Team SD Worx-Protime targets stage wins and a top-five overall finish in Tour de France Femmes

Team SD Worx-Protime heads to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift with Mischa Bredewold, Valentina Cavallar, Elena Cecchini, Lotte Kopecky, Anna van der Breggen, Nienke Vinke and Lorena Wiebes. With this strong seven-rider line-up, the Dutch WorldTour team hopes to fight for stage victories and secure a top-five overall finish with Anna van der Breggen.

Sports manager Danny Stam scouted all the routes last month: “This is a demanding and varied course. Because the route is so challenging, there will be few teams with the riders and strength needed to truly control the race. That’s why I expect an open Tour de France Femmes. It will be a great edition of the Tour de France for the neutral spectator.”“The time trial is a nice addition, although I do not expect time gaps that will be truly

decisive for the general classification. Stages six, seven and nine are simply too hard for that. With so much climbing on the route, the chances of bunch sprints are limited. The first two stages could end in a sprint, but after that it will often be breakaways, with a small group battling it out for the stage win. We selected a compatible group of seven riders with whom we dream of stage victories and a top-five finish with Anna van der Breggen,” says Stam, who explains the selection below in alphabetical order.

“It’s great to have a weapon like Mischa Bredewold in the team. Thanks to her versatility, she can perform on different types of terrain. She has a huge engine, is capable of riding a strong time trial and also possesses a fast finishing kick. After the first two stages, there will be breakaways everywhere. That is where she can seize her opportunity. If you have Mischa up the road, it creates an interesting situation for the team. It allows the rest of the squad to sit back, because there is no need to work on the front. With Mischa in the break, you have someone who can finish the job.”

“Valentina Cavallar is developing at an incredibly fast rate. In both the Vuelta Femenina and the Giro d’Italia, she proved how valuable she can be in supporting Anna van der Breggen in the high mountains. We want to support Van der Breggen as our leader for the general classification for as long and as well as possible in the mountains. We are very pleased with Valentina’s progression, and that is why her selection for the Tour de France Femmes is a logical consequence of the steps she is taking.”

“Elena Cecchini’s selection is a decision that a sports director does not need to spend much time thinking about. You simply cannot do without a rider like Elena, who keeps the team together, makes the right decisions and provides a listening ear. She is one of the best road captains in the world. She is never too proud to do the work, steps in whenever necessary and always rides for the team. Simply put, she is one of the most important domestiques in the peloton and we are happy to have her with us. It will be the final Grand Tour of her career. Let’s make it count.”

“After a training camp, Lotte Kopecky also rode the Baloise Ladies Tour and the Tour de Pologne in preparation for the Tour de France Femmes. She comes into the race in good form. The main thing will be to keep the pressure off her shoulders and allow her to race freely. Lotte will be free to take her opportunities in breakaways. With Lorena Wiebes, we have an excellent card to play in the sprint, and nobody likes taking her to the finish line. If Lotte is up the road, Lorena’s presence behind can create hesitation among the chasers. Hopefully, Lotte can take a stage win from a breakaway.”

“Anna van der Breggen is our leader for the general classification. She is having an excellent season and proved in both the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta that she is back competing at a very high level. We will support her as much as possible. Our goal with Anna is a top-five finish in the general classification. If we achieve that, our Tour de France will be a success.”

“Nienke Vinke’s selection is primarily aimed at supporting Anna van der Breggen in the tougher stages and in the mountains. She is a young and promising rider who demonstrated last year, as the winner of the young rider classification, that she can maintain a consistent level throughout a Grand Tour. We expect Nienke to stay with the front group for as long as possible so that she is there when Anna needs her.”

“Lorena Wiebes’ selection hardly needs any explanation. Over the past two years, Lorena has proven that she is one of the best, if not the best, sprinters in the world. I think it is clear that as long as she is still there in the finale, she will be our protected rider. She is extremely difficult to beat in a sprint finish. There is a reason she holds the record for the most stage wins in the Tour de France Femmes. With her, we will try to win stages.”