06 August 2020

World champion Anna van der Breggen planning to peak for delayed season in September

World and Olympic champion Anna van der Breggen is hoping she can peak in September in time for some of the biggest races of the season.

The entire cycling campaign for 2020 has been thrown up in the air due to the coronavirus crisis, but the sport’s governing body, the UCI, released a revised Women’s WorldTour race schedule in early May for riders to work towards.

Van der Breggen is one of the most successful riders of the modern era (Imago/PA Images)

And with a packed schedule of racing now squeezed in between August and early November, Van der Breggen is conscious of hitting form at the right time.

"I really hope to peak in September," she told Cycling News.

"The European championships TT, the Giro and the road race at the Worlds are my big goals for this season. 

"However, I will also ride the Dutch Nationals, GP Plouay, the European Championships on the road and the Worlds TT."

The world championships begin on September 20 this year in Switzerland and run until September 27.

And the Dutch star is already excited to ride the road race route but is unsure whether she will also be able to give the time trial a crack.

"There is also the question of moving the Worlds TT race from Sunday to Wednesday, this gives us more time to recover. Although the Worlds TT will be raced on an almost flat parcours," she added.

"On the other hand, there are plenty of climbing metres in the road race in Martigny. I’m really looking forward to the recon of the World routes."

Full race calendar for Women’s WorldTour 2020:

- 1st August: Strade Bianche (Italy)

- 8 August: Postnord UCI WWT Vårgårda West Sweden TTT (Sweden)

- 9 August: Postnord UCI WWT Vårgårda West Sweden RR (Sweden)

- 13-16 August:  Ladies Tour of Norway (Norway)

- 26 August: GP de Plouay – Lorient Agglomération Trophée WNT (France)

- 29 August: La Course by Le Tour de France (France)

- 1-6 September: Boels Ladies Tour (the Netherlands)

- 11-19 September: Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile (Italy)

- 30 September: La Flèche Wallonne Féminine (Belgium)

- 4 October: Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes (Belgium)

- 10 October: Amstel Gold Race Ladies (the Netherlands)

- 11 October: Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields (Belgium)

- 18 October : Ronde van Vlaanderen (Belgium)

- 20 October: Tour of Guangxi Women’s WorldTour (China)

- 20 October: Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne (Belgium)

- 23-25 October: Tour of Chongming Island (China)

- 25 October: Paris-Roubaix (France)

- 6-8 November: Ceratizit Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta (Spain)

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