Few riders have raced alongside or in opposition to Anna van der Breggen greater than veteran Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek), with the latter assured that her Dutch compatriot shall be competing for wins and rapidly again to her finest as she returns to racing for SD Worx-Protime in 2025, three years after retiring.
Van Dijk and Van der Breggen had been cornerstones of the Dutch ladies’s World Championships group for the entire 2010s, alongside the likes of Marianne Vos and Annemiek van Vleuten. They raced at eight elite street races collectively between 2012 and 2021, together with Van der Breggen’s two victories in 2018 and 2020, and had been usually intently matched in time trials, taking 4 ITT world titles between them too.
Having witnessed Van der Breggen’s drive, coaching, and focus first-hand, Van Dijk is definite that her countrywoman will rapidly be one of many very high riders as soon as once more.
“I’ve identified her for type of her entire profession, virtually. We raced so much collectively and in opposition to one another additionally. For the nationwide group, we’ve been collectively on altitude camps and all the things so I do know her fairly properly,” Van Dijk informed Cyclingnews and Eurosport FR at Lidl-Trek’s January coaching camp.
“I’m satisfied she’s gonna come again right away actually sturdy. I feel for certain she’s going to attain at the least the extent she had when she retired already and I anticipate her to be right away aggressive for the win.”
Van der Breggen bowed out of racing on the very high of the game forward of the 2022 season and the beginning of her new job as a directeur sportif, nonetheless, introduced in June that she could be again within the skilled peloton in 2025.
“At one level I assumed ‘Why not? I missed biking,” Van der Breggen informed media together with Cyclingnews final week as she lifted the lid on why she’s returning. “In the again of my thoughts, someplace I assumed ‘I can nonetheless do that properly, so what and I doing [sitting] in a automotive’.”
But the Dutchwoman can be conscious that so much has modified since her final race on the Worlds in 2021, with higher professionalism, more cash, and greater occasions such because the Tour de France Femmes all coming into the ladies’s biking panorama.
Van der Breggen believes that she’ll want to succeed in a brand new excessive stage to compete as she did earlier than, as a former Olympic champion, four-time Giro winner, seven-time La Flèche Wallonne winner, and multiple-time world champion. Still, Van Dijk sees this as no concern for the 34-year-old.
“When she give up, she was on the best stage and he or she is a superb rider. Anna was actually on the high of the highest and he or she is aware of what she must do to be at that stage,” stated Van Dijk, additionally acknowledging that Van der Breggen will pay attention to what the highest stage is, having helped mentor 2023 Tour de France Femmes winner Demi Vollering to the place she is now as her former coach.
“It’s not like she did not do something for 3 years. She was nonetheless coaching, in fact, another way, however she was not racing. However, she knew already for a 12 months that she needed to come back again.
“I really feel like she is aware of precisely what stage she must be at. She additionally is aware of, for instance, Demi’s stage and what she has to coach for. With her expertise and her character and all the things in the best way I see her coaching and doing issues now, I’m completely satisfied she shall be there once more.”
Van Dijk clarified that she hasn’t truly seen Van der Breggen in coaching however that having identified her for a really very long time believes there is no approach she is not coaching at most capability for a fiery return and conflict with the likes of Vollering, who moved groups to FDJ-Suez from SD Worx-Protime in summer time.
“No, I truly do not see her coaching, nevertheless it’s simply the rumours you hear – individuals are speaking about it, in fact,” Van Dijk says with a smile. “No, it is simply that she trains so much, is on numerous coaching camps, and that she’s not taking it flippantly saying ‘Oh, I’ll see the place I’m going’. She’s going for it.
“She made this resolution and I would not assume it some other approach. If she places her head to one thing, I’m certain she shall be prepared.”
