Anna van der Breggen finishes second in the GC at the Vuelta Femenina, Lotte Kopecky wins the green jersey

The disappointment over Anna van der Breggen narrowly missing out on the overall victory was still dominant immediately after the finish on the brutal Alto d’Angliru. Yet, little by little, pride in what Team SD Worx – Protime achieved during the past week in the Vuelta Femenina began to take over. Van der Breggen’s second place in the general classification, Lotte Kopecky’s green jersey and no fewer than three stage victories marked a fantastic race for the Dutch team.

With a fifth-place finish in the final stage of the Vuelta Femenina, which ended atop the Angliru, Van der Breggen secured second place in the overall standings. Valentina Cavallar (sixth) and Nienke Vinke (tenth) also enjoyed strong rides on the steep climb.

Anna van der Breggen said after finishing fifth in the final stage: “I gave it everything, but it just wasn’t enough, and right now that’s really disappointing. I fought for everything I was worth, but in the end I just came up short.

It’s especially frustrating because on the final steep section of the Angliru I actually came quite close again; a gap of 24 seconds to Paula Blasi on a climb like this is basically nothing. Once the pain in your legs fades, you start thinking: ‘If only I hadn’t let that gap open up,’ but on the bike at that moment it really felt like a big difference.

Still, pride is the overriding feeling when I look at the whole team. With three stage wins and the green jersey, we rode a fantastic Vuelta Femenina. After my comeback, I hoped it would once again be possible to fight for the overall victory in a Grand Tour, and it’s amazing to already be this close to the top again. This gives me confidence to keep building on this path.”

Sports Director Danny Stam: “I think we rode a very strong Vuelta Femenina, with three stage victories. Of course, we had hoped to take home the overall classification as well, but the Angliru never lies. It’s a climb where you have to ride your own pace. Anna handled that very well. We hoped the steeper sections might work in her favour. In the second part of the climb things did improve somewhat, but in the end you are still left with a deficit of 24 seconds in the overall standings. That makes the feeling about this otherwise beautifully ridden Vuelta somewhat mixed.

Above all, we should look back with great pride on how the team raced throughout this week. The disappointment is still the dominant feeling right now, and that’s part of top-level sport. But we also need to move on quickly and focus on what we achieved as a team. We came here aiming to win a stage and to see whether a podium place in the general classification was possible. We more than achieved those goals. The team was truly outstanding.”

Lotte Kopecky after securing the green jersey: “The Angliru climb was simply horrible. I’ve never experienced anything like it. I have a lot of respect for the riders who had to fight for the general classification on this climb.

Of course, it’s nice to secure the green jersey. With a stage win and the points jersey, I leave this Vuelta with a good feeling. I’m also proud of the way the team raced this week. With three stage victories, three days in the red leader’s jersey, the green jersey and second place in the overall classification, we can only be satisfied.”