With the primary international Tour de France Femmes Grand Depárt lower than 24 hours away, Lorena Wiebes, Marianna Vos and Charlotte Kool are set to line out because the heavy residence favourites for victory on stage 1 of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes and safe the primary yellow jersey for the Netherlands.
It’s a feat Wiebes managed in 2022 when she powered up the cobbles of the Champs Élysées to internet victory in Paris forward of Vos, nevertheless, her pleasure on the prospect of one other, on residence soil no much less, was palpable as she spoke to Cyclingnews forward of the race.
She’s been to reconnoitre the end on stage 2 into Rotterdam, with a Veloviewer look into stage 1 Hague end revealing only a slight bend within the remaining 3000 metres earlier than deciding the opening yellow jersey wearer. It ought to be no problem for Wiebes to reach with an opportunity, along with her delighted that “the final 120-200 metres are barely uphill” and may enable her to drop her usually large watts and attain breakneck speeds that nobody can match.
Wiebes has lengthy been the highest canine of sprinting within the ladies’s peloton and two flat days from Rotterdam to The Hague and Dordrecht to Rotterdam enable her an ideal likelihood to don yellow once more and for longer. But it isn’t nearly profitable for Wiebes, with a journey of inspiration additionally on her to-do listing for the trio of Dutch programs.
“I must say, I believe the Champs Élysées was actually particular due to the place and every little thing, however I believe right here it’s going to even be particular and I hope there are plenty of spectators in every single place,” mentioned Wiebes to Cyclingnews.
“I additionally hope a bit to encourage the youthful era of Dutch cyclists as a result of I learn within the information that it’s going a bit down and fewer youngsters are biking – possibly this a superb motive that they begin once more.”
While Wiebes will hope it’s her that raises her arms in celebration at roughly 15:45 tomorrow, she could discover it robust to be the important thing supply of Dutch inspiration on the opening spherical of dash preventing, with the nice Marianne Vos and former lead-out rider Charlotte Kool additionally taking purpose on the maillot jaune premier.
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“The first one,” is how Kool readily responded when requested which phases she had in her crosshairs, admitting “I imply the yellow jersey is awaiting so for certain that one.” But she is aware of higher than most the true excellence of Wiebes’ violent RPM and knack for locating the white line first.
“Of course, she has already been at this degree for a very very long time, she is aware of what to do.. but in addition she is simply being actually quick,” mentioned Kool as she described her opponent’s key traits to Cyclingnews and Velo in Rotterdam.
However, Kool claims she has a plan, which she’s going to want given Wiebes has 18 wins to only her one in 2024 going into the Tour de France Femmes, with Wiebes netting a 3rd of that haul forward of Kool in second place.
“It’s simple: whoever is the quickest will win. I’ve actually acquired one thing in thoughts and we actually imagine in it and I’m lastly feeling method higher than the final weeks,” Kool mentioned. “I’ve lastly discovered the legs that I wished to, so I’m actually excited.”
Kool again at peak kind simply in time for dash duel
For Kool, 2024 has been a battle with out a lot success after she burst into life the season previous to correctly problem Wiebes within the flat sprints, beating her on the UAE Tour and Simac Ladies Tour, one thing that solely Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) and Vos of the lively peloton had managed lately.
Illness and dangerous luck have saved her at a degree under her peak, nevertheless, she believes she’s discovered it simply in time to ignite the fashionable streets of Rotterdam.
“This large purpose all the time saved me going and saved me preventing and believing that the one race you need one of the best legs for is the race,” mentioned Kool of her present kind. “For me personally, final 12 months, I received in every single place besides on the Tour so possibly this 12 months it is going to be the opposite method round.”
“Charlotte has been fairly open that possibly at the start of the 12 months, she acquired sick and didn’t have one of the best legs she wished however I believe now she’s in actually good condition and we absolutely again that,” agreed penultimate lead-out rider Pfeiffer Georgi. “We’ve all the time targeted on ourselves and sort of all the time had confidence in her, we belief her and we’ll have to only see.”
Unlike Wiebes and SD Worx-Protime, Georgi had been to have a look at the finale of stage 1, the place DSM-Firmenich PostNL actually imagine Kool can take a historic victory for the crew.
“We really did a recon of tomorrow’s stage, the final 60-70k – it’s typical Dutch roads all day, twisty, plenty of highway furnishings and might be windy. For us, we’d love that, some echelons, some pleasure,” Georgi informed Cyclingnews.
“The dash itself is just not loopy technical, the previous few kilometres are fairly vast and open however I believe positioning the entire day is de facto vital after which actually timing it for the end.”
The final piece of the Dutch puzzle is Vos, the serial winner, all-time nice and ever-tactical grasp, who believes a nervous opening duo of phases is assured as is the way in which with Grand Tours. But Vos, a two-time Tour de France Femmes stage winner and former inexperienced jersey, is aware of all about beating Wiebes – a feat she achieved simply this season to grab the Amstel Gold Race with a last-second bike throw.
“It shall be very nervous within the first two days. It’s the bunch that is nervous, the ladies who all wish to be within the first 10. It’s flat and so [the bunch] is just not stretched out and you will have each DS telling all their riders to get to the entrance,” she informed Cyclingnews and BikingWeekly.
“In the tip, that each one makes in nervous. We have good riders, good bike handlers and I hope we are able to all preserve it protected collectively. It’s additionally cool to have an anticipated bunch dash.”
Vos isn’t simply flustered having seen all of it earlier than, nevertheless, she’ll know the specter of large favorite Wiebes and a powerful lead-out spearheaded by Barabara Guarischi within the World Champion Lotte Kopecky’s absence. The Visma-Lease A Bike rider shall be aided by the likes of Anna Henderson and Cyclocross World Champion Fem van Empel as she eyes the flat sprints, however the punchier day to Amnéville on stage 5 might be Vos’s time to shine.
There ought to be Dutch delight come tomorrow night within the Hague, albeit with the specter of Italy’s Balsamo, however whether or not or not it’s Kool, Vos or Wiebes, the oranje followers shall be bouncing for whoever’s in yellow.
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