"I'm really proud of my effort and of the team. We wanted to make it hard and go for it, that is the way we want to race. I'm super proud of my effort and I think I was super strong. I almost made it, so I'm really happy with that," Smulders said after the finish, having been caught within metres of the finish line and placing fourth, just outside the time bonifications.
"I was thinking, 'please, someone join' and 'what did I start', but when you're in it, there's no way back. I was like, 'Okay, I just go as hard as possible to the finish, and I will see where it ends'," she explained.
Smulders started the sixth and final stage in seventh overall, 21 seconds behind overnight leader Franziska Koch (DSM-Firmenich PostNL). She had attacked on the third of seven finishing laps à 8.1km - and like almost everybody who ends up at the front of a race on their own, Smulders hadn't planned for a solo.
Smulders joined Lotto-Soudal for 2021, then moved to Liv Racing the following year. The team was merged with GreenEdge's women's team for 2024, becoming Liv-AlUla-Jayco, and Smulders performed consistently throughout the season.
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