"This second place is a nice way to end the week" – Anna van der Breggen reflects on mixed Giro d’Italia Women
Cycling
Anna van der Breggen closed out
the 2025 Giro d’Italia Women with a podium finish on the final stage and a
sixth-place overall result, in an overall mixed with the former winner.
Although she didn’t contend for the pink jersey, the SD Worx – Protime rider
left Italy with a sense of progress and perspective.
“This second place is a great way
to end the week,” Van der Breggen said on her team’s website after finishing
just behind Liane Lippert in Imola.
The finale carried personal
significance. Imola was the site of her 2020 World Championship win, and racing
there again brought memories flooding back.
“It was special to race back in
Imola. On the first lap, I recognised a lot of things. It was a bit like, oh
yes, that’s how it was... I reminded myself of that today as well. It’s a
course that suits me. If I could stay with the group, I had a chance.”
While Van der Breggen couldn’t
repeat her past triumphs, she came close. In the final kilometers, with no
teammates left and Movistar riding for Marlen Reusser, she made a move.
“In the end, I was left alone in
the leading group... I wanted to give it a try on this special course. Of
course, having Liane Lippert on my wheel wasn’t ideal... I thought: you never
know, she might make a mistake in the sprint (laughs). But of course, that
didn’t happen.”
The Dutch rider also praised the
efforts of teammates Lorena Wiebes and Mikayla Harvey, who tried to make a
break stick in the final stage.
“The final stage... went really
well with Lorena Wiebes and Mikayla Harvey on the attack. Unfortunately, the
breakaway was about twenty seconds short... I would have loved to see Miki
fight for the win. She worked really hard all week.”
Van der Breggen admitted the
overall result wasn’t what the team hoped for, finishing 3:32 behind winner
Elisa Longo Borghini. Still, she sees signs of momentum as she looks ahead to
the next big goal, where she will look to take on Demi Vollering at the Tour de
France Femmes later this summer.
“Of course, we had hoped for more
in the general classification. Hopefully this was the incentive I needed with a
view to the Tour de France Femmes... Now I’m flying home and the next few days
will be all about recovery and rest.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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