"We simply ride to create the best possible chance of victory": Anna van der Breggen speaks after Brabantse Pijl
CyclingSaturday, 18 April 2026 at 00:11
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Follow us on GoogleAnna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) returned to the peloton on Friday at Brabantse Pijl, after more than a month's absence. She immediately played a key role. The Dutchwoman rode ahead of the group for a long time, allowed herself to be caught, and subsequently set up her teammates. IDL Pro Cycling caught up with Van der Breggen at the finish.
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Her last race before the Ardennes block was back on March 15, when she finished second in the Trofeo Alfredo Binda. The fact that she was immediately able to make the difference against the competition uphill in Flemish Brabant therefore caused a some surprise. "I rode away alone, which I didn't immediately expect at that point."
Van der Breggen bridged across tp the leading duo of Loes Adegeest (Lidl-Trek) and Anneke Dijkstra (VolkerWessels). "But I couldn't drop Loes. If I cycle to the finish with Loes, the chance of me winning isn't very high. To drop her, it’s all just a bit too short. For me, it's difficult to drop Loes on those climbs," she explained.
Continue reading below the video!
Van der Breggen made the call herself to go for Bredewold
And so, she made contact with her teammates. "Mischa had already said in the meantime that she was feeling good, and then I made the decision to go for Mischa, which almost worked," says Van der Breggen, who did not take the bait when the Sporza interviewer suggested she was acting as a Directeur Sportif again. "Everyone on the bike has to make those kinds of decisions. I have the disadvantage of not being that fast, and I have to drop other riders."
"We simply ride to create the best possible chance of victory," Van der Breggen declares. "I tried that by trying to drop Loes on the Moskesstraat, but it didn't work. And then you know that Loes is explosive on a finish like that, and it's up to me to make the call that we go for Lotte and Mischa. We had also discussed that beforehand."
In the end, Bredewold came a few metres short of keeping Celia Gery (FDJ-Suez) from the win, but: "Mischa also said: Lotte wanted to help me, but it's not easy to stay in Lotte's wheel. She learns from that as well."
Read on below the video!
Van der Breggen in good shape heading to Amstel
Heading towards the Amstel Gold Race, Brabantse Pijl was a good stimulus for Van der Breggen. "I felt good and that’s a nice start, because normally I always need some time to get into it after an altitude training camp. Going deep like that is just a bit different from training, so I’m satisfied with how it went."
"If you can ride a race like that, you have to be satisfied. That looks promising for next week. Well, Sunday already, it’s all in one week!" she corrects herself with a smile. "I’m really looking forward to it and I’m in a good position with the group, so I’m excited for that."
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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Latest Comments
- - Grande Mattias! Dos minutos es mucho en la Vuelta, pero cuidado con las etapas de montaña. Forza Lidl-Trek!davidm04-09-2026
- - “If you can get a free ride, you might as well take it.” Love that honesty. Classic breakaway opportunism. Lidl-Trek have been sharp all week, fair play.raceready704-09-2026
- - Two minutes is big but the real test is whether he can defend it on the next mountain block. If INEOS keeps lighting it up, those gains can vanish quick. Still, top ride.lindae04-09-2026
- - Slightly confused: the piece says he’s just behind fifth-place Onley and sixth-place Ormzel—does that mean Skjelmose is 7th now? The GC positions weren’t super clear here.jennifer1904-09-2026
- - Great interview insights. You could see on TV he was sitting in wheels all day until that last flat. Proper diesel effort, and he timed his pulls when it counted. Chapeau.samanthak04-09-2026
- - Can someone explain what “suicide pulls” means? Is that just when a team rides too hard on the front and blows up their own riders?bikebuffj04-09-2026
- - Not sure I buy the “dirty tactics” line. INEOS and Bahrain have every right to chase if their GC guys are threatened. That’s not dirty, that’s racing.breakawaybikerd04-09-2026
- - Massive ride from Skjelmose. Smart to surf the break rather than burn matches early—two minutes at this point in the Vuelta is gold. Lidl-Trek playing this perfectly.robert6504-09-2026
- - Vamos! Pero ojo, el viento de Cádiz no perdona. If Roglič catches his two-minute man otra vez, se acabó la roja. If not, Mas tiene la sierra para rematar en lagearguru3304-09-2026
- - You mentioned 2021 Galicia TT, but Mas basically rode safe for the podium then. The 2023 mid-Vuelta TT gaps are the better comp and still point to Rogla by ~30–00 on flat terrain. If he takes55 in Jerez, Mas will try to rip it back on Alguacil. Buckle up.cadencekingm04-09-2026
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