Now that the course for the 2024 Tour de France Femmes has been introduced, with the Alpe d’Huez as its crowning climb, the time has come to look at which riders are prone to rise to the highest on this third version of the race, which takes place from August 12-18.
The primary 4 levels and three days of the 946km race play out within the Netherlands and Belgium, with the flat terrain taking part in to the sprinters’ arms for the primary two, then a short while trial that would begin to pull out some gaps within the total earlier than the race heads into the undulating terrain for stage 4 and stage 5, the place it lastly reaches France. Then the categorised climbs will begin to make their presence felt on stage 6, however it’s a downhill run to the end at Morteau. Although after that, there isn’t a reprieve, with stage 7 ending atop Le Grand-Bornand and stage 8 on the enduring climb of Alpe d’Huez.
With just some time trial kilometres, 6.3 to be precise, and two climb-heavy summit-finish levels to offer the finale, there isn’t a doubt it’s the riders who thrive on the lengthy steep slopes that can be in prime place because the third version of the Tour de France Femmes heads in direction of the Alps for the primary time.
Significantly after her highly effective efficiency on the Col du Tourmalet in 2023, defending champion Demi Vollering (SD Worx) has to stay firmly on the prime of the favourites listing. Nonetheless, given there isn’t a concluding time trial this 12 months the place the highly effective time trialist can claw again any missteps within the mountains there may be alternative for challengers to show up the stress cooker on these last two brutal days.
The course has set the scene for a construct towards an thrilling however unpredictable finale so it is time to take a more in-depth have a look at the riders which might be prone to be the star gamers because the drama unfolds.
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- Crew: SD Worx
- Age: 26
- Tour de France outcomes: 1st total in 2023, 1x stage win in 2023, 2nd total in 2022, mountain classification in 2022
Demi Vollering traces up because the defending champion on the 2024 Tour de France Femmes after exhibiting her energy and consistency throughout the early levels of final 12 months’s occasion, dominating the decisive Col du Tourmalet after which ending second within the closing time trial to win the general title.
She is backed by the world’s no. 1 crew SD Worx, which supported her greatest season to this point with victories at Strade Bianche, Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Vuelta a Burgos and Tour de Romandie. Whereas in 2024 she might not have Lotte Kopecky, who stood alongside her on the 2023 Tour de France Femmes total podium, the crew has a powerful array of climbing expertise to behave as back-up, together with the creating younger riders of Anna Shackley and Niamh Fisher-Black.
The Dutch rider additionally confirmed her talents within the excessive mountains and lengthy ending ascents, notably with wins atop Lagos de Covadonga and Mirador de Peñas Llanas at La Vuelta Femenina, Lagunas de Neila at Vuelta a Burgos, Col du Tourmalet on the Tour de France Femmes, and at Torgon on the Tour de Romandie.
She can be embarking on her sixth season of racing, her fourth on the Ladies’s WorldTour, and has grown into one of many world’s greatest one-day racers, time triallists and normal classification contenders.
Vollering has not confirmed her 2024 season targets, however it might be no shock to see her victorious at La Vuelta Femenina, Giro d’Italia Ladies and Tour de France Femmes, ought to she select to focus on all three Grand Excursions.
At 26, Vollering is simply realising her greatest strengths and we are able to anticipate her to guide the Dutch dominance of ladies’s world-class bike racing for an additional decade.
- Crew: Canyon-SRAM
- Age: 29
- Tour de France outcomes: third in 2023, mountains classification in 2023, third total in 2022
Kasia Niewiadoma has twice completed third total on the rostrum on the Tour de France Femmes, and whereas each have been hard-fought achievements, it was the 2023 version that basically confirmed her progress as a normal classification contender.
In 2022, Niewiadoma said that she spent a lot of her low season coaching strengthening her talents within the lengthy, excessive mountains, whereas in 2023, it was her time trial energy that she tapped into.
She additionally took extra dangers, none extra obvious than her assault on the Col d’Aspin descent in a brave bid for victory atop the Col du Tourmalet. She completed second, solely to Demi Vollering, after which used her well-trained energy within the closing time trial to complete ninth. Though Lotte Kopecky jumped forward of her within the total classification on the ultimate day, she completed third total, holding off the earlier 12 months’s winner Annemiek van Vleuten in fourth.
