The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is upon us, and it looks to be the best edition yet. Not only because of a wicked parcours that includes a series of challenging stages, but also because of the depth of the field vying for the yellow jersey.
Abby Mickey
Going into the 2024 edition, all eyes were on Demi Vollering. It didn't seem like anyone could top the Dutchwoman until a crash took her out of the lead and the ever-present Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney claimed her crown as the Queen of the Tour.
The situation as we approach the fourth edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is vastly different. While Niewiadoma-Phinney and Vollering remain two of the leading contenders, a handful of new names have thrown their casquettes in the ring, and a couple of them are quite terrifying. On top of that, the peloton is the fastest it's ever been, every rider wants a bite of the pomme, and with nine stages on offer, a single victory could change a career forever.
The Favourites
Before we dive in, here's a breakdown of the names you need to know when it comes to the General Classification.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto), Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez), Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike)
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ), Marlen Reusser (Movistar)
⭐⭐⭐: Kim Le Court (AG Insurance-Soudal), Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime)
⭐⭐: Cédrine Kerbaol (EF Education-Oatly), Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Decuninck)
⭐: Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek), Niamh Fisher-Black (Lidl-Trek)
A deeper dive into the GC
Two riders in the five-star category are expected, and the third might be a shock, but there's a very good reason she's there. As for the rest, with Longo Borghini and Reusser fresh off an all-out Giro d'Italia Women, it's hard to tell where their form will land them, especially with the number of riders who sat out the Italian Grand Tour to focus mainly on their yellow jersey aspirations.
The big two
Topping the lists of riders who have targeted the Tour and the Tour alone this year are Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Demi Vollering. Last year's edition only made both of them hungrier for more, with Niewiadoma-Phinney's bold statement that she will try to win three Tours in a row, and Vollering's move to a French team that will bend over backwards for her to wear yellow again and, in the process, become the first French team to win a men's or women's Tour in 35 years.
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