Anna van der Breggen to make return to pro cycling! Cycling legend to race for SD Worx after Demi Vollering's departure

Team SD Worx - ProTime have called for an urgent press conference this Thursday to present exciting news for the world of cycling. But the cat is out of the bag: Cycling legend Anna van der Breggen is returning to pro cycling three years after retirement according to sources.

This has been reported by reputable Dutch source NOS. The press conference was only announced yesterday and will take place today at 18:00CET, but the reason for this is seemingly not private anymore. Huge news were expected, with some rumouring a new title sponsor or the merger with a men's team, but NOS report that the reason is van der Breggen's return.

The former Dutch pro is perhaps, together with Marianne Vos, the most notable rider in women's cycling history. This is not by chance, the 34-year old is an Olympic Champion (2016 Rio de Janeiro), double World Champion (2018 and 2020), four-time Giro Rosa winner (2015, 2017, 2020 and 2021); winner of classics such as the Tour of Flanders WE, Strade Bianche and perhaps most impressively a consecutive seven-time winner of the Flèche Wallone - having won every edition between 2015 and 2021.

At the end of the 2021 season, aged 31, she decided to retire from pro cycling despite being at the top. "I’m not quitting because I don’t like to ride anymore; in the end I like riding my bike but without the pressure of having to do it, needing to train, needing to be good for the first race," van der Breggen had said in an interview with Rouleur back in 2021. "It’s relaxing to ride the bike in a way I never did before."

But she did not leave cycling, remaining with the team where she spent the last years of her career: Team SD Worx - Protime. She became a Sports Director immediately and helped the team into success that became even bigger; being behind the wheel in meaningful wins of riders such as Demi Vollering, Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes.

After three years behind the wheel she is set to make a return to the peloton. Over these years she did not stop cycling and, with her natural talent and still relative young age (Annemiek van Vleuten retired at 40 last season), she could still very well be competitive at top level. As the team is set to say goodbye to Demi Vollering at the end of the season, van der Breggen could end up being the unexpected new leader for next season.