'Bodyguard' Bredewold thought 'Damn full house' and surprised Wiebes with it: "Not quite the intention"

A roller coaster of emotions unfolded at the top of VAM Mountain on a Saturday afternoon, just after the conclusion of the EK women's race. In front of us, a tear-stricken Mischa Bredewold veered to the left, clearly unaware that she had just become the European champion. A little further ahead, tears welled up in Lorena Wiebes' eyes, but they were more a reflection of disappointment and some frustration. Both women found themselves in the IDLProCycling.com area.

First, Bredewold, who, half an hour after crossing the finish line, still wore an amazed expression in her white-and-blue championship jersey. She stuttered, expressing that she had never expected to claim this title. "We had an excellent plan with two incredibly strong leading women, and we rode with that plan in mind, considering Riejanne as our backup," she mentioned, referring to Demi Vollering and Riejanne Markus in addition to Wiebes.

"We intended to make the race very aggressive, and we were virtually everywhere," Bredewold explained. "In the final lap, the moment arrived, and I thought, 'Oh no, now I have to go too!' The plan wasn't for me to launch an attack; my primary goal was to maintain the pace, allowing Demi and Lorena to conserve their energy for as long as possible. I believed I would be caught, but when I didn't see them on that last stretch of cobblestones, I knew it was now or never on that final climb."

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Wiebes also misses out on European Championship title after Tour and World Cup

That's where Wiebes comes in because, while Bredewold rushed to victory, her compatriot came in second shortly behind in a sprint against Lotte Kopecky. She wasn't particularly thrilled about it. "I had set this as a significant goal, so this is a bit of a letdown, although I know I'll feel differently later. In the penultimate lap, I felt I still had a lot of strength left, and the fact that we were in such a small group gave me a lot of confidence. It's a mixed feeling because we started with the aim of winning gold, and we achieved that. As an athlete, you're always a bit disappointed with a second-place finish.

The fact that Wiebes needed comforting from her teammates after the race stemmed from a series of disappointments. The Tour de France and the World Championships were enormous targets for me, and they didn't work out, so I had pinned my hopes on this. Then, once again, it didn't go my way, and the emotions overwhelmed me. The girls reassured me that I had ridden well, but I needed some time to regain my composure. After that, I was okay again.

Bredewold was actually 'bodyguard' of Wiebes

Bredewold explained that even when she was solo at the front, she wasn't thinking about winning. "I managed to push the thought of winning aside for as long as possible. When you start dwelling on that, you hinder yourself. My goal was to provide the best possible leadout for the team. When I approached that second and final climb, I knew the pursuit behind me wouldn't stop. Then it was like, 'Full speed ahead!' Halfway up, I heard people on the sidelines yelling that I was going to take it, and I couldn't believe it. It was all a blur because winning today was not part of the plan. I think it will take a week for this to sink in. Even on the podium, I was just thinking, "Wow!"

Once again, the surprise stemmed from a role reversal in which Bredewold was never considered a potential winner. "We had Yara Kastelijn, Floortje Mackaij, and Loes Adegeest who worked tirelessly. We had agreed that their efforts would come earlier than mine, and they executed that plan exceptionally well. I acted as Lorena's protector, and I know how to support her effectively. I stayed behind her like a boxer, ready to tackle any challenges in the finale."

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Attack in final round was not intentional, according to Wiebes

In the mixed zone, Wiebes was not entirely pleased that it was her bodyguard, of all people, who won due to an unannounced attack. "I was taken by surprise by her attack, but that's racing," she commented. When the journalists around her pointed out that it was indeed the perfect moment for Bredewold to make her move, Wiebes couldn't fully digest that yet. "It wasn't part of the plan for the last lap, so that's why I was surprised. I haven't discussed the tactical aspect with her yet, so I can't say much about it."

As no one responded, Wiebes sensed a storm brewing. She had already announced her intention to wait for the sprint, especially with the aim of not letting Lotte Kopecky get away. "You don't chase down your own teammate, so I kept an eye on Lotte until the final lap. I did anticipate that she might try something on the last ascent of VAM."

Bredewold, unaware at the time that Wiebes was not entirely satisfied with her role, had the perfect response as she reiterated that winning had truly not been the primary goal. "It's gratifying that the jersey remains within the team and the country. I hope Lorena can find some pride in me nonetheless."