Van der Breggen put her foot down at SD Worx-Protime — and got the reinforcements she wanted

Van der Breggen would like to line up on Saturday with the biggest ambitions possible at Strade Bianche. Last year she produced a brilliant battle with winner Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ), but she fell ill at the UAE Tour and, as a result, was not yet at full strength during the Opening Weekend — finishing 17th at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and 46th at Omloop van het Hageland.

Are her legs a bit better now, heading into the white roads of Tuscany? “Last year, the situation was different. Lotte Kopecky obviously wasn’t there. I knew I might be on my own deep into the final. Then you try to save yourself as much as possible throughout the race with the finale in mind. Now it would be nice if we can have multiple riders in the final. I hope I can help Lotte again.”

Van der Breggen riding as a domestique at Strade Bianche? It is a realistic scenario. Still, the climber is also expected to race more for her own chances in 2026 — that, at least, was the ambition she expressed in an extensive conversation in January. “I’m not targeting one specific race, because I don’t dominate the peloton anymore like I used to. But nobody does, so that makes the races beautiful and harder. Everything has to go right.”

“2025 was a beautiful season for me, and I enjoyed it a lot. Level-wise, I was able to compete again, I rode some good results, and so it was a good decision to come back,” she continued. Besides finishing second at Strade Bianche, Van der Breggen was third at La Vuelta, sixth at the Giro, and took silver in the World Championships time trial.

She has felt that she truly needs peak form to fight for a top result — and that is exactly what motivates her for 2026. “I think I can still make a small step after 2025 and go for top results. Racing is different now and I’m grateful I can still do it. I enjoy different things now — the level is so high! It’s more attractive; in the past the same riders often won.”

Van der Breggen was, along with Annemiek van Vleuten, one of the two dominant riders in her first period as a pro. That was the biggest adjustment when she stepped into a new peloton in 2025. “Before, at a difficult point, I would just ride to the front. Now you need your teammates to get to the front. You always have to be near the front — otherwise you miss the moment.”

Women’s racing has also become more of a team sport, Van der Breggen believes. And that makes SD Worx-Protime’s additions of Valentina Cavallar and Nienke Vinke to the roster all the more important. “That’s also something I asked for. I was often alone fairly quickly when it went uphill, so now there is more support. And I can give something back to them as well.”

With WorldTour teams forced from 2026 onwards to ride all WorldTour races, transfers were also necessary. SD Worx-Protime will not always be able to play all their leaders in the biggest races. “That’s why I felt we could still grow in terms of our climbing group. It’s nice to have teammates with you in the final. Valentina and Nienke fill that gap perfectly.”

It also says something about Van der Breggen’s role. She worked as a sports director at SD Worx-Protime in recent years, and now that she is back racing, her voice has not necessarily become any quieter. “Everyone in the team is allowed to say something if you feel something is possible. We talk with each other, also with the staff. That doesn’t mean everything gets adopted, but riders know a lot from inside the race.”

Alongside riders such as Lorena Wiebes, Kopecky, and Mischa Bredewold, Van der Breggen will remain one of the key figures. Her programme? After the UAE Tour, the Opening Weekend and Strade Bianche come Trofeo Alfredo Binda, several Flemish Classics, and in the summer she plans to ride La Vuelta, the Giro, and the Tour de France Femmes.

Bram van der Ploeg ( X: @BvdPloegg | email: [email protected])