Chantal Van den Broek-Blaak made appearance at Naaldwijk Criterium for the first time after she gave birth

On Tuesday, many well-known cycling professionals participated in the Duo Criterium in Naaldwijk. A striking name at the start: Chantal van den Broek-Blaak. The 33-year-old SD Worx rider rode a cycling race for the first time yesterday, after she gave birth to her first child at the end of May.

Van den Broek-Blaak rode the Duo Criterium in Naaldwijk on Tuesday alongside her countryman and teammate Femke Markus. For the Rotterdam native, it is a first step towards a real return to the professional peloton. Because of her pregnancy, Van den Broek-Blaak did not race this season. In May, Van den Broek-Blaak and her husband Lars had their first child: Noa Brigitte van den Broek.

The 33-year-old Dutch still has a contract with SD Worx until the end of 2024. The 2022 cycling season would actually be the last in her career, but the experienced rider came back to it during the previous cycling year. She decided to extend her expiring contract for two years, with the caveat that she was 'allowed' to become pregnant. In November 2022, the message came that Van den Broek-Blaak and her husband Lars were expecting a child.

It is not yet known when Van den Broek-Blaak will make her final comeback. Before her pregnancy, the rider was one of the best classic riders of her generation. She won the Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold Race, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Gent-Wevelgem and Strade Bianche, among others. In 2017 she also rode to the world title in Bergen, Norway.