Anna van der Breggen is not certain what to anticipate in her highly-anticipated comeback to skilled racing with SD Worx-Protime since retiring from the game on the top of her profession three years in the past. Now 34, the previous world champion and Olympic gold medallist believes the ladies’s peloton is stronger and that if she will be able to’t attain her earlier type or greater she will not be in rivalry to win on the main races.
Having already previewed the 2025 UCI Road World Championships route in Kigali, Rwanda, she confirmed in an interview with a number of media retailers, together with Cyclingnews, on Thursday that she would additionally goal efficiency peaks on the Ardennes Classics – Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège – and the Tour de France Femmes.
But whereas she has set her sights on a handful of races, and hopes to be robust sufficient to do nicely, she mentioned that her foremost goal just isn’t successful.
“It will probably be totally different. I’m coming in numerous and my purpose is totally different. My purpose is to not win this race or to be good at that race. I simply get pleasure from using with the women on the camp.
“My purpose is to see how it’s going within the races. Of course, I wish to be nearly as good as potential however I would like to have the ability to play the sport, too. I hope I may be adequate to be within the finals, that’s what I like probably the most about biking.
“I haven’t got it in my thoughts that I have to win [a specific] race. I get pleasure from what I’m doing now far more. I benefit from the lengthy rides, the brand new teammates that we have now, and the way they develop.
“You suppose otherwise about biking now [at this stage in her career] in comparison with when you’re younger and also you’re gifted and wish to win world championships, a title or race … you look largely to your self. For me, now, that has modified. I see the staff and I wish to be a part of this staff. And I wish to be robust as a result of that’s what decides one of the best within the race.”
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Racing between 2009 and 2021, Van der Breggen amassed two highway race and one time trial world title, seven wins at Flèche Wallonne, 4 total titles on the Giro d’Italia, twice winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and main victories at Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold Race and Strade Bianche. She rode her final Worlds highway race in Leuven because the defending champion, going out on the prime of her recreation.
During her retirement from racing, Van der Breggen remained closely concerned within the sport as a director for SD Worx-Protime and skilled a number of of the riders together with former Tour de France winner Demi Vollering, who has since moved to the FDJ-Suez staff.
“I used to be simply drained from all of the years that I [raced] earlier than [retirement]. I actually loved the primary yr after I had my retirement, and I believe that I simply have to have a break at that time to do one thing totally different,” Van der Breggen mentioned, who simply accomplished a coaching camp along with her teammates earlier than the official staff presentation on Thursday.
“At the second, I’m additionally drained,” she laughed, “however a unique form of drained … from coaching camp. My vitality [motivation to race] has returned fairly quick.”
She mentioned that deciding to return to racing was a gradual course of and there wasn’t only one particular second, however relatively it was a common feeling that she mentioned over time with a number of shut mates and colleagues.
“I loved being a sports activities director, however the feeling began to return again to me; What if? What if I used to be on the bike? Could I be higher than I used to be earlier than? I used to be getting extra curious, and at one level I assumed ‘Why not?
“Lots of people say that there’s the Tour de France now, ‘Did you come again to race the Tour?’ But, for me, that was not [the reason]. It’s extra generally, I missed biking. In the again of my thoughts, someplace I assumed ‘I can nonetheless do that nicely, so what and I doing [sitting] in a automotive’.”
An eighth Flèche Wallonne?
Van der Breggen doesn’t but know which race will probably be her first this yr, however she does know that she goals to peak on the Ardennes Classics after which maybe the Giro d’Italia earlier than serving to teammate and reigning world champion Lotte Kopecky in her pursuit of the yellow jersey on the Tour de France.
She mentioned SD Worx-Protime are giving her the liberty to slowly construct her type and to resolve the place greatest to start out her season.
“For me, the Ardennes are necessary in April. That will give me time to construct up additional forward of those races. It’s fairly late. The staff is giving me the chance to enter racing once I really feel like I’ve the extent and am adequate to do that. After the Ardennes, I hope to do all of the stage racing season. That is what I like. The first races are very thrilling after which the longer climbing and stage races, step-by-step,” Van der Breggen mentioned.
An eye on the Ardennes implies that she might discover herself within the place of successful a report eighth time at Flèche Wallonne, however she reminded the press that iconic climbs just like the Mur de Huy require prime type and that’s one thing she just isn’t but certain she will be able to construct to in such a brief area of time.
“Of course, if I had the selection, I would love [an eighth Mur de Huy title]. I believe everyone seems to be saying this. Some riders like this race, however lower than one thing like Flanders or Roubaix. The record of riders on our staff just isn’t that massive so I can go in and see,” she mentioned.
“You should be in prime form to have the ability to win Flèche and these final climbs should not mendacity. If I’m not at that stage, but, or higher than I used to be once I retired then it is going to be tough. If I do not make it there, it’s OK for me, it is without doubt one of the most tough races to start out with, however I’ll strive.”
Asked if she actually believes that she must be a greater rider than earlier than she retired, Van der Breggen mentioned, “I’m unsure if “higher” is the correct description. It has modified, for instance, being in place earlier than main climbs will probably be more durable. More riders can do that now, and the pace will probably be greater.
“I all the time preferred to take a seat within the again and never waste vitality after which go to the entrance earlier than necessary factors. I believe this must change as a result of that’s not potential anymore. So altering [my] vitality output earlier within the race, however I hope that I can catch lots of this with the endurance [training] that I’ve finished. I’m a little bit bit older and stronger, and I have to expertise this. I do know what was taking place within the bunch three years in the past, however I do not know now.”
Van der Breggen mentioned that in her time directing SD Worx-Protime, she noticed the peloton change into stronger and extra skilled, particularly after the inaugural Tour de France Femmes in 2022.
“The Tour de France modified issues rather a lot. It additionally confirmed how briskly issues can change and change into necessary. It’s now one of the crucial necessary races in girls’s biking so it is displaying that girls’s biking is growing quick,” she mentioned, describing extra modifications that she has observed during the last three years, together with the 15 top-tier WorldTour groups and the introduction of seven second-tier ProTeams.
“The stage of the bunch obtained higher. More riders are coaching, the groups are getting larger and extra skilled. That is the most important change; the groups are altering and it is extra skilled. Before we had 4 or 5 actually skilled groups and now you may title 10 groups that do it in a very great way. The output is that you’ve got extra riders on a stage you could name skilled.”
Asked if it would take her two or three years to construct again to her greatest type and contest the peloton for the yellow jersey on the Tour de France, Van der Breggen mentioned, “I do not know. I hope not.”