Her constant finishes over the mountain passes throughout the Tour de France Femmes additionally meant that she took dwelling the mountain classification’s polka-dot jersey.
Niewiadoma is likely one of the most constant athletes among the many ladies’s peloton, typically ending among the many prime three and prime 5 on the greatest races throughout one-day races and stage races. Nonetheless, she commonly appeared to be edged out for the victory. Her final large street race win was at Amstel Gold Race and a stage on the Ladies’s Tour in 2019.
In a spectacular flip of occasions this fall, Niewiadoma powered to victory on the UCI Gravel World Championships, claiming the world title and donning the rainbow jersey in Veneto. It was ‘a victory that repays a complete season‘ she stated
- Crew: Lidl-Trek
- Age: 31
- Tour de France outcomes: DNF 2023, sixth total in 2022
Elisa Longo Borghini’s all-in strategy to racing typically makes her a favorite for any one-day race or stage race all through the season. Likewise, her consistency within the time trials and on lengthy mountain passes additionally makes her the most effective normal classification riders on the planet.
In her first Tour de France Femmes in 2022, Longo Borghini completed within the prime 10 in six of the eight levels, and was one of many occasion’s star protagonists. Difficult back-to-back mountain levels at Le Markstein and La Planche des Belles Filles, which closed out the occasion, nevertheless, value her dearly within the total classification, as lots of the greatest climbers struggled on the excessive tempo set by the general champion that 12 months Annemiek van Vleuten. In consequence, Longo Borghini dropped from 4th to sixth total.
Her performances within the Grand Excursions could be unpredictable, at instances, however she has typically proven her greatest strengths on the Giro d’Italia Ladies the place she completed second total in 2017 and third total in 2020.
She was in nice type this 12 months, sitting in second total as one in all Annemiek van Vleuten’s greatest challengers for the maglia rosa when she crashed on stage 5 and was compelled to desert. She returned to competitors for the Tour de France Femmes however was additionally compelled to abandon forward of stage 7 because of a pores and skin an infection.
There are a few levels that look well-suited to Longo Borghini’s puncheur-style, hilly mid-stages that embody stage 4 from Valkenburg to Liège, stage 6 from Remiremont to Morteau, and her skill to muscle over the most important climbs will preserve her in rivalry on stage 6 into Le Grand Bornand and on stage 7 to the highest of Alpe d’Huez.
Longo Borghini did not get the possibility to essentially present her true potential within the two large stage races of the 2023 season, however she is going to little doubt return wholesome in 2024 and able to race at her greatest.
- Crew: Crew dsm-firmenich
- Age: 24
- Tour de France outcomes: 4th total in 2022, Fifth total in 2023
Juliette Labous has change into the French fan favorite at her dwelling Tour de France and a podium hopeful, as soon as once more, for the 2024 version.
She is a quiet contender, having slowly however steadily risen to change into the most effective riders on the planet over the earlier seven seasons with the assorted variations of crew Sunweb, Crew DSM and now Crew dsm-firmenich.
The crew helps Labous’ ambition to compete in her favorite Ardennes Classics whereas inserting a significant deal with the Spain-based Ladies’s WorldTour races Vuelta a Burgos, Itzulia Ladies, and summer season stage races Giro d’Italia Donne and Tour de France Femmes with an end-of-season deal with the World Championships.
Her regular progress has paid off, because the Frenchwoman has completed 4th on the Tour de France Femmes in 2022 and Fifth in 2023. Whereas these outcomes are spectacular, it has been the in-between performances the place we are able to actually gauge her success with the general victory at Vuelta a Burgos in 2022, the summit stage 7 victory atop Passo del Maniva on the Giro d’Italia Ladies, and a telling second place total on the Giro in 2023.
She has made a acutely aware effort to enhance her energy on the climbs and within the time trial, which has made her a extra full rider suited to the longer stage races.
Her trajectory within the final two years has solely simply begun to spike, and at 24 years previous, she is each the current and way forward for French biking.
- Crew: AG Insurance coverage-Soudal-QuickStep
- Age: 37
- Tour de France outcomes: sixth total in 2023
Deciding towards retirement and switching groups from SD Worx to AG Insurance coverage-Soudal-QuickStep for the 2023 season was in all probability the most effective choices Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio has made in her biking profession.
It appears to have ignited a brand new chapter for her that permits her to excel as an undisputed chief, choose main season targets with full crew help, and expertise the fun of success, whereas additionally permitting her to present again to the youthful riders on a three-tiered improvement crew.
Virtually as quickly as she signed her new contract, she received the Tour de Romandie on the finish of 2022, then began the season with a victory at Setmana Valenciana, a victory at Durango-Durango, third total at Vuelta a Burgos, and second total on the truncated CIC-Tour Féminin Worldwide des Pyrénées.
On the Tour de France Femmes, she actually stuffed the management function when she sat third total from levels 2-4 and moved into second total from levels 5-6. She drifted all the way down to fifth on the summit of Col du Tourmalet on stage 7 and ended a robust sixth total following the closing time trial.
The 2024 Tour de France Femmes may very well be even higher for the South African all-rounder, who additionally excels within the Ardennes Classics. She will definitely be eyeing stage 4 from Valkenburg to Liège, and stage 6 from Remiremont to Morteau, however her true strengths will shine in Le Grand Bornand and on Alpe d’Huez.
- Crew: FDJ SUEZ
- Age: 28
- Tour de France outcomes: seventh total in 2023, seventh total in 2022, stage win in 2022
Some of the thrilling moments of watching Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig’s biking profession was her stage 3 win on the steep ending slopes into Épernay on the 2022 Tour de France Femmes.
The Danish champion patiently bided her time on the decrease slopes of the ascent, as others burned their matches too quickly. She then made her well-timed profitable assault from 5 wheels again in a monstrous dash up the Mur de Huy-esque last climb along with her head down. Because the followers cheered, handled to a spectacular end, she handed Marianne Vos, Kasia Niewiadoma, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, and Elisa Longo Borghini to triumph in what was the most important win of her profession.
It was additionally one of the crucial dramatic moments of your complete 2022 season.
Whereas Uttrupt Ludwig performed way more conservatively within the 2023 version, she ended with the identical total outcomes, seventh two years in a row, and on the 2024 Tour de France Femmes maybe we’ll see a mix of the 2 racing kinds.
Uttrup Ludwig is a fan-favourite, not just for her charismatic character however for additionally placing on a present of robust, aggressive racing. Look no additional than her Fifth-place efficiency on the 2023 UCI World Championships, ultimately received by Lotte Kopecky, however the place she performed her playing cards all the best way to the end line.
Outdoors of the Tour de France, Uttrup Ludwig’s sixth total on the Giro d’Italia Ladies in 2018, 4th in 2020, sixth in 2022 and sixth in 2023, imply that she has loads of expertise competing towards the very best on the hardest levels races on the planet.
- Crew: FDJ SUEZ
- Age: 25
- Tour de France outcomes: nineteenth total in 2023, DNF in 2022
On the first version of the Tour de France Femmes in 2022 the good hopes for the rider who had simply taken the runner-up spot on the Giro d’Italia Donne got here crashing down on stage 2. It took a while for Marta Cavalli to construct again up after that devastating accident however given her stable prime 20 within the race for yellow this season, which then led into total victory on the Tour Cycliste Féminin Worldwide de l’Ardèche, it seems to be the rider is working her manner again towards that glowing type of the early half of 2022.
What’s extra the course this 12 months is one which performs to the strengths of the 25 12 months previous. The shorter particular person time trial in 2024 works in her favour, with the Italian rider shedding greater than 4 minutes over the 22.6km in Pau in 2023. This version she’ll face simply 6.3km of racing towards the clock and the person time trial happening on the second day in Rotterdam, when there may be additionally loads of time left to work up the general rankings.
The flexibility of the rider to maintain tempo with a number of the greatest climbers on the planet will maintain her in good stead for the essential duo of summit finishes, Le Grand Bornard and Alpe d’Huez, that resolve the race.
Operating to her benefit, additionally, is the crew Cavalli can be surrounded by. Being French, FDJ-Suez will undoubtedly do no matter they’ll to be on the entrance foot on the Tour de France Femmes they usually have some critical muscle on their roster to help their key riders on these summit end levels with riders like Évita Muzic and Grace Brown on the roster alongside potential crew leaders Uttrup-Ludwig and Cavalli.
- Crew: Lidl-Trek
- Age: 22
- Tour de France outcomes: But to debut
In 2023 Gaia Realini managed to succeed in the rostrum of each the Giro d’Italia Donne and La Vuelta Feminina, and it appears solely a matter of time till the gifted younger climber will add the Tour de France Femmes to that listing.
The rider who joined Lidl-Trek from Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria initially of this season has but to debut on the French race. Elisa Longo-Borghini has been a deserving chief for the squad within the race for yellow the final two years, although her sixth place total in 2022 turned to a DNF in 2023 after a difficult run in. Significantly with the course , that is in all probability an consequence that may encourage a multi-option technique for the crew in 2024.
The crew has a lot of climbing choices, with Amanda Spratt for one taking tenth total in 2023, however Realini appears made for them. The Italian is one other a kind of riders who can be blissful to see some severely powerful climbing days to complete the tour and low time trial kilometres.
Her prowess on difficult summit was made all to clear initially of the season when, in her first race along with her new crew, she was instrumental in supporting Elisa Longo Borghini to victory on the Jebel Hafeet climb on the UAE Tour, additionally taking second on the stage with the highly effective effort. The robust outcomes continued by means of the season, as on prime of the Giro d’Italia Donne and La Vuelta Feminina, there was one other third place total on the Tour de l’Avenir Femmes, plus Realini additionally made it ito the rostrum at La Flèche Wallonne Femmes the Tour de l’Avenir Femmes and received a stage of La Vuelta Feminina and the Trofeo Oro in Euro.
- Crew: Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi
- Age: 32
- Tour de France outcomes: eighth total in 2023, sixtieth in 2022
Ane Santesteban stepped up as a key a part of the climbing crew when she joined Jayco-AlUla three years in the past and with the Australian crew this season she stepped into the highest ten total at each the Giro d’Italia Donne and Tour de France Femmes. What’s extra the eighth place end within the race for yellow was delivered after a robust efficiency on Col du Tourmalet, the place she got here seventh.
That highlighted her skill on the lengthy climbs, that are taking centre stage within the 2024 version. Nonetheless, there may be one other factor at play in 2024. Not solely does the course go well with her however after years of calling for a house crew, she now has the possibility to play a headlining function at Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi, the place she has signed for the subsequent three years.
The Basque crew did not race the Tour de France Femmes in 2023, however they plan to step up the extent considerably in 2024, strengthening the finances and roster and making use of for a Ladies’s WorldTour licence. There’s little, nevertheless, that would do extra to show their arrival as a world class crew than a robust exhibiting because the world watches the battle for yellow unfold on the Tour de France Femmes.
- Crew: Canyon-SRAM
- Age: 23
- Tour de France outcomes: ninth total in 2023, stage win in 2023
It was one memorable debut on the Tour de France Femmes in 2023, with a win on stage 5 and a robust tenth on the Col du Tourmalet. It was a efficiency that adopted on from a fifth total at La Vuelta Femenina, plus the robust outcomes continued on by means of the rest of the season, with seventh total on the Tour of Scandinavia and sixth on the Tour de Romandie Féminin.
It’s a powerful construct by means of her first 12 months as knowledgeable, with the German rider rapidly leaping to note when Bauernfeind began out with the Canyon-SRAM improvement crew in 2022 with podium spots on all three levels of the Vuelta Ciclista Andalucia Ruta Del Sol and total.
The short stand up the ranks has delivered a robust second card for the WorldTour crew, as whereas Niewiadoma is prone to take the brunt of the highlight in 2024 it might properly transition over within the years forward.