Kasia Niewiadoma, Chloé Dygert, Elise Chabbey and Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka all competed within the highway biking occasions on the Paris Olympic Games and return to motion for Canyon-SRAM on the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, August 12-18.
The Polish rider, who was third total final yr, will lead the cost for the final classification throughout the Tour’s eight levels, with the roster accomplished with Neve Bradbury, Soraya Paladin and Alice Towers.
“This yr’s version could be very tiring from one stage to a different. It will not be attainable to experience the levels pondering solely in regards to the final climbs, as each day is demanding and difficult. I do know my stage is larger than final yr, and I wish to present it, give my greatest, and never let any alternative for an awesome consequence slip by,” Niewiadoma mentioned in a workforce assertion.
“Finishing on Alpe D’Huez will probably be about power and fatigue resistance that can step by step construct up all through the earlier seven levels. I’m an even bigger fan of ending the Tour on an iconic mountain than a time trial as I’m not a time trial specialist, so I really feel extra snug realizing it’ll all come right down to our pure strengths.”
Niewiadoma completed eighth within the Olympic highway race, whereas her teammate Dygert gained a pair of medals in Paris in two different occasions for the US, a bronze within the particular person time trial and gold on the monitor within the Team Pursuit.
Joining Dygert in a debut on the Tour de France Femmes is 22-year-old Bradbury. The finale atop l’Alpe d’Huez fits the younger Australian, who gained the queen stage of the Giro d’Italia with the mountaintop end on Blockhaus and took third total at that Grand Tour.
“Overall, it is a difficult parcours however fairly heavy ended, and the GC battle will largely be selected the final stage. I’m wanting ahead to stage eight, which winds up Alpe D’Huez. It’s much like the stage I gained on the Giro, and I believe the group will probably be insane on the hilltop. I wish to proceed using aggressively with a ‘no regrets’ angle,” Bradbury mentioned.
The newest race content material, interviews, options, evaluations and professional shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
This yr’s Grand Départ takes place in Rotterdam, with a gap highway stage after which a double dip on Tuesday with a 67km highway stage adopted by a 6.3km time trial. The Tour culminates with back-to-back mountain levels within the Alpes.
In addition to a podium within the GC final yr, Niewiadoma gained the mountain classification. Towers completed fifth in the most effective younger rider classification, and after not with the ability to full the Giro this yr attributable to an harm, was glad to return to assist the squad.
“My preparation for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has been difficult. After my crash on the Giro, I injured my knee, and I’ve been working exhausting with my coach and day by day physiotherapy to achieve the race in fine condition. I’m glad to say that I’m on monitor,” Towers reported within the workforce announcement.
“This yr’s Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is closely loaded in the direction of the tip, with the GC mountain days being on the final couple of levels. The parcours can work nicely for us, as we’ve proven in final yr’s Tour and this yr’s Giro that we’re nonetheless using strongly in the direction of the tip of a tough stage race.”
Get limitless entry to all of our protection of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes – together with breaking information and evaluation reported by our journalists on the bottom from each stage because it occurs and extra. Find out extra.