“I don’t know what to feel yet,” said Marianne Vos as she exited the Stab Velodrome, the indoor venue just across the road from the outdoor track, where a golden opportunity to win Paris-Roubaix Femmes had just slipped through her fingers. Her press conference had taken place well over an hour after the finish of the race, and although she insisted that “tomorrow will be Monday again”, you sense it will take a good while longer to process this one.
Vos was crestfallen at the finish line. The sinking devastation was writ large in eyes that welled with tears. There were smiles, and there were positives and pride to be taken, but the disappointment came in waves, and there were several moments where she struggled to fight back the tears.
