Annemiek Van Vleuten completes her farewell at Simac Ladies Tour, Lotte Kopecky takes general classification win

Annemiek van Vleuten completed the final race of a stellar career in the fifth and final stage of the Simac Ladies Tour.

The Movistar rider pulled the curtain down on 16 unforgettable years in the sport, which took in numerous world titles and eight Grand Tour victories.

It would have been a hugely emotional day for Van Vleuten, who was greeted by a banner at the start of the race which read: ‘Annemiek thanks’, while fans viewing on the sidelines gave her a rapturous round of applause as she headed for the finish line.

But there was to be no fairytale ending for the 40-year-old, as she finished 23rd, six minutes and 32 seconds behind Lotte Kopecky who retained the yellow jersey.

The Movistar star rider gave Kopecky plenty to think about after several attempts to get away on a hilly section on Stage 4, and she was looking to make one final push for glory on Sunday in Arnhem.

But in the end, she did not significantly trouble Kopecky, who held onto the yellow jersey to take the GC victory after coming third on the day.

It was Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) who claimed the stage win, with Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) second and GC winner Kopecky third.

The race began with the climbs of Emmapiramide and Posbank, as a group of 20 riders – that included Kopecky, Wiebes and many of the other GC contenders – pulled away from the peloton.

Shirin van Anrooji (Lidl-Trek) and Balsamo looked to make an attack at the front, and despite attempts from Team DSM-Firmenich and AG Insurance-Soudal Quick Step to rein in the attacks, it did little to affect the outcome.

Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) made a late move as the race headed into the final 18.5km and managed to gain 21 seconds in her attack, but it was Wiebes who emerged fastest in the sprint to take the stage victory.