SD Worx-Protime have unveiled their seven-rider roster for the upcoming Tour de France Femmes, with the absolute main aim of defending their title from 2023 with Demi Vollering.
The Dutchwoman, who is due to leave the squad after 2024, will lead the GC bid, while top sprinter Lorena Wiebes will look to add more stages to the three she’s already taken at the Tour de France Femmes since its inaugural edition in 2022.
Joining the two Dutch stars will be European Champion Mischa Bredewold, Blanka Vas, Niamh Fisher-Black, Barbara Guarischi and Christine Majerus, all with the key goal of aiding Vollering to another yellow jersey at the Alpe d’Huez finale.
Vollering has been at altitude with Bredewold in the early summer months, reconning the hardest climbs and getting up to peak form ahead of the race which starts on August 12 in her home Netherlands, however, the Olympics has made it more complicated.
“I did already my altitude camp pretty close to the Olympics. So I hope I can bring my form to there but, of course, it's tricky,” said Vollering to Cyclingnews, explaining the difficulty of balancing the Tour and Olympic road race where she came 34th working for Wiebes on Sunday.
“Normally, like last week, you would have like a big training week still. Now you haven't done so much because you want also to be fresh here. We will see if I can bring this form to the Tour de France.”
The last two tricky days will be vital for Vollering if she is to go back-to-back, with the summit finishes on stages 7 and 8 up to Grand Bornand and the fabled Alpe d’Huez, certain to be where the fight for yellow will ultimately be decided.
“This year is super, super hard, especially the last two days. it's a really hard course,” she said. “Never have we saw something like this in women's cycling so I'm really curious to see what happening there.”
While Wiebes’ ambitions in the flat stages are a focus, especially given she will be the hot favourite to take yellow in Rotterdam for SD Worx - a Dutch team, the team were keen to stress how yellow with Vollering was the ultimate goal. The green jersey, which they won in 2023 with Lotte Kopecky - who has prioritised the Olympic track events over the Tour - also is a second priority behind the maillot jaune.
“For her [Wiebes] to take the first yellow jersey if she wins at home would be nice. But we are not going to waste forces to defend that jersey then,” said sports manager Danny Stam. “Final victory prevails. So the green jersey is not immediately our focus either.
“The eyes will be on us, but we are used to that by now. Last year we performed exceptionally well, but also this year we want to colour the race and make it hard.
“Demi can count on having a selection around her that is fully committed to going for that second Tour victory in a row. The main goal must not be compromised: the yellow jersey on l'Alpe d'Huez. That should be our focus.”
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