Van der Breggen aiming for team win in Fleche Wallonne - Women's News Shorts

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Anna van der Breggen applies the pressure at Amstel Gold(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)

Anna van der Breggen is the headline rider for Boels-Dolmans at La Flèche Wallonne Feminine, having won the past two editions of the Ardennes Classic, but the team is strong enough to boast multiple options, and the Olympic champion insists the only goal is to get a win for the team.

Boels-Dolmans pulled off a one-two in the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday, with Van der Breggen going solo inside the final 10 kilometres to win the race, and Lizzie Deignan winning the sprint for second from the chasing group. Deignan, who was second at Flèche in 2014, is just one of the other options for Wednesday, as Megan Guarnier, on the podium in the previous two editions, provides a strength in depth.

Van der Breggen’s two victories have come on the new course, with the Cote de Cherave introduced less than six kilometres before the final dash up the famous Mur de Huy. Last year she escaped with Evelyn Stevens between the two climbs and held the American off on the Mur, while two years ago she attacked over the Cherave to bridge to the two leaders – one a teammate – before emerging as the strongest on the Mur.

“It was important that they changed the course and added an extra climb at the end. If you have only the Mur, everyone is focused on one climb. Now it’s not possible with the climb that comes before. It is also steep and long and makes the race harder. For me, it’s really good. If it’s only the Mur, everybody is still fresh and more people can handle the explosive finish. Now it’s different because you have to explode two times. It’s also different tactically because fewer riders will make it to the Mur together. The Mur is a really, really steep climb and it’s always longer than you think it is. Every year when you see it again it’s always longer than it is in your mind – especially the second time.”