The 30-year-old, who won road race gold at the Rio Olympics in 2016, will become a coach with the Boels-Dolmans team after ending her professional career. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics have been pushed back a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Olympic Games in Tokyo are, of course, a great challenge and an important reason for continuing another year,” Van der Breggen said in a statement.
“I also want to end my career with a great, full season. Especially after this year, which was largely lost due to the corona pandemic, I am enormously motivated to continue for one more year.
“I’ve been thinking about a role as team leader/coach for some time. I was quickly excited about the team’s proposal. In 2021, I want to get the best out of myself on my bike for one more season. After that, I will focus on this new job.”
Van der Breggen, who secured the rainbow jersey at the world championships in Innsbruck two years after her victory in Rio, has signed a three-year contract to work as a sports director/coach with Boels-Dolmans.
Her compatriot Chantal Blaak, who won the women’s road race at the 2017 world championships, will continue to race professionally until 2022 before taking up a coaching role with Boels-Dolmans.
“In women’s cycling, it is not common for cyclists to make this step into coaching after their active career,” Blaak said.
“It is a compliment for me to be seen as one of the mainstays of this team.”
4-year doping ban for French cyclist
French cyclist Remy Di Gregorio has been hit with a four-year doping ban related to a positive drugs test for EPO in 2018, the International Cycling Union said yesterday. In a previous case, the Marseille-born rider was thrown off the 2012 Tour de France on suspicion of doping after he was arrested at his team hotel during the race. Di Gregorio, 34, has always denied doping but was found guilty of possessing banned materials and received a one-year suspended prison sentence in July 2018.
He eventually tested positive for the banned blood-booster EPO during the Paris-Nice race in March 2018, and is now banned from racing until March 2022.
