The boys’s Tour de France is over, the Olympic Video games are wrapping up however that is no time to show off the highlight, because the stage is about for an additional enthralling battle on the Tour de France Femmes.
The third version of the race begins within the Netherlands on Monday, August 8, earlier than working its means again towards the Alps and a vital closing two days within the mountain, with Alpe d’Huez the crowning glory. Defending champion Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) will be the outright favorite, however there are many others which might be set to play a major position – together with a contingent of 13 riders from Australia and New Zealand.
A few of these will likely be chasing their probabilities for stage victories, and maybe giving one of many nations its first Tour de France Femmes stage victor, whereas others will likely be devoted to serving to their teammates. Both means – whether or not they’re lining up for his or her first or final Tour de France Femmes – the sturdy group of riders from Australia and New Zealand is not going to go unnoticed because the peloton weaves its means throughout the 946km course from Rotterdam to the highest of Alpe d’Huez.
Cyclingnews takes a better take a look at the 9 riders from Australia and 4 from New Zealand anticipated to – primarily based on the preliminary begin record – line up on the race that pulls the eyes of the biking world from August 12-18.
Australia
Grace Brown eventually 12 months’s Tour de France Femmes (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
A number of months in the past the Australian introduced her plans to retire on the finish of this season with the closing comment of ‘let’s see if I can log out in model’. It doesn’t matter what comes subsequent as Grace Brown strains up for her third Tour de France Femmes, the gold medal hanging round her neck after the time trial on the Olympic Video games means she has delivered in spades.
Nonetheless, despite the fact that the ultimate months of her profession are shortly counting down and the top she has already reached is lofty, there may be nonetheless a lot driving on this closing Grand Tour with there being no query about simply how vital the race is to her French-based squad. The stage 3 time trial in all probability provides her the most effective alternative to offer her FDJ–SUEZ staff the stage victory it’s pursuing on the Tour de France Femmes, although stage 4 may be a possibility because the street to Liège has been sort to Brown this 12 months, with the 32-year-old profitable Liège-Bastogne-Liège in Could. Her position, past that, is more likely to be in help as FDJ-SUEZ has two sturdy choices for the mountains and general, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig – who has had a couple of hurdles with harm this season – and Évita Muzic. Serving to a French staff to success on the Tour de France, no matter whether or not that’s by way of incomes prime stage outcomes herself or serving to out within the GC cost, will win her loads of wholehearted cheers from the native followers on the roadside as she waves goodbye.
Neve Bradbury profitable on Blockhaus on the Giro d’Italia Girls (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
It might be the primary time Neve Bradbury has lined up on the Tour de France Femmes, however she is doing so with some severe outcomes behind her. Blockhaus was a stage of the Giro d’Italia Girls that stood out as quickly because the route was introduced as delivering probably the most difficult climbing phases the Girls’s WorldTour had seen – and Bradbury received it. When Cyclingnews spoke to her earlier than that spectacular Giro stage win Bradbury mentioned “when it is fairly exhausting, fairly late, everybody’s drained – that is often what would go well with me fairly nicely.”
The identical state of affairs she described as suiting her on the Giro – of exhausting phases late – applies simply as a lot with the twin mountain stage finale of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes, which concludes on the prime of Alpe d’Huez. Nonetheless, her position on the race is completely different from that on the Giro, the place she was a pacesetter and completed third general. Teammate Kasia Niewiadoma has clearly earned the whole-hearted help of her squad by ending third on the French Grand Tour within the final two editions, so Bradbury’s focus will probably be to bury herself for her staff chief when the terrain hits the mountains and maybe, on the similar time, collect the expertise which will sooner or later assist her be that chief on the largest race on the calendar. Though if issues do not go to plan for Niewiadoma, she may be a useful plan B this time round.
Amber Pate and Ruby Roseman-Gannon on the Tour of Britain (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
The Australian champion Ruby Roseman-Gannon and her teammate Amber Pate will likely be lining up for the nation’s solely Girls’s WorldTour squad. Each will likely be taking up their second version, with Pate lining up in 2023 whereas Roseman-Gannon made her debut in 2022, her first 12 months as knowledgeable. Roseman-Gannon has amassed loads of expertise since and has actually constructed up her outcomes by way of this season, claiming the nationwide criterium and street race title at the beginning after which additionally selecting up her first Girls’s WorldTour stage win alongside the way in which on the Tour of Britain. She’ll be chasing one other on the Tour de France Femmes
“After I did the 2022 Tour de France Femmes, it actually felt like the largest race I’ve ever achieved, simply as a result of variety of spectators and media curiosity,” mentioned Roseman Gannon within the staff’s pre-race media launch. “It was a extremely unbelievable environment and I’m excited to come back again this 12 months with two extra years of coaching and expertise.”
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In her pursuit of stage wins, Pate will likely be a powerful ally, simply as she was when the Australian Champion claimed the remainder of her three victories to date this 12 months.
Amanda Spratt on the Tour de Suisse (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
The expertise of Amanda Spratt is a helpful asset in a Grand Tour with the rider who has twice completed on the general podium of the Giro d’Italia Girls lining up as a strong help rider on the climbs for one of many strongest groups going up in opposition to defending champions SD Worx-Protime. The 36-year-old completed within the prime ten general final 12 months, when she needed to take up the mantle after GC hope Elisa Longo Borghini needed to go away the race proper earlier than the essential stage ending on the Col du Tourmalet. This time, too, the Italian has needed to change her race plans, however earlier than the beginning after a pre-race coaching crash, although there are others which might be anticipated to guide the staff cost this time.
Longo Borghini – who took the maglia rosa on the Giro d’Italia – had timed her peak to start in Italy and on condition that was at all times going to be exhausting to keep up by way of the Olympic Video games and onto the Tour de France Femmes so different choices had been in focus. The small period of time trialling and two closing mountain phases with summit finishes might play into the fingers of succesful climber Gaia Realini and Shirin van Anrooij can also be one other GC possibility, one who would not have fairly the identical climbing file however has the traits to doubtlessly carve out a bonus by way of the opening phases. The climbing power of Spratt might be a helpful piece of the puzzle that helps put on down rivals and preserve the power of her teammates for these essential moments.
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Sarah Roy at Itzulia Girls in 2024(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Josie Talbot on the Tour de France Femmes in 2023(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Sarah Roy will likely be lining up for her second Tour de France Femmes with the French staff and so will Josie Talbot. The Australian pair’s greatest probabilities for a prime end result come on the punchy terrain of stage 4 and stage 5. Each are displaying strong type to benefit from the alternatives which will crop up. Roy, the 2021 Australian street champion, this season took her first victory since claiming the nationwide title, profitable stage 2 of the two.1 ranked Bretagne Women Tour.
Talbot has been elevating the bar in her second season with Cofidis, taking victories at La Périgord Women and on stage 3 of the Tour Féminin Worldwide des Pyrénées. The rider will likely be hoping to maintain up the sturdy run as she heads towards a brand new staff, Liv-AlUla-Jayco, subsequent 12 months.
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Sarah Gigante on Willunga Hill on the Girls’s Tour Down Below(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Anya Louw on the Tour of Flanders(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Even earlier than the rebirth of the ladies’s Tour de France was confirmed, the thrill on the potential for it to be launched was clear when Cyclingnews spoke to Sarah Gigante concerning the prospect. Again in 2021 when the then 20-year-old was within the extraordinarily early phases of her skilled racing profession, it appeared clear that this was an occasion the place the potential for her to make a mark on the race sooner or later was clear as this was a rider that embraced huge challenges, lengthy powerful climbs and will ship a strong time trial as nicely. The Melbourne-based rider, nevertheless, hasn’t but had an opportunity to line up on the occasion, however that’s set to alter.
Gigante is about to make her debut within the third version of the race, starting to collect expertise within the French Grand Tour with AG Insurance coverage-Soudal. It must be one other huge step in what’s her fifth 12 months as knowledgeable however, given a horrible run with interruptions, is her first strong European season. 2024 began with the dream win on the girls’s Santos Tour Down Below, with the general and stage victory clinched with a spine-tingling run up Willunga HIll, and has continued with strong outcomes. As she returns to racing, after having not pinned a quantity on because the finish of June, regardless of the outcomes lining up on the Tour de France Femmes will likely be one other dream realised. Expertise is more likely to be the massive goal on this version, however who is aware of within the years to come back.
Anya Louw can also be anticipated to affix Gigante on the beginning line in 2024, having already taken on the occasion in 2022. The 23-year-old who got here by way of the ranks with Gigante in Australia has proved an ever dependable teammate and is certain to fill that position once more.
New Zealand
Niamh Fisher-Black on the Giro d’Italia Girls (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
The mountains of the Tour de France Femmes are lastly calling for Niamh Fisher Black. The rider from New Zealand has lengthy proven huge climbing power – ending within the prime ten general on the final 4 editions of the Giro d’Italia Girls –the likes of which in most groups would have seen her lining up on the French race way back. Fisher Black, nevertheless, is racing for the world’s prime staff, SD Worx-Protime, which at all times appears to have an countless array of choices for almost any state of affairs. This time, nevertheless, the 23-year-old rider from New Zealand will get her probability to experience the Tour de France Femmes.
Fisher-Black might have had the choice of chasing her personal alternatives on the Giro in July, however there is no such thing as a doubt concerning the focus of the staff in August on condition that Demi Vollering heads the road up not simply as defending champion but in addition the clear-cut favorite. Vollering has already sailed away to victory at La Vuelta Femenina, Itzulia Girls, Vuelta a Burgos and on the Tour de Suisse this 12 months and within the mountains it will likely be Fisher-Black she will likely be relying on to be a key ally.
Kim Cadzow (EF Oatly-Cannondale)
Kim Cadzow and Kristen Faulkner at La Vuelta Femenina (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Kim Cadzow is lining up for her first Tour de France Femmes with an EF Oatly-Cannondale squad that’s certain to be aggressive in pursuit of stage wins. “My objective is to get caught into the racing,” mentioned Cadzow in a staff announcement. “I wish to benefit from the expertise and help the staff as greatest as doable.”
Cadzow will likely be lining up alongside a number of potential stage winners, together with the two-time Paris Olympic gold medallist Kristen Faulkner, however with the 12 months the rider from New Zealand has had, it will be no shock if she was additionally given help to chase her personal alternatives. This season to date an general and stage win on the Trofeo Ponente in Rosa in March led right into a sixth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and a prime ten general at La Vuelta Femenina as ample proof of simply what potential the 22-year-old must be a strong drive. She can also be clearly coming into the race with some sturdy type, having taken seventh on the Olympic Video games time trial.
Mikayla Harvey on the Tour de Suisse 2024 (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
It’s a debut Tour de France Femmes for Mikayla Harvey, who ought to show a useful all-rounder for UAE Crew ADQ. The 25-year-old, who got here fifth general on the Giro d’Italia Girls in 2020 and sixth general on the UAE Tour Girls in 2023, is predicted to line up alongside Erica Magnaldi and Silvia Persico.
Magnaldi was final 12 months thirteenth general on the French Grand Tour and in addition got here fifth general on the Giro d’Italia Girls whereas Persico has taken to the stage podium thrice on phases of the Tour de France Femmes and completed fifth general in 2022, with the race an actual breakthrough for the rider who was then at Valcar-Journey & Service. As such, Harvey is more likely to discover herself in a help position a lot of the time significantly given it hasn’t been a season the place she has often been pushing to close the highest of the outcomes sheet.
Michaela Drummond at Gent-Wevelgem 2024 (Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Michaela Drummond will likely be making her debut on the race with a French staff, with the load of the dash expectations for the squad on her shoulders for the primary two sprinter-friendly phases. It has been a powerful season for the 26-year-old, with a win within the nationwide championships criterium, at Région Pays de la Loire Tour Féminin and two stage victories on the Volta a Portugal Feminina in July.
Sill the rider from the Continental Crew will likely be getting into an entire new tier on the Tour de France Femmes, with Arkea B&B Lodges one of many wildcard entrants. The benefit of that, nevertheless, is that she will likely be free to fly beneath the radar as she chases no matter alternatives might come her means.
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