"Anna van der Breggen's efforts have been minimal until this point in her return to Grand Tour racing, as she finished third in La Vuelta Femenina."
Fresh Take: Anna van der Breggen, a WorldTour powerhouse, roared back onto the scene after a four-year hiatus, delivering a stirring third-place finish at La Vuelta Femenina. The SD Worx-ProTime racer, who doubles as a team coach, outperformed the competition early in 2025, snagging podiums at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana and Strade Bianche before clocking her first season win on stage four of La Vuelta.
The Grand Tour placing serves as a potent reminder that van der Breggen will be a significant adversary for the aspiring champions, Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ) and Tour de France Femmes reigning champ Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM-zondacrypto), later this year in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and Giro d'Italia Women. The victorious week has invigorated the 35-year-old, who feels her mountain performances will improve as she challenges the frontrunners throughout the season.
"I'm damned pleased to feel better uphill," van der Breggen said in a team release after the final stage. "I hardly engaged in such efforts until now. I need to do this a few more times to become more accustomed to it."
Teammate support and adaptable garments shielded van der Breggen from the rain-soaked mountain climbs, allowing her to hold her own during the grueling triple assault on the Alto de Cotobello. Although she failed to match Vollering in the final moments, she felt stronger than she had during stage five, when she lost time on the Lagunas de Neila climb.
"I'm over the moon with this third place," van der Breggen admitted. "I had a cracking ride today. It was a challenging stage with rain in the initial stretch and a subsequent descent. But thanks to my teammates, we remained upfront, which amped up my motivation."
Vollering was unstoppable throughout La Vuelta, snatching the rain-soaked final mountain stage and securing her second consecutive overall win. Van der Breggen's impressive performance positions her as a worthy adversary, while the depth of the current peloton adds another layer of tension. Up next for van der Breggen is the Giro d'Italia Women, a race she has dominated, followed by the highly anticipated Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
"We're content with how La Vuelta panned out for us and I'm proud to snag the final podium spot at my comeback WorldTour stage race," van der Breggen beamed.
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Note: Enrichment data indicates van der Breggen's stage victory, general classification finish, team dynamics, competition against Demi Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma, and a summary table of race performances. These details have been incorporated into the article sparingly.
Sports continue to be an integral part of Anna van der Breggen's life, as she showcases her formidable skills on the cycling circuit. After a successful third-place finish at La Vuelta Femenina, she gears up for upcoming races such as the Giro d'Italia Women and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, where she aims to challenge reigning champions like Demi Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma.
