Lorena Wiebes has arrived in Paris, where she will compete in her first Olympics as leader of the Dutch team in the women's road race on August 4.

Weaves is regarded as the fastest sprinter in the women's cycling road world, but in recent years she has also transformed herself into a powerful climber. As such, she is a favorite to win the gold medal, but she says she is relaxed heading into this weekend.

"I'm really looking forward to it. I don't feel too nervous yet, but that will come. Maybe after the last team meeting and the men's road race. Then I can taste more of the Olympics," Wiebes said in an interview with Wielerfritz.

Wiebes said that she watched Olympic gymnasts such as Simone Biles on television at the recent Summer Olympics because she had done gymnastics as a child. Now that she is competing in the Olympics herself, she says she has an even greater interest in other sports.

"I've always watched the Olympics, but I've never really gotten involved. Now that I've been selected to compete in the summer games myself, I've started digging a little deeper. And I started to look at more sports. I used to be interested mainly in gymnastics. I still watch it with great admiration. I did acrobatic gymnastics as a child. I think they are beautiful to watch. Their explosiveness is amazing. I really enjoy it, especially now that we have Simone Biles."

She said she had been eyeing the Paris Olympics since 2020, but realized she could be a medal contender when the route for the women's road race was announced last year.

The women's road race is 158 km long, has 1,700 m of ascent, nine famous climbs, and uses the same run-out and finish circuit as the men's, with only one lap around the Chevreuse Valley outside the city center.

The peloton will complete two 18.4 km laps, including the Montmartre hill, before a flat finish along the Seine through Orsay and finishing at the Pont d'Iéna.

"When this course was announced last fall, I was immediately attracted to it. I love the finale, which is a series of laps around the city."

"As for the Montmartre climb, I immediately had a feeling that this is where the race would be decided. It's a pretty short climb. In fact, none of the climbs in the loop are that difficult."

"I should be able to handle it normally." After the course reconnaissance, I felt more confident and then I worked harder for this race."

Wiebes will lead a Dutch team that includes Tour de France winner Demi Vollering, a possible medal winner in Paris, former world champion and Olympic champion Marianne Vos, and time trial world champion Ellen van Dijk. ...

National coach Loes Gunwijk decided to appoint Vives as team leader. If the race becomes a reduced group sprint and the Dutch team is all in front, Wiebes will have the best lead-out in the field and a clear chance at gold.

"It is now standard practice to be presented with a role by the national coach and to think about whether you want it or not. Of course, I didn't need time to think," Wiebes told Wielerfritz.

"In the same phone conversation, I indicated that I was willing to do it. Of course, from that moment on, it became a priority. I'm working towards it as normally as possible."

Vives said she is used to the pressure of being a team leader in flat to hilly World Tour races at SD Walks Pro Time. She often shares the role with Belgian Lotte Kopecky, and her Dutch compatriot Voerling has led teams in many difficult one-day and mountain stage races.

Indeed, Wiebes and road racing world champion Kopecký have often been tough trade teammates and have combined for several 1-2 wins over the past two seasons. They will face each other in Paris, and it will be interesting to see how they compete within their respective national teams.

Vives names the Italian team with former world champion Elisa Balsamo and Giro d'Italia winner Elisa Longo Borghini as the favorites.

"My goal is to hang on to Lotte for as long as possible. Especially since the track is so winding and reminiscent of the street circuit of the World Championship in Glasgow, where she won the world title last year," Vives said.

"The Italian block is also very strong. This tournament is just so big. Everything can only go well on Sunday. We may be perfectly prepared now, but there is still a lot that can go wrong."

If something goes wrong, Wiebes said, the Dutch team has several cards to play with Volering, Vos, and van Dijk, and any one of them could win a medal.

"You can't just go with Plan A. For me, it has to be a perfect race that ends in a sprint. But anything can happen in the process. A lot can happen." [That's why it's great to have several riders like Demi and Marianne who can finish the match. We can use more than one trump card and we have only one main goal: to finish the game.

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