Anna van der Breggen crashes hard in the Basque Country, gets back up, and is then penalized for drafting

For a long time, it seemed like nothing was wrong for Van der Breggen and her SD Worx team. But in the final fifteen kilometers, after all attacks had been neutralized, nerves suddenly kicked in. Several riders tried to avoid a bunch sprint with late solo efforts, and then suddenly multiple women crashed. The biggest victim: Van der Breggen.

The Dutch rider remained on the asphalt for a moment but eventually managed to continue. Her gap to the peloton, which included her rival Vollering, was two minutes. With the help of two teammates, she managed to reduce that gap, but it turned out this was done in a way that isn't completely according to the rules.

Van der Breggen, along with her two teammates Mikayla Harvey and Marie Schreiber who came to her aid, was penalized for drafting behind the team car driven by directeur sportif Danny Stam, who was also sanctioned. Each of the three riders received a fine of 100 Swiss francs, a 20-second time penalty, and a deduction of UCI points. Stam was fined 200 Swiss francs and issued a yellow card.

Still, there was success for the Dutch team: Mischa Bredewold sprinted to the stage victory. “I was really looking forward to this stage because these kinds of rides suit me well,” she said afterward. “The team had a lot of confidence in me, which was really nic, although it also made me a bit nervous. But I got a perfect lead-out, which allowed me to sprint to a great win.”