Vollering and strong FDJ-SUEZ pursue Tour victory, but Visma | Lease a Bike has plans with its new leader as well

After a thrilling final weekend, Kasia Niewiadoma claimed victory in the third edition of the Tour for women this past summer. Following Annemiek van Vleuten (2022) and Demi Vollering (2023), she became the first non-Dutch winner. Through an emoji with heart eyes, Niewiadoma expressed her approval for the 2025 route on her social channels.

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Vollering will likely be the main challenger. The Dutch cyclist finally completed her transfer from SD Worx-Protime to FDJ-SUEZ on Monday, and the ambitions of the French team remain high with her arrival. CEO Stephen Delcourt told Cyclism'Actu: "We’re going to the Tour to win. With Demi, Juliette Labous (who joined from Team dsm-firmenich PostNL, ed.) and Evita Muzic, we have a trio that won’t let us hide. We’re aiming for the yellow jersey with the best trio we could wish for on a personal level."

In consultation with team leader Muzic, Vollering and her longtime friend Labous were added to the team, which Delcourt believes is necessary. "With the return of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (at Visma | Lease a Bike, ed.) and Anna van der Breggen (at SD Worx-Protime, ed.) to road racing, women’s cycling is the big winner. We will have many discussions with our three leaders about the division of roles, which we’ve already talked about a lot. Current form will make the difference. It’s too early for tactics now. Based on the past, you’d think it would be all-in on Demi, but anything can happen. Evita is certainly willing to sacrifice herself to help Demi win the big races."

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In addition to Canyon//SRAM, led by Niewiadoma, and the powerful FDJ-SUEZ team, the Netherlands has two strong teams for the Tour de France Femmes. While SD Worx-Protime lost Vollering and Marlen Reusser, with the return of Van der Breggen, Lotte Kopecky remains onboard. "She surprises me every year, and she also evolves every year," organizer Marion Rousse told Sporza. "It’s been important that Lotte herself realizes she can compete for the general classification. It’s better not to give Kopecky too much room, as she can handle the mid-mountains. And she has also impressed on the big climbs, like the Tourmalet last year. She can accomplish something great. Is the Madeleine too tough? If she can handle the Tourmalet..."

Visma | Lease a Bike will have Ferrand-Prévot at their disposal. Team manager Rutger Tijssen expressed ambition in a team press release. "With riders like Marion Bunel and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, we have some strong climbers in our lineup. here are also real opportunities for Marianne Vos in this Tour de France Femmes. We have plenty of chances as a team to do very well," he said.

With the women’s Tour following directly after the men’s Tour, Tijssen also hopes for more public interest. "It’s the best spot on the cycling calendar, as it’s vacation season in Europe. The final of this Tour de France Femmes takes place near Les Portes du Soleil, a true vacation area. It’s fantastic. I expect a large crowd. We’re certainly looking forward to it," said the Dutchman, though he had one critique: "It’s striking that there’s no time trial in this Tour de France Femmes. That’s not only remarkable but also a bit disappointing."