After three years of retirement which included working as a directeur sportif for SD Worx-ProTime, Anna van der Breggen returned to skilled racing in 2025.
The 34-year-old former world champion and Olympic gold medallist has set her sights on a handful of races, stating in January that she is planning for efficiency peaks on the Ardennes Classics – Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège – and the Tour de France Femmes.
But, on the identical time, Van der Breggen mentioned that she was approaching her comeback otherwise, and that her major goal will not be a private focus.
“I see the staff and I need to be a part of this staff. And I need to be sturdy as a result of that’s what decides one of the best within the race,” she mentioned in January.
In her second race of the 12 months at Sunday’s Omloop van het Hageland, Van der Breggen showcased her energy, taking part in a vital position in teammate Femke Gerritse’s victory.
“We wished to make the race exhausting and it labored out effectively. Anna van der Breggen was tremendous sturdy and did lots of work. She put us all in a luxurious place,” Gerritse mentioned.
Van der Breggen made the primary huge acceleration after round 55 kilometres of racing within the one-day Classic which began in her hometown of Aarschot. Though that transfer was rapidly shut down, the Dutch star was not achieved. Accelerating as soon as once more on a cobbled climb of Kerkstraat, Van der Breggen break up the peloton 25 kilometres late, leaving a bunch of round 30 riders off the entrance. In the transfer together with her had been two of her teammates.
Not achieved, Van der Breggen did nearly all of the work within the break, whittling down the numbers, and placing in an enormous dig to drop the pure sprinters out of the group, leaving solely seven riders to battle it out for victory.
Though Van der Breggen took seventh place after main out Gerritse to victory, she doesn’t suppose that she is a prime type – but.
“I hope I could make some extra steps and turn out to be higher than I’m now. In phrases of depth, I’m not but the place I need to be. But you solely get that half by racing. In coaching you possibly can plan your intervals very particularly, however in racing it isn’t so measured. In between, you journey more durable and you do not know upfront what number of occasions it’s a must to go, as you do in coaching,” Van der Breggen mentioned in staff launch.
“Sometimes it’s a must to go 10 occasions, typically 20. You solely get that depth by racing. That’s what this race was excellent for. Every time, the depth was there. This was a prime day for the staff and a particular win for Femke Gerritse.”
Subscribe to Cyclingnews for limitless entry to our 2025 Spring Classics protection. Don’t miss any of the breaking information, experiences, and evaluation from all of the Cobbled Classics from Opening Weekend to Paris-Roubaix. Find out extra
