‘With her talent and character, I’m convinced’ – Van Dijk sees Van der Breggen as instant contender for wins in return

Few riders have raced alongside or against Anna van der Breggen more than veteran Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek), with the latter confident that her Dutch compatriot will be competing for wins and quickly back to her best as she returns to racing for SD Worx-Protime in 2025, three years after retiring.

Van Dijk and Van der Breggen were cornerstones of the Dutch women’s World Championships team for all of the 2010s, alongside the likes of Marianne Vos and Annemiek van Vleuten. They raced at eight elite road races together between 2012 and 2021, including Van der Breggen’s two victories in 2018 and 2020, and were often closely matched in time trials, taking four ITT world titles between them too.