"You have to take your chance when the course suits you": Anna Van der Breggen eyes the rainbow jersey in Montreal

After a four-year hiatus during which she worked as a sports director at SD Worx-Protime, Anna van der Breggen returned to the peloton last season. Now, with that initial adjustment period behind her, the Dutch icon enters 2026 with renewed confidence and a clear warning to her rivals: she is back to her best.

Van der Breggen was able to experience first-hand how the level of the women’s peloton has continued to rise during her absence. “The level has indeed gone up quite a bit, but I had already seen that from the team car. So I expected it. And this year it will be another step higher,” she said to Sporza.

She feels better prepared going into the new season compared to how she felt in 2025. “Last year it was a bit about seeing how it would go and whether I could follow. That turned out very well. I notice now that the endurance and the intensity are back. And I know what to expect now, so I’m starting the season very differently compared to last year. Now it’s just a matter of seeing whether I can do it better again.”

Her programme remains broadly unchanged, although she will start earlier. “My programme is more or less the same as last year, only now I start a bit earlier, in the UAE Tour. After that I ride the Ardennes classics, with Strade Bianche and the Trofeo Alfredo Binda also included. Those spring classics are my first major goals.”

The Tour de France is another key target for obvious reasons, although not as big on the list as we might have thought. “Is winning the Tour a dream? Not really, but of course you always want to be good there. Also for the women, the Tour de France is a main objective.”

The World Championships hold a very special significance for her. “I also always see the Worlds as a highlight of the season. Riding around in the rainbow jersey has been one of the best experiences in cycling for me.” She is especially positive about the 2026 course in Canada. “It’s a beautiful course, yes. You don’t get that every year. I’ve always said at a World Championship: you have to take your chance when the course suits you. So I’m certainly very happy with the Worlds course this year.”

Team SD Worx - Protime once again lines up as one of the strongest teams in the peloton, with riders such as Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes and Van der Breggen herself. “I prefer my teammates to be as strong as possible,” she said. “That also makes it more fun and easier for me. It has never felt like competition to me. I just hope we can all take steps.”

Van der Breggen also highlighted the impact of new signings. "We have some nice new additions to the team, like Nienke Vinke and Valentina Cavallar. I’m very happy with that. They are given the space here to develop gradually. They are not immediately expected to be at the front, but that they can ride hard, I’ve already felt."

Finally, she pointed to the continued development of riders with a cyclo-cross background, such as Blanka Vas and Marie Schreiber. “Blanka has already been with us for a few years now. That she is a big talent, she has already shown herself. If her head is in the right place, she can win big races. She is an enormous talent. Marie is still focusing more on the cross for now, but when she starts riding more on the road, she is also a rider who can win races. She is still discovering everything.”