On the stage 4 time trial in Herning, Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Team) assumed the Tour of Scandinavia lead from stage 2 winner Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-SUEZ), taking 29 seconds from the Dane on the 16.5-kilometre course. But as the 40-year-old veteran told Cyclingnews after the podium ceremony, she was far from certain she could pass the Danish climber in the general classification.
“I was a bit afraid that my readiness to suffer is ending because it's the end of my career and this is a bit of a bonus race. I know that I am a good time trialist, but I can do it only a couple of times per year that I really want to suffer and to push yourself over the limit when you're at the end of your career is a bit challenging. I was curious if I still had the eagerness to suffer, but yes, I did, so that was good."
