World Championships

In the past five years, she has won the Vuelta and the World Championships.

The growth of women's cycling over the past five seasons has been unprecedented, largely due to the professionalization of the sport, including live television coverage of the Women's World Tour and the successful revival of the Women's Tour de France.

Van Vleuten admitted that although she had become an international celebrity, she was not accustomed to the attention and popularity.

"Sometimes it makes me uncomfortable," van Vleuten said. For example, when people who don't know me join my local training group, they say things like, "We are honored that you joined us." When this happens, I feel like I am being treated as a 'star' and not as a person named Annemiek - because of course, from their point of view, I am, but I don't think so myself. That's why I like to hang out with people who have known me since I started this job."

In the final year of his career as a professional athlete, van Breutenen is focused on two main blocks, the second of which will be the Giro from June 30 to July 9 and the Tour from July 23 to 30.

Van Vleuten's season and career have not been without difficulties, and she has returned from both serious and minor injuries with flying colors.

"I'm not the type to believe that someone is destined for certain things to happen more than others. Sure, sometimes I make jokes or call myself a "drama queen" to distract myself, but more seriously, I realize that most of the time it's just bad luck," she told El Peloton.

After recovering from injuries sustained in a crash at the first Paris-Roubaix last October, Van Vleuten enters this season ready to tackle specific goals.

Less than a week after his decisive victory in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, he broke his wrist in a training crash in April; in the Giro in May, he won stage 8, unscathed in a "controlled crash" while wearing Maglia Rosa. She also crashed in the team time trial mixed relay, breaking her elbow.

These were not her first setbacks. Recall the devastating crash at the 2016 Olympics that left her with a severe concussion and spinal fracture. She also broke her knee in a crash during the road race at the 2018 World Championships, finishing seventh; at the Giro, just before the 2020 World Championships, she broke her wrist and still finished second in the road race.

Asked how he copes with these setbacks, van Breuten told El Peloton, "Sometimes it is difficult. I remember last year, especially after Paris-Roubaix, I told my coach that after the accident I had less and less energy to get up. But it only lasted for 24 hours, and I felt optimistic right after that."

"Setting small, realistic goals every day helps. After overcoming obstacles, victory is more palatable."