García (41) Van Vleuten destroys as the oldest stage winner Tour: ‘Thought of stopping’

García (41) Van Vleuten destroys as the oldest stage winner Tour: 'Thought of stopping'

Mavi García couldn’t believe she had won a stage in the Tour de France Femmes on Sunday at the age of 41. The Spanish rider had been thinking about quitting lately because she hadn’t had a good year so far.

García launched an attack 12 kilometers from the finish line and surprisingly crossed the finish line solo on a hill in Quimper. Lorena Wiebes (second) and yellow jersey wearer Marianne Vos (fifth) started their sprint too late.

Out of disbelief, García covered her eyes with her hands at the finish line. With her triumph, she dethroned Annemiek van Vleuten as the oldest winner ever of a Tour stage. The Dutchwoman was just over 39 years old in 2022 when she was the best on La Planche des Belles Filles.

Even after the finish, García couldn’t believe what she had accomplished. “I’ve had a very difficult year,” she said, without going into further detail. “I was thinking about how long I could keep doing this and whether it wasn’t time to quit. This gives me a lot of energy.”

García achieved the biggest victory ever in her career at a late age. She has won sixteen races in her career, but never a stage in a grand tour. “I have attacked so often. I always try and I have never succeeded.”

“I only believed I could win when I was 5 meters from the finish, turned around and saw that they couldn’t catch me anymore. I thought they were very close. It’s been a long time since I felt such a great feeling.”

Scroll to Top