- The third edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is set to start from Rotterdam five days from now, on Monday, 12 August. Each of the 22 teams that make up the peloton will be fielding seven women, for a total of 154 riders from the four corners of the world. The start list spans a record-breaking 30 nationalities.
- The reigning champion, Demi Vollering, is the overwhelming favourite to win again and will enjoy the home advantage at the Grand Départ in the Netherlands. Other Dutch stars will also be in the mix, including Lorena Wiebes, Marianne Vos and Charlotte Kool, three sprinters who will be eyeing the first yellow jersey at the end of stage 1 to The Hague.
- Elisa Longo Borghini, Katarzyna Niewiadoma and the French riders Juliette Labous and Évita Muzic will rub shoulders with the Olympic gold medallists Grace Brown (time trial) and Kristen Faulkner (road race) at the business end of the race.
VOLLERING VERSUS THE WORLD
Demi Vollering came in second in 2022 behind compatriot and now retired Annemiek van Vleuten and went one better in 2023. Now, the Oranje crowds are about to go wild for her in Rotterdam on 12 August, when the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is slated to start outside France for the first time in history. The Flying Dutchwoman, buoyed by her fans, is the odds-on favourite to win the third edition of the event, not just because she made short work of the competition last summer, but also because she has been untouchable in stage races this season, with four overall victories to her name, including La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es. However, there is no shortage of rivals eager to take the fight to her. Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl–Trek), who claimed her first Giro d'Italia a few weeks ago, and the diminutive climber Gaia Realini will spell double trouble for their opponents. Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM), third in the two previous editions, laid down a marker by taking La Flèche Wallonne Femmes in April. The Australian Neve Bradbury, who has made a splash with performances such as third place in the Giro, will be her lieutenant. The French champion, Juliette Labous (dsm–firmenich PostNL), and her compatriot Évita Muzic (FDJ–Suez) are also targeting a podium spot, while Cédrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit–WNT) is keen on continuing her progression after securing the white jersey last year.
DUTCH RIDERS EAGER TO SHINE ON HOME TURF
Long before GC is decided in the Alps, the first yellow jersey of the race will be awarded at the end of stage 1, stretching from Rotterdam to The Hague on a pancake-flat course that has "sprint finish" written all over it. Once again, the women to beat are in the Dutch camp, with Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx–Protime) in the pole position. She has already bagged 18 victories this season, but long before that, she became the first rider to pull on the golden fleece on the Champs-Élysées in 2022 before handing it over to the GOAT, Marianne Vos (Visma–Lease a Bike), who can also look forward to a warm reception from her fans on Monday, eight days after winning silver in the Olympics. Charlotte Kool (dsm–firmenich PostNL) and her raw speed could also make the Oranje crowds roar with delight.
OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS STEP INTO THE RING(S)
The star-studded field will include 18 out of the top 20 riders in the world, with only Lotte Kopecky (no. 1) and Chiara Consonni (no. 7) skipping the event to focus on the Olympic track events. The gold medallists in the time trial and road race at the Paris Olympics, the Australian Grace Brown (FDJ–Suez) and the American Kristen Faulkner (EF–Oatly–Cannondale), will be part of the peloton, as will the European champion Brischa Bredewold (SD Worx–Protime), one of a whopping 32 Dutch riders on the start line. This figure makes the home nation the most numerous contingent of this edition and, indeed, of any edition of the race. Next up are Italy, with 19 riders, and France, with 16. The peloton will feature 30 nationalities, up from 27 last season and also an all-time record.
The 22 teams and main contenders
Germany
- Canyon//Sram Racing : Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Pol), Chloe Dygert (Usa), Neve Bradbury (Aus)
- Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team : Cédrine Kerbaol (Fra), Marta Lach (Pol)
Australia
- Liv-AlUla-Jayco : Mavi Garcia (Esp)
Belgium
- AG Insurance - Soudal Team : Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (Rsa), Kimberley Le Court (Mri), Sarah Gigante (Aus)
- Fenix-Deceuninck : Yara Kastelijn (Ned), Puck Pieterse (Ned), Pauliena Rooijakkers (Ned), Christina Schweinberger (Aut)
- Lotto Dstny Ladies : Thalita de Jong (Ned)
Émirats arabes unis
- UAE Team ADQ : Silvia Persico (Ita)
Espagne
- Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi : Ane Santesteban (Esp)
- Movistar Team : Liane Lippert (Ger), Emma Norsgaard (Den)
United States of America
- EF-Oatly-Cannondale : Kristen Faulkner (Usa), Alison Jackson (Can), Noemi Ruegg (Sui)
- Human Powered Health : Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Fra), Ruth Edwards (Usa)
- Lidl-Trek : Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita), Elizabeth Deignan (Gbr), Gaia Realini (Ita), Shirin van Anrooij (Ned)
France
- Arkéa-B&B Hotels Women : Valentina Cavallar (Aut)
- Cofidis : Victoire Berteau (Fra)
- FDJ-Suez : Evita Muzic (Fra), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Den), Loes Adegeest (Ned)
- St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93 : Marion Bunel (Fra), Victorie Guilman (Fra)
Norway
- Uno-X Mobility : Anouska Koster (Ned)
Netherlands
- Team SD Worx-Protime : Demi Vollering (Ned), Mischa Bredewold (Ned), Blanka Vas (Hun), Lorena Wiebes (Ned)
- Team dsm-firmenich PostNL : Charlotte Kool (Ned), Juliette Labous (Fra), Pfeiffer Georgi (Gbr)
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike : Marianne Vos (Ned), Riejanne Markus (Ned), Fem van Empel (Ned)
Uzbekistan
- Tashkent City Women Professional Cycling Team : Yanina Kuskova (Uzb)
Switzerland
- Roland : Tamara Dronova
