"It’s fantastic to have Anna back" - Marianne Vos pays warm tribute to Van der Breggen after La Vuelta Femenina stage win

Two of the greats of the modern era, Marianne Vos and Anna van der Breggen have played their part in making numerous cycling memories over their respective careers. The rivalry of the two Dutch stars was renewed on stage 4 of La Vuelta Femenina 2025, as Van der Breggen took the solo win, holding off the chase from behind that had been led by Vos.

This win marked the first success of Van der Breggen's second career as a pro cyclist, having initially retired in 2021 after winning two world titles, four Giro d'Italia, an Olympic gold medal and many more races. Speaking to the media afterwards, Vos was full of praise for her compatriot, giving a warm tribute and expressing her happiness at seeing Van der Breggen back in the winner's circle despite riding for different teams.

“Every team was ready for the fight coming into the last climb. I am pretty happy I made it to the summit inside the front group. Then of course Anna van der Breggen made a great attack," reflected arguably the greatest women's cyclist of all time. "Once she had some meters and with the power she has it was difficult to catch her back. From then on, I focused on trying to score the best possible result. It’s fantastic to have Anna back in the bunch. A rider like her is a fantastic addition for the racing itself. I am not surprised to see her win again, and it’s so good,” Vos concluded.