‘In that respect, being older has its advantages,’ laughs pink jersey Anna van der Breggen

Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) managed to defend her pink jersey in Wednesday’s tough fifth stage of the Giro d’Italia despite having only four team-mates left. The Dutch rider had to let Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) go, but she still holds a one-minute lead in the general classification.

Following Lorena Wiebes’ DSQ and the withdrawal of the crashed Mikayla Harvey, SD Worx-Protime had to defend the pink jersey with only five riders. Teams such as FDJ-Suez took advantage of that by going on the attack from kilometre one.

“Other teams also know we can’t ride on the front everywhere,” Van der Breggen says, speaking from experience. “A big break went clear, but there was not much I could do about that either. In a hard stage like this you see that gaps can disappear like snow in the sun. All in all, I’m happy I’m still in pink.”

Valentina Cavallar, Van der Breggen’s key helper, was also in the break that ensured the race was ridden hard all day. “It was as hard as it looked. It was good that Valentina was up front and that was helpful, but the other girls did really well too. It is a small team, but they all give 100 per cent and we will keep doing that.”

In the end, Van der Breggen followed Vollering’s attack, along with young Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek, 21) and Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon//SRAM, 23). On the final descent, Van der Breggen, 36 herself, tried to get away as well, but Vollering was ultimately too quick for her.

“It was a fairly technical descent and I know I could have got away and won the stage with a gap. Normally I don’t count on a sprint, so why not try it on the descent? It didn’t bring me the win, but it was a good attempt.”

Van der Breggen finished second and remains comfortably in pink, but she is not getting carried away. “The gaps are small and the level has generally gone up. If you are not in top form, you might not even be in the top ten.”

“It also took me a while to get back to this level, and I think I am better than ever. Now a new generation is coming through and they are doing very well, so I’m happy that as one of the oldest I can still compete,” Van der Breggen said.

“My experience counts, but I can also cope with more training,” she explained, outlining the main difference compared with a few years ago before her break. “Physically and mentally. So in that respect, being a bit older also has its advantages. You just have to deal with what you have and who you are,” she concluded with a smile.