Having joined the powerful Team SD Worx at the start of the season, the young Dutch rider (23) made her mark with her biggest win at UCI Women's WorldTour level in the Classic Lorient Agglomération - Trophée Ceratizit.
Team SD Worx has many tricks up its sleeve. In the absence of UCI World Champion Lotte Kopecky, Demi Vollering and Lorena Wiebes, the Dutch team led a new star to victory in Plouay, on the roads of the Classic Lorient Agglomération - Trophée Ceratizit, in France, to claim their 56th win of the season.
Mischa Bredewold bade her time in the closing few hundred metres of the final circuit before unleashing her power. The young Dutch rider pounced at the right moment to sprint to victory ahead of Poland's Marta Lach (Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team) and Italy's Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ).
Mischa BREDEWOLD wins the #GPLorient 🥹 pic.twitter.com/zazaCfPA9A
— Bretagne Classic - GP Lorient Agglomération (@BretagneClassic) September 2, 2023
From revelation to confirmation
A revelation last season with the UCI Women’s Continental team Parkhotel Valkenburg, Mischa Bredewold won a stage and the white jersey of best young rider in the Simac Ladies Tour. A first victory and 6th place overall in a UCI Women's WorldTour event was more than enough to catch the attention of many observers, and that of Danny Stam in particular.
"In one or two years, we will have a new generation in the Netherlands that will set the tone. Mischa Bredewold can be part of that new generation. She has made good steps in recent years and I think she can continue that progression in our team," the Team SD Worx Sport Director said after signing up the youngster, who stands out for her power and endurance.
Bredewold wasted no time in confirming the hopes placed in her by the Dutch staff. She announced she wanted to “do [her] bit this season already with a number of wins” and she has already delivered.
The native of Amersfoort, south-east of Amsterdam, scored her first victory in April. Finding her role in a star-studded squad she describes as "the best team in the world", Bredewold has claimed one good result after another, adding two more wins to her record - in the first-stage team time trial and the second stage of the UCI ProTour stage race, Internationale LOTTO Thüringen Ladies Tour -, before finishing 6th in both the road race and the individual time trial at her Elite National Championships. This strong first part of the season paved the way for her first participation at the UCI World Championships, held in Glasgow and across Scotland last August, before a first UCI Women's WorldTour victory this year in the Classic Lorient Agglomération - Ceratizit Trophy. "I've made more progress than I thought I would. It's good to show them that I'm capable of winning at this level," Bredewold rejoiced after climbing to the top step of the podium.
Tactician and visionary
With almost 160km and 2,286 metres of elevation, this 22nd edition was the most challenging since its creation in 2002. After controlling the breakaway, eventually featuring three attackers, Team SD Worx raced intelligently, closing down all attempts as soon as the road rose over the difficulties of the final 11.6km circuit around Plouay. The scenario of a sprint finish didn't displease Bredewold, who felt confident despite the presence of fast women including 2021 UCI World Champion Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek). "Yesterday (Friday), I said that if it came to a sprint, I'd want to play my card. I know that this kind of finish suits me," the Dutchwoman told Direct Vélo after the finish.
Rather than turning the race upside down, Team SD Worx controlled for Bredewold, accompanied by an impressive Marlen Reusser, playing her part as a perfect teammate. The Swiss rider accelerated in the last kilometre and sapped the legs of Bredewold’s rivals, starting with Balsamo.
Her hard work was rewarded in the best possible way as Mischa Bredewold powered to victory, showing she’s not only strong but also fast: "The sprint was hectic and very fast. I was a little boxed in but on the right there was an opening and I went there even if it was a little early, at 220 meters with a headwind, but I had no other choice. It was now or never!”
Into a new dimension?
With four wins, including one in a UCI Women's WorldTour event, in her third season as a professional, Mischa Bredewold’s stock keeps on rising.
Success calls for more success. And the Dutchwoman will head to the Simac Ladies Tour (5-10 September) with high ambitions. "I'm going there with the general classification as my objective, and I hope I can count on a good time trial," she announced on Saturday in Plouay.
She will take part in the Tour de Romandie (15-17 September) "to help the team". After that, the European Championships (20-24 September) looks like the ideal opportunity for her to display her talents.