Ladies Fifth place for Thalita de Jong in ITT Bretagne Ladies Tour

This season, Thalita de Jong already proved she has a good sprint in her legs. In Durango last week, the Dutch rider won the mountain classification. And now it turns out de Jong can also ride a more than decent time trial. She just finished fifth in the individual time trial of 18.8 kilometers that opened the Bretagne Ladies Tour. "I knew from the past - but we're talking ten years ago - that I was good at time trialing, but it's always adapting again. We don't train much on this discipline and after the Vuelta, there hasn't been time to focus on it. Moreover, due to a pelvic artery stenosis and a previous neck vertebra fracture, I can't maintain my aero position optimally because it's physically too sensitive. I won't become a specialist, but the equipment we use - the bikes, the wheels - is top-notch, I rode nice lines, and I have the power. That's why I'm very happy with this fifth place today."

De Jong also hopes to show more good performances in the coming days. "We'll have long stages, with some elevation. Climbing suits me well, I learned that in Spain. Here in Brittany, it's a bit less steep, which should suit me even better. I'll start tomorrow in the mountain jersey. We ride on narrow roads here, so positioning will also be key. I hope we still get an exciting race. FDJ SUEZ has four riders in the top four, so I'm curious to see what the other teams will do and hope to slip in here and there."