As a child, Marianne Vos spent many summers visiting the Tour de France with her family, driving up the Alpe d'Huez and many other iconic passes to watch the men in pursuit of the yellow jersey battle for three grueling weeks.

I never dreamed that one day I would wear it.

For the first time in 33 years, the women's Tour de France was reborn with 144 world-class women.

Vos is part of the Jumbo-Visma team and her goal is to win a stage. She achieved that goal on the second stage in Provins, taking the win from a small breakaway group in the final stages of the race and powering up the finish straight.

With this victory, Vos also took the overall lead, and what was once impossible suddenly became a reality.

"Winning means I have the yellow jersey, which is special," Vos said.

"When I was a kid, I used to go to the Tour de France. For me, the last one was as much a hero as the first one. They all did their best every day and raced for three weeks.

"I never dreamed of taking the yellow jersey because there was no women's Tour de France at the time. It's special to wear the yellow jersey and to wear it in a race.

Vos crossed the finish line on the Provins climb and collapsed on a hay bale set up as a roadside barrier. Hot and out of breath, she was immediately surrounded by cameras, microphones, and the press after her tremendous effort, eagerly awaiting the reaction to her success.

As the press milled about, her parents, Henk and Connie, and the caring Anton, reached around her to congratulate her on this new milestone in her 16-year career.

"It's special to share a moment with those closest to you," Voss said of her family's dedication to her career.

"I also know that my girlfriends are there for me even when they aren't here, and I know that they are there for me when I need them. My father and parents are always with me in my heart, even when I am not racing. It's cool that they are at the finish line, having fun with me and celebrating with me."

According to Vos, this is the second milestone associated with the Tour de France women she has experienced, the first being her victory at the first La Course in 2014.

"Nine years ago we were talking with ASO about the opportunity to organize a race. La Course started really fast. 'When we first raced on the Champs Elysées, it was a milestone. Now to come back for a stage race, a real Tour de France, all the emotion of a stage race, is another milestone."

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Vos has rarely talked about retirement in the past, but now, at age 36, she is getting questions about her longevity in pro cycling.

She has been called the G.O.A.T. (best ever) and has achieved much in her 16-year career, including 13 world championship titles in various disciplines, two Olympic gold medals, and 32 stage wins at the Giro d'Italia.

"Age is just a number. I feel good and I want to do the best I can. The most important thing is to enjoy riding my bike every day. Health is very important, but if you are healthy and having fun, racing with this team you can work with each other to win. By racing with this team, we can motivate each other to win," Vos said.

"Age doesn't matter, except, of course, that my experience might be useful. It does not mean that I never make mistakes. I keep learning."

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