The third edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is set to kick off from Rotterdam in just six days, on Monday, August 12. This year’s event promises to be a thrilling spectacle as each of the 22 teams in the peloton will field seven women, bringing together a total of 154 riders from all corners of the globe. Remarkably, the start list spans a record-breaking 30 nationalities, highlighting the growing international appeal of the race.
As the excitement builds, all eyes are on the reigning champion, Demi Vollering, who enters the competition as the overwhelming favorite to win again. Vollering will have the added advantage of starting the race on home soil, as the Grand Départ takes place in the Netherlands. She won’t be the only Dutch star aiming for glory, though. Lorena Wiebes, Marianne Vos, and Charlotte Kool, three top sprinters, will also be vying for the coveted first yellow jersey at the end of Stage 1, which finishes in The Hague.
Adding to the drama, several other notable contenders will be in the mix. Elisa Longo Borghini and Katarzyna Niewiadoma are expected to put up a strong fight, while French riders Juliette Labous and Évita Muzic will be looking to make their mark on home turf. Meanwhile, the race will also feature Olympic gold medalists Grace Brown (time trial) and Kristen Faulkner (road race), ensuring that the competition at the business end of the race will be fierce and captivating.
Vollering Versus the World
Demi Vollering came in second in 2022 behind compatriot and now retired Annemiek van Vleuten and went one better in 2023. Now, as the Oranje crowds are about to go wild for her in Rotterdam on 12 August, when the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is slated to start outside France for the first time in history, the excitement builds. The Flying Dutchwoman, buoyed by her fans, is the odds-on favourite to win the third edition of the event, not just because she made short work of the competition last summer, but also because she has been untouchable in stage races this season, with four overall victories to her name, including La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es.
However, there is no shortage of rivals eager to take the fight to her. For instance, Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl–Trek), who claimed her first Giro d’Italia a few weeks ago, and the diminutive climber Gaia Realini will spell double trouble for their opponents. Meanwhile, Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM), third in the two previous editions, laid down a marker by taking La Flèche Wallonne Femmes in April. Similarly, the Australian Neve Bradbury, who has made a splash with performances such as third place in the Giro, will be her lieutenant. In addition, the French champion, Juliette Labous (dsm–firmenich PostNL), and her compatriot Évita Muzic (FDJ–Suez) are also targeting a podium spot, while Cédrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit–WNT) is keen on continuing her progression after securing the white jersey last year.
Dutch Riders Eager to Shine on Home Turf
Long before the GC is decided in the Alps, the first yellow jersey of the race will be awarded at the end of stage 1, stretching from Rotterdam to The Hague on a pancake-flat course that has “sprint finish” written all over it. Once again, the women to beat are in the Dutch camp, with Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx–Protime) in the pole position. She has already bagged 18 victories this season, but even long before that, she became the first rider to pull on the golden fleece on the Champs-Élysées in 2022 before handing it over to the GOAT, Marianne Vos (Visma–Lease a Bike), who can also look forward to a warm reception from her fans on Monday, eight days after winning silver in the Olympics. Additionally, Charlotte Kool (dsm–firmenich PostNL) and her raw speed could also make the Oranje crowds roar with delight.
Olympic Champions Step into the Ring(s)
Furthermore, the star-studded field will include 18 out of the top 20 riders in the world, with only Lotte Kopecky (no. 1) and Chiara Consonni (no. 7) skipping the event to focus on the Olympic track events. Meanwhile, the gold medallists in the time trial and road race at the Paris Olympics, the Australian Grace Brown (FDJ–Suez) and the American Kristen Faulkner (EF–Oatly–Cannondale), will be part of the peloton, as will the European champion Brischa Bredewold (SD Worx–Protime), one of a whopping 32 Dutch riders on the start line. This figure makes the home nation the most numerous contingent of this edition and, indeed, of any edition of the race. Next up are Italy, with 19 riders, and France, with 16. Overall, the peloton will feature 30 nationalities, up from 27 last season and also an all-time record.
2024 Tour de France Femmes Teams
The 22 teams and main contenders in the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift
Australia
Liv-Al-‘Ula-Jayco: Mavi GarcÃa (ESP)
Belgium
AG Insurance–Soudal: Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (RS), Kimberley Le Court (MRI) and Sarah Gigante (AUS)
Fenix–Deceuninck: Yara Kastelijn (NED), Puck Pieterse (NED), Pauliena Rooijakkers (NED) and Christina Schweinberger (AUT)
Lotto Dstny Ladies: Thalita de Jong (NED)
France
Arkéa–B&B Hotels Women: Valentina Cavallar (AUT)
Cofidis: Victoire Berteau (FRA)
FDJ–Suez: Évita Muzic (Fra), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (DEN) and Loes Adegeest (NED) St. Michel–Mavic–Auber93: Marion Bunel (FRA) and Victorie Guilman (Fra)
Germany
Canyon//SRAM: Katarzyna Niewiadoma (POL), Chloe Dygert (USA) and Neve Bradbury (AUS)
Ceratizit–WNT Pro Cycling Team: Cédrine Kerbaol (FRA) and Marta Lach (POL)
Netherlands
Team SD Worx–Protime: Demi Vollering (NED), Mischa Bredewold (NED), Blanka Vas (HUN) and Lorena Wiebes (NED)
Team dsm–firmenich PostNL: Charlotte Kool (NED), Juliette Labous (FRA) and Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR) Team Visma | Lease a Bike: Marianne Vos (NED), Riejanne Markus (NED) and Fem van Empel (NED)
Norway
Uno-X Mobility: Anouska Koster (Ned)
United Arab Emirates
UAE Team ADQ: Silvia Persico (Ita)
United States of America
EF-Oatly-Cannondale: Kristen Faulkner (USA), Alison Jackson (Can), Noemi Ruegg (Sui)
Human Powered Health: Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Fra), Ruth Edwards (USA)
Lidl-Trek: Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita), Elizabeth Deignan (Gbr), Gaia Realini (Ita), Shirin van Anrooij (Ned)
Uzbekistan
Tashkent City Women Professional Cycling Team: Yanina Kuskova (Uzb)
Spain
Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi: Ane Santesteban (Esp)
Movistar Team: Liane Lippert (Ger), Emma Norsgaard (Den)
Switzerland
Roland: Tamara Dronova
Watch the Femmes
The 2nd edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is set to captivate fans with an enhanced broadcast experience, featuring more than 25 hours of live television, including two stages with full coverage. As the race unfolds, fans from around the globe will stay connected through the official event website, race center, and social media platforms. Notably, TikTok joins the event as an Official Supplier, introducing its first Fantasy game in partnership with Tissot. Spectators are also expected to line the roads of the Tour, with various events organized in the cities along the race route.
A comprehensive TV broadcast
The coverage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is expanding with more than 25 hours of live television to accompany the peloton from Clermont-Ferrand to Pau, where the race will finish with a decisive time trial on Sunday July 30. Two stages will be broadcast in full: the 1st, to accompany the Grand Départ and witness the conquest of the Maillot Jaune, and the 7th, to follow the great Pyrenean battles on the slopes leading to the Aspin and Tourmalet passes. A 2h30 live stream on the other stages will allow supporters around the world to follow their favorite champions, with broadcasts in more than 190 countries.
US Broadcasters
Peacock
CNBC
Win the Yellow Jersey with the Fantasy by Tissot
To feel even more thrills watching the riders and their performances, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is launching, in partnership with Tissot, the first Fantasy League dedicated to the event and its champions. To play, fans are invited to build their team of seven riders for free. Each day, points will be scored based on the official results, until the crowning of the winners on July 30. Annemiek van Vleuten, Marianne Vos, Elisa Longo Borghini… Which stars will lead their sports directors to victory? To accompany the players, statistics and profiles of the riders are established by NTT Data.
From the Race Center to TikTok: at the heart of the event
All the information about the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift can be found on the digital platforms of the event: the official website, the Race Center to follow the action live, and the social networks, streaming the first images at the start and accompanying fans and champions all day. All the