FDJ-Suez under review: Vollering joins the team, but matching their former star’s success won’t be easy
Cycling
If you find yourself in the Alicante or Valencia area these days, you’re likely to spot one or more cycling teams. Preparations for the 2025 season are already in full swing, so this is the perfect time for us to reflect on the women’s teams. This time, the spotlight is on FDJ-Suez and their major signing, Demi Vollering!
One-day races 2024: FDJ-Suez
Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the World Time Trial Championships, and the Olympic time trial: it’s hard to imagine a better season for a team like FDJ-Suez. One lady in particular made these triumphs possible: Grace Brown. However, the 32-year-old Australian won’t be in the peloton next season. Missing her home country, she decided to return to her roots and retire from professional cycling.
In addition to these major wins, the team also claimed victories at GP Samyn (Vittoria Guazzini) and Chrono des Nations (Brown again). They secured strong finishes in other races, including third at the Deakin Women’s Elite Race (Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig), fifth at Paris-Roubaix (Amber Kraak), fourth at La Flèche Wallonne (Evita Muzic), and second at Giro dell'Emilia (Muzic).
These are solid results, but there’s room for improvement when it comes to the Flemish races, an area the team will likely focus on for the upcoming season!
Read more below the photo!
(Grand) tours 2024: FDJ-Suez
A fourth-place finish in the Tour de France Femmes and fifth in the Vuelta La Femenina. Those are respectable results for FDJ-Suez. Both were achieved by 25-year-old French rider Evita Muzic, who also took home a stage in the Spanish stage race. Meanwhile, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig carried the team in the Giro Donne, securing eighth place overall.
Uttrup Ludwig also won a stage at the Tour Down Under, while Brown claimed two stage wins and the overall title at the Bretagne Ladies Tour.
Read more below the photo!
Final grade 2024: FDJ-Suez
FDJ-Suez had an excellent year, largely thanks to the extremely successful Grace Brown. Add to that several strong podium finishes, and it’s clear the team has earned a high grade. The (former) editorial team of IDLProCycling.com rates their season a solid 7.5.
Transfers 2024/2025: FDJ-Suez
The biggest transfer of the winter belongs to FDJ-Suez, who successfully signed Demi Vollering (who is transferring from SD Worx-Protime). This move was made with one big goal in mind: to win the Tour de France Femmes as a French team — a goal that required the team to make significant investments.
In addition to Vollering, FDJ-Suez has strengthened its roster with Juliette Labous, Eglantine Rayer (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Elise Chabbey (Canyon/SRAM), Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), and junior rider Celia Gery. This gives the team incredible depth as they head into 2025.
However, they’ve also lost some key riders. Grace Brown (retired), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Canyon/SRAM), and Marta Cavalli (dsm-firmenich PostNL) are among those saying their goodbyes. These three were responsible for much of the team’s success in recent years, although Ludwig and Cavalli had less impact in 2024.
Incoming: Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime), Juliette Labous, Eglatine Rayer (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Elise Chabbey (Canyon/SRAM), Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step Team) and Celia Gery (juniors)
Outgoing (provisional list): Grace Brown (retiring), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (Canyon/SRAM), Marta Cavalli (dsm-firmenich PostNL) and Gladys Verhulst-Wild (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step Team)
Read more below the photo!
Ones to watch 2025: FDJ-Suez
All eyes will be on Demi Vollering in her FDJ-Suez debut season. She was officially introduced by the team last week. "They never made it a secret that the Tour would be the big goal. However, that just gave me a good feeling. FDJ-Suez wants to win the Tour, but I want to achieve that again. That's exactly why I felt a connection with this team," Vollering explained.
In 2025, Vollering will be one of five Dutch riders on the FDJ-Suez roster, alongside Loes Adegeest, Nina Buijsman, Amber Kraak, and Lauren Molengraaf. Key support riders for Vollering in the Tour de France Femmes are expected to include Evita Muzic, Juliette Labous, and Elise Chabbey.
Read more below the photo!
Provisional selection 2025: FDJ-Suez
- Loes Adegeest
- Nina Buijsman
- Elise Chabbey
- Léa Curinier
- Coralie Demay
- Eugénie Duval
- Célia Gery
- Vittoria Guazzini
- Amber Kraak
- Juliette Labous
- Marie Le Net
- Lauren Molengraaf
- Evita Muzic
- Eglantine Rayer
- Alessia Vigilia
- Demi Vollering
- Jade Wheel
- Ally Wollaston
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Latest Comments
- I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024