VAN DER BREGGEN OBLITERATES RIVALS IN MOUNTAIN TIME TRIAL TO MOVE INTO MAGLIA ROSA
Four-time Giro d'Italia champion Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) obliterated the field as she beat time trial world champion and fellow GC contender Marlen Reusser by 1'04" in Stage 4 of the Giro d’Italia Women 2026 to move into the maglia rosa.
On a course which was far from designed for the pure powerhouses, riders were forced to take a brutal mountain time trial, featuring a technical descent and a Cat. 1 climb finish in Nevegal, with gradients averaging over 10%.
Marlen Reusser (Movistar) entered as favourite and proved her plaudits when she took 50 seconds off the fastest time set by Urska Zigart, who had led at the intermediate time-point by two seconds.
Liv-AlUla-Jayco’s Monica Trinca Colonel, who had opted for a disk on her rear wheel, looked to have justified her decision as she kept herself in the fight for the GC race, with her intermediate pace standing the test of time and finishing just 27 seconds behind Reusser.
However, the Italian’s intermediate time was shattered just moments after crossing the finish line, with Anna van der Breggen taking 24 seconds off and appearing to be the woman to beat.
Germany’s Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) kept her GC hopes alive, finishing fourth, behind Reusser by just 22 seconds. There was equal praise for Brit Lauren Dickson, who, in her first year as a professional, finished just 34 seconds behind Reusser.
The FDJ United-Suez rider was quickly followed by her team-mate Demi Vollering, who came the closest to beating her former teammate Reusser by just six seconds.
Vollering 'finishes strong' in Giro d'Italia time trial to 'keep GC hopes alive'
Video credit: TNT Sports
Reusser’s time in the hot seat would shortly come to an end when Anna van der Breggen hit the final straight, with the SD Worx-Protime rider beating the Swiss rider’s marker by over a minute – 1’04” to be exact – to move into the maglia rosa.
Defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), lost a chunk of time on the Dutchwoman, having only been 30 seconds behind at the intermediate time-point before finishing 1’51” down.
With the maglia rosa, worn by Elisa Balsamo, finishing 123rd and over nine minutes down, Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) moved into prime position with an overall lead of over a minute on her GC rivals ahead of the first mountain test on Wednesday.
Van der Breggen 'obliterates' the field to take 'astonishing' Giro d'Italia time trial win
Video credit: TNT Sports
16:34
16:34
TOMORROW'S STAGE
Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) does not have to wait long to test herself in the mountains with a minute buffer on her GC rivals.
Tomorrow's stage sees the peloton tackle four categorised climbs (2x cat.1, 2x cat.3), whilst also having to navigate some tricky, technical descents.
There's a chance this stage could go to some breakaway hopefuls, but the GC contenders will also be looking to gain time back following today's time trial.
Profile for Stage 5 of the Giro d'Italia Women 2026
Image credit: From Official Website
16:29
16:29
OUR NEW MAGLIA ROSA
Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) swaps blue for pink, but she is also leading the Queen of the Mountains classification ahead of Marlen Reusser (Movistar) by nine points.
Elsewhere:
Maglia Rosa – Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime)
Maglia Rossa – Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek)
Maglia Azzurra – Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime)
Maglia Bianca – Isabella Holmgren (Lidl-Trek)
Image credit: Getty Images
16:19
16:19
TIME TO HEAR FROM OUR NEW MAGLIA ROSA, ANNA VAN DER BREGGEN:
I really did not expect and I'm incredibly happy with it.
I think I'm an example that you need to keep fighting and, in the end, it will come again. I think you see it with many riders: you have a good period and then things are working and, for me, it feels like I worked really hard over the last few years to get to this point and winning in this way again means a lot to me.
Getting the maglia rosa and wearing it is another difficult task, especially as a lot of stages are still coming up. It's started raining now, and it will rain in the upcoming stages as well, so I know a lot can happen, and it will be really hard to defend this jersey, but goal one is finished and that deserves a great celebration.
To keep it is the next one, but the first one is most important so I'm really proud of that.
The legs are feeling pretty okay, but I know tomorrow will be difficult, technical downhills and when it's raining, even more. But I am really looking forward to it and with the team of girls I have around me, I'm really confident they can help me a lot. You can never do more than your best and I will do my best to defend this jersey.
I know a time trial is always different to a road race, but the legs are feeling good, the head is feeling good.
I think for me, it was nice not to be the big favourite and to not expect this and from now, it will be a little bit more difficult, but it'll be super nice wearing the pink jersey in the Giro. It's a dream and I will enjoy it a lot with Lorena (Wiebes) who is not here, and I think she will be really proud, and I am of her and the other girls in the team.
'A lot can happen' - Van der Breggen expects tough defence of pink jersey after time trial triumph
Video credit: TNT Sports
16:02
16:02
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE FOUR:
1. Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) 11:31:32
I had doubts anyway about my time trial, I was thinking I might have to leave [the hot seat]. I think I missed the moment to go really deep today, just felt too good, I really missed the moment and I think it was way too easy TT. Not so good from my side.
A minute that Anna was faster is a lot, chapeau, really good performance.
If you're slower then of course, you're thinking you should have chosen the other bike so when I was watching, I was thinking I should have chosen the other bike. It's always easy to decide [after].
I think I did but not a really good TT. I wouldn't say if I had a TT bike that I would have won.
ANNA VAN DER BREGGEN WINS STAGE FOUR AND MOVES INTO THE MAGLIA ROSA
A statement time trial victory from Anna van der Breggen, as she beats the world champion Marlen Reusser by over a minute.
She swaps blue for pink as she takes the lead of the race and has a healthy 1'04" advantage over Reusser and 1'10" lead over Demi Vollering.
Image credit: Getty Images
15:40
15:40
ELISA BALSAMO FINISHES 123RD
Elisa Balsamo, our maglia rosa crosses the finish line in 123rd place, over nine minutes down on the outrageous time set by Anna van der Breggen.
15:38
15:38
WATCH: ANNA VAN DER BREGGEN BEATS WORLD CHAMPION REUSSER BY OVER A MINUTE
An absolutely insane ride by Anna van der Breggen.
15:34
15:34
JUST WAITING ON BALSAMO TO FINISH
Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) crosses the finish line - surprisingly, she opted for a proper time trial helmet today, which hasn't been a common theme this afternoon.
The pink jersey will changing hands at the end of today but she's having a lovely time on the climb.
As long as she makes it under the timecut, I'm sure she's not in too much of a rush to get up this climb and enjoying her final kilometres in the maglia rosa.
15:30
15:30
WATCH: WORLD CHAMPION TAKES 50 SECONDS ON ZIGART
It was a mega ride when she crossed the line, taking 50" out of Urska Zigart's time, but we had no idea what was about to come from a certain Anna van der Breggen.
15:27
15:27
DEFENDING CHAMPION LOSES TIME ON VAN DER BREGGEN
Now that I've just about managed to compose myself after that ride by van der Breggen...
Defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) appears to have lost quite a bit of time on the SD Worx-Protime rider, who was 30 seconds behind at the intermediate timepoint.
She crosses the line in eighth, 1'51" behind Anna van der Breggen.
15:19
15:19
ANNA VAN DER BREGGEN TAKES OVER A MINUTE OFF REUSSER'S TIME
What have we just seen?!
I didn't know if we could believe that side-by-side time as Anna van der Breggen paced her way up the climb but I shouldn't have doubted the race organisers.
Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) wearing the mountains jersey on a time trial bike and riding up the climb in the tucked time trial position beats the world champion Marlen Reusser by over a minute - 1'04" to be exact.
The world champion is one of the first to congratulate her at the finish.
I am stunned by that ride.
15:16
15:16
PINK JERSEY WILL CHANGE HANDS
It looks almost certain that the maglia rosa will change hands as Elisa Balsamo crosses the intermediate timepoint in 122nd place.
But who will it be going to?
15:11
15:11
VAN DER BREGGEN PACING HER WAY UP THE CLIMB
And if I was Marlen Reusser (I'm far from it), I'd be on the edge of the hot seat as Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) is going great guns.
We get a time comparison to Reusser's time and it's currently saying it's nearly a minute difference.
Do we trust that time split?
15:09
15:09
VOLLERING FINISHES SECOND, SIX SECONDS BEHIND
She absolutely threw everything at that as she neared the finish line and just misses out by the narrowest of margins by just six seconds.
The closest someone has got to beating Marlen Reusser's time.
15:07
15:07
BRILLIANT RIDE FROM DICKSON (FDJ UNITED-SUEZ)
That is impressive from the 26-year-old Brit, who finishes just 34" behind Reusser's mega time.
But attention quickly switches to her teammate as Demi Vollering nears the finish.
15:05
15:05
LONGO BORGHINI (UAE TEAM ADQ) GOES THIRD FASTEST AT TIMEPOINT
Given how impressive Anna van der Breggen is riding, being 30 seconds behind is not to be sniffed at.
She's fully in contention of this stage and we all know how well Elisa Longo Borghini climbs, especially in Italy.
15:02
15:02
ELISA BALSAMO SETS OFF
She laughed thinking about today's time trial in her post-race interview and will today be the day the pink jersey changes hands.
The Lidl-Trek rider will almost certainly do the maglia rosa proud and we've seen the leader's jersey give some extra watts before.
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