Anna van der Breggen is looking forward to Strade Bianche
05 Mar.
‘I hope to be able to help my teammates in the final’
Team SD Worx-Protime will have two former winners at the start of the Italian classic in Strade Bianche: Lotte Kopecky and Anna van der Breggen. With Nienke Vinke, Femke Gerritse, Steffi Häberlin and Mischa Bredewold also in the line-up, it is a well-balanced team. Van der Breggen thinks it is a great race. ‘It's a tough race. It's challenging from start to finish. Whoever wins at the top of Piazza del Campo is simply one of the strongest.’
'In Strade Bianche it's very important to position yourself well. You need to be attentive in front all race'
Anna van der Breggen
Anna van der Breggen: "Strade Bianche is a classic in itself. It cannot be compared to any other race. This is a race where you have to be at the front from the start. It's different from a Flemish classic, where you have a little more time in between. The gravel sections mean you always have to be alert at the front. The conditions are also often different. The year I won, it was -2 degrees. I've also ridden it in incredibly windy conditions. They're forecasting dry weather for Saturday. But whatever the scenario, this is a fairly simple race. The person who wins is simply a good cyclist. You can be sure of that in Strade Bianche."
Did I expect to finish second last year in Strade Bianche? No, I went into it with an open mind and was surprised myself to finish on the podium in my first classic since my comeback. Last year, the situation was also different. Lotte Kopecky wasn't there, of course. I knew that I might be on my own deep in the final. Then you try to save as much energy as possible throughout the race with a view to the final. Now it would be nice if several of us were in the final. I hope I will be able to help Lotte again. It also remains to be seen how Nienke Vinke will ride, for example. With more cards, you have more options to play the game."
‘We have won the Strade Bianche several times in the past with the team. Lotte Kopecky has already won it twice. This is a race that suits her well. We have a good team at the start. It would be great if we could add this classic to our list of achievements with Team SD Worx-Protime.’