“I was very disappointed” – But Anna van der Breggen finds positive in debut Tour de France Femmes

For Anna van der Breggen, the 2025 Tour de France Femmes was a race of two halves. The former Olympic champion and world renowned climber made her long-awaited debut in the women’s Tour after returning to competition, but things didn’t go as planned in the general classification. Targeting a high overall finish, Van der Breggen instead had to settle for 11th place, undone by one bad day on the queen stage to the Col de la Madeleine.

"I had hoped they'd give me more space, since I was already nine minutes behind in the standings. I needed more than the two minutes I was given, but it's good that I tried,” she told Wielerflits after the final stage. “I wasn't so happy after Saturday. After seven good days, I had an off day on the worst possible day. I was very disappointed, but it's good that I'm feeling better.”

Van der Breggen’s best result came on stage 5, where she sprinted to third, and she showed flashes of her old strength in the final stage by attacking and going solo for a long stretch. But she was reeled in on the final climb and finished 11th again, fitting for a week that offered both promise and frustration.

Still, Van der Breggen remains optimistic. This was her third Grand Tour since coming out of retirement, and she’s using the experience to lay the groundwork for a stronger push next season. “With three Grand Tours under my belt, I can build on that for next year and try again then,” she said.

Part of what motivates her is the new landscape of the women’s peloton, faster, deeper, and more professional than ever before. “I know the level is very high with Pauline, but this is motivating to see,” she said, referring to Pauline Ferrand-Prévot’s dominant Tour win. “On the other hand, I also notice the pace is higher. You see more teams riding together, the crews are more professional and ride in groups. The level is very high.”