The riders from Australia and New Zealand flying the flag on the 2024 Tour de France Femmes

The males’s Tour de France is over, the Olympic 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 an important ultimate two days within the mountain, with Alpe d’Huez the crowning glory. Defending champion Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) would be the outright favorite, however there are many others which can be set to play a big function – together with a contingent of 13 riders from Australia and New Zealand.

Some of these shall be chasing their possibilities for stage victories, and maybe giving one of many nations its first Tour de France Femmes stage victor, whereas others shall be devoted to serving to their teammates. Either means – whether or not they’re lining up for his or her first or final Tour de France Femmes – the robust 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 more in-depth have a look at the 9 riders from Australia and 4 from New Zealand anticipated to – based mostly on the preliminary begin listing – line up on the race that pulls the eyes of the biking world from August 12-18.

Australia

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’. No matter what comes subsequent as Grace Brown traces up for her third Tour de France Femmes, the gold medal hanging round her neck after the time trial on the Olympic Games means she has delivered in spades.

Still, though the ultimate months of her profession are shortly counting down and the head she has already reached is lofty, there may be nonetheless a lot using on this ultimate Grand Tour with there being no query about simply how essential the race is to her French-based squad. The stage 3 time trial in all probability affords her one of the best alternative to provide her FDJ–SUEZ group the stage victory it’s pursuing on the Tour de France Femmes, although stage 4 is also a chance because the street to Liège has been form to Brown this yr, with the 32-year-old successful Liège-Bastogne-Liège in May. Her function, past that, is prone to be in help as FDJ-SUEZ has two robust choices for the mountains and total, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig – who has had a number of hurdles with harm this season – and Évita Muzic. Helping a French group to success on the Tour de France, no matter whether or not that’s by 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.

It would be the first 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 Women that stood out as quickly because the route was introduced as delivering one of the difficult climbing phases the Women’s WorldTour had seen – and Bradbury gained it. When Cyclingnews spoke to her earlier than that spectacular Giro stage win Bradbury stated “when it is fairly arduous, fairly late, everybody’s drained – that is normally what would go well with me fairly nicely.”

The similar situation she described as suiting her on the Giro – of arduous 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. Still, her function on the race is totally different from that on the Giro, the place she was a pacesetter and completed third total. 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 group chief when the terrain hits the mountains and maybe, on the similar time, collect the expertise that will sooner or later assist her be that chief on the largest race on the calendar. Although if issues do not go to plan for Niewiadoma, she is also a useful plan B this time round.

The Australian champion Ruby Roseman-Gannon and her teammate Amber Pate shall be lining up for the nation’s solely Women’s WorldTour squad. Both shall be taking over their second version, with Pate lining up in 2023 whereas Roseman-Gannon made her debut in 2022, her first yr as an expert. Roseman-Gannon has amassed loads of expertise since and has definitely constructed up her outcomes by this season, claiming the nationwide criterium and street race title initially after which additionally choosing up her first Women’s WorldTour stage win alongside the best way on the Tour of Britain. She’ll be chasing one other on the Tour de France Femmes

“When I did the 2022 Tour de France Femmes, it definitely felt like the most important race I’ve ever achieved, simply because of the variety of spectators and media curiosity,” stated Roseman Gannon within the group’s pre-race media launch. “It was a extremely unimaginable environment and I’m excited to come back again this yr with two extra years of coaching and expertise.”

In her pursuit of stage wins, Pate shall be a robust ally, simply as she was when the Australian Champion claimed the remainder of her three victories thus far this yr.

The expertise of Amanda Spratt is a priceless asset in a Grand Tour with the rider who has twice completed on the general podium of the Giro d’Italia Women 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 total final yr, 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 can be anticipated to guide the group 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 all the time going to be arduous to take care of by the Olympic Games and onto the Tour de France Femmes so different choices have been in focus. The small period of time trialling and two ultimate mountain phases with summit finishes may play into the arms of succesful climber Gaia Realini and Shirin van Anrooij can also be one other GC choice, one who does not have fairly the identical climbing document however has the traits to probably carve out a bonus by the opening phases. The climbing energy of Spratt could possibly be a priceless piece of the puzzle that helps put on down rivals and preserve the energy of her teammates for these essential moments.

Sarah Roy shall be lining up for her second Tour de France Femmes with the French group and so will Josie Talbot. The Australian pair’s finest possibilities for a prime consequence come on the punchy terrain of stage 4 and stage 5. Both are exhibiting strong type to profit from the alternatives that will crop up. Roy, the 2021 Australian street champion, this season took her first victory since claiming the nationwide title, successful stage 2 of the two.1 ranked Bretagne Ladies Tour. 

Talbot has been elevating the bar in her second season with Cofidis, taking victories at La Périgord Ladies and on stage 3 of the Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées. The rider shall be hoping to maintain up the robust run as she heads towards a brand new group, Liv-AlUla-Jayco, subsequent yr.

Even earlier than the rebirth of the ladies’s Tour de France was confirmed, the joy on the potential for it to be launched was clear when Cyclingnews spoke to Sarah Gigante in regards to the prospect. Back 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 robust climbs and will ship a strong time trial as nicely. The Melbourne-based rider, nonetheless, 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 assemble expertise within the French Grand Tour with AG Insurance-Soudal. It needs to be one other large step in what’s her fifth yr as an expert 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 Under, 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 for the reason that finish of June, irrespective of the outcomes lining up on the Tour de France Femmes shall be one other dream realised. Experience is prone 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 the ranks with Gigante in Australia has proved an ever dependable teammate and is certain to fill that function once more.

New Zealand

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 energy – ending within the prime ten total on the final 4 editions of the Giro d’Italia Women –the likes of which in most groups would have seen her lining up on the French race way back. Fisher Black, nonetheless, is racing for the world’s prime group, SD Worx-Protime, which all the time appears to have an countless array of choices for almost any situation. This time, nonetheless, the 23-year-old rider from New Zealand will get her likelihood to journey the Tour de France Femmes.

Fisher-Black might have had the choice of chasing her personal alternatives on the Giro in July, however there isn’t any doubt in regards to the focus of the group in August on condition that Demi Vollering heads the road up not simply as defending champion but additionally the clear-cut favorite. Vollering has already sailed away to victory at La Vuelta Femenina, Itzulia Women, Vuelta a Burgos and on the Tour de Suisse this yr and within the mountains will probably be Fisher-Black she shall be relying on to be a key ally.

Kim Cadzow (EF Oatly-Cannondale)

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 purpose is to get caught into the racing,” stated Cadzow in a group announcement. “I need to benefit from the expertise and help the group as finest as doable.”

Cadzow shall be lining up alongside a number of potential stage winners, together with the two-time Paris Olympic gold medallist Kristen Faulkner, however with the yr the rider from New Zealand has had, it could be no shock if she was additionally given help to chase her personal alternatives. This season thus far an total and stage win on the Trofeo Ponente in Rosa in March led right into a sixth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and a prime ten total at La Vuelta Femenina as ample proof of simply what potential the 22-year-old needs to be a strong pressure. She can also be clearly coming into the race with some robust type, having taken seventh on the Olympic Games time trial.

It is a debut Tour de France Femmes for Mikayla Harvey, who ought to show a useful all-rounder for UAE Team ADQ. The 25-year-old, who got here fifth total on the Giro d’Italia Women in 2020 and sixth total on the UAE Tour Women in 2023, is predicted to line up alongside Erica Magnaldi and Silvia Persico. 

Magnaldi was final yr thirteenth total on the French Grand Tour and likewise got here fifth total on the Giro d’Italia Women whereas Persico has taken to the stage podium 3 times on phases of the Tour de France Femmes and completed fifth total in 2022, with the race an actual breakthrough for the rider who was then at Valcar-Travel & Service. As such, Harvey is prone to discover herself in a help function a lot of the time significantly given it hasn’t been a season the place she has recurrently been pushing to close the highest of the outcomes sheet.

Michaela Drummond shall be making her debut on the race with a French group, with the burden of the dash expectations for the squad on her shoulders for the primary two sprinter-friendly phases. It has been a robust 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 Team shall be moving into an entire new tier on the Tour de France Femmes, with Arkea B&B Hotels one of many wildcard entrants. The benefit of that, nonetheless, is that she shall be free to fly below the radar as she chases no matter alternatives might come her means.

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.