The seconds that count (IV/V)

Mischa Bredewold: “Anna van der Breggen’s energy is so calming.” (IV/V)

She is a jack of all trades, and a master of some. Every time a demanding, world-class race comes to a lull, you can see her hit the front - either to power away, or to control on behalf of another rider. Despite having won no less than 19 races since she first joined Team SD Worx-Protime back in 2023, including a European title, a grand tour stage and a major classic, she is still generous and smart enough to devote the output of her excellent engine to support her teammates’ chances. Over the years, she has proven to be one of cycling’s finest, most useful riders by working for cyclists as different as Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes, Demi Vollering or Anna van der Breggen. And she is not a domestique but rather “a leader, and often a backup leader.” The latter is the role in which she excels most, as all her qualities come to the fore and her tactical savviness turns her into a brilliant card for a team like SD Worx, accustomed to play multiple ones in every race since it established itself as one of the top outfits in the women’s peloton. “On a different team, I could have won more races, but of lesser quality. The nicest approach to a race is sharing the leadership with one or two other riders, so you can also share the pressure. That’s the sweet spot.” That is, indeed, the usual spot for one of the sweetest riders for cycling gourmets to watch: Mischa Bredewold.

What winning (and losing) the Tour de France feels like: “we are all crying.”
Mischa Bredewold was the runner-up in the white jersey classification of the first edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift under its current name. One year later, she was part of the star-studded SD Worx squad that dominated the race, winning four stages with four different riders (Lorena Wiebes, Lotte Kopecky, Demi Vollering and Marlen Reusser) and placing two of them (Vollering 1^st, Kopecky 2^nd) in the top two steps of the final podium.

“The 2023 Tour de France was really special,” recalls Bredewold. “I will never forget being part of it, because it felt like a victory by the whole team.” It was sealed atop the Col du Tourmalet, the only summit finish that year, where Vollering took the Yellow Jersey by storm - and under the rain. “It was one of the hardest stages ever in women’s cycling, because of the climbs and also because of the weather. We had to descend to the team bus after the stage, and I remember we were all crying because we were so happy and so tired at the same time - tired because of how grueling the stage had been, and happy because of how well it had gone for Demi and Lotte. It was such a crazy day, with so many emotions!! I still smile when I think about it…”

The tables turned the following year. Vollering conquered the final summit finish again, this time the Alpe d’Huez, yet she fell one second short of claiming the overall win from Kasia Niewiadoma and was left mourning the time lost at Stage 5 in messy circumstances after crashing with 6 kilometres to go. “We lost the Tour because of that crash,” regrets Bredewold. “It wasn’t me who lost, but it still felt like a personal defeat for me. We were so committed to helping Demi win…”

Vollering left SD Worx that winter, and Bredewold still keeps fond memories and an excellent opinion of the rider who currently races for FDJ United-Suez. “I liked working with Demi. We had a nice connection. She won so many races during her spell at the team, and made every race with her very special because she was quite good at sharing her joy with others and making everybody feel included.”

A role-model by the name of Anna van der Breggen: “she is an easy leader to work with.”
The space left by Vollering was taken by Anna van der Breggen - or, rather, reclaimed. The Dutch legend had already led SD Worx for five seasons before taking a bow in 2021 to become a coach and DS. Yet, in 2025, she was back racing with a number on her back, and delivering results while mentoring her teammates from the saddle instead of from the team car.

“She was very smart as a DS, but her current role fits her even better as she is coaching us from within the rider group,” asserts Bredewold. “Anna brings so much to the team because she's really calm and has no problem sacrificing herself for a teammate - and she does it all the time, indeed. She is really down-to-earth, humble and easygoing. Her energy is so calming.”

Van der Breggen is 10 years older than Bredewold, who has raced since age 8 and grew up admiring her compatriot. “She was a role model for my generation. When I was young, Marianne Vos and Anna were real idols for every rider in the Netherlands. Although I have to say I always had a special feeling for Anna…”

They say it’s better never to meet your idols, but this hasn’t been Mischa’s case. “Anna is a really nice person and an easy leader to work with,” she says. “I've known her for so many years already and it now feels normal for her to be around, but it's really cool that this person that I've looked up to for so long is now a colleague with whom I have a friendly working relationship. She is actually really different from what I thought she would be, but in a positive way. Anna takes her job seriously, but is also funny and chill.”

The hype ahead of the Tour: “I really believe Anna will achieve something great.”
This spring, Mischa Bredewold raced La Vuelta Femenina 26 by Carrefour.es alongside Anna van der Breggen and multiple road and track world champion Lotte Kopecky, helping both claim a stage win each. Bredewold also got a taste of success herself as Kopecky protected her wheel so she could raise her right hand in victory at the uphill finish in Astorga. 

Van der Breggen claimed the red jersey the following day up Les Praeres, but was overhauled in the final stage to the Alto de l’Angliru by Paula Blasi, her performance hampered by a crash. The Dutch legend met a similar outcome a few weeks later in the Giro d’Italia Women, dethroned the last day by her former pupil Demi Vollering after spending five stages in the lead of the overall standings.

“I really believe Anna will achieve something great in the Tour de France,” asserts Bredewold. “I'm fine with either her winning a stage, or making the overall podium. There are some technically and tactically difficult stages that are perfect for her. We should not forget that, if she wins a stage in the Tour, she would have won one stage in every grand tour this year. And that's crazy!”

Bredewold will be there to support van der Breggen in every terrain, and especially in those situations where her tactical skills come in handy. She will also have another duty as a lead-out rider for the best sprinter in the world, Lorena Wiebes. “On flat finishes, the tension and the adrenaline are different from what you experience in a hilly or mountainous race,” describes the Dutch rider. “I like being immersed in the chaos of a sprint. When you can smell the win coming, it motivates you.”

The pair already worked together in the Vuelta a Burgos: Wiebes won the first two stages, and Bredewold scored the third one before finishing 5^th overall. “I was the final lead-out rider for Lorena there. It was my first time and I was really nervous, but it went pretty well. I don’t think I’ll be in the same role during the Tour de France, though, because Lotte will be there for that. Yet this is a role you can exchange easily with a teammate if she is not feeling well.” One thing is certain: Mischa will be a prominent figure in the next Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift - be it working up a climb, preparing a sprint finish… or alone in the lead, on her way to conquer her first victory in the Grande Boucle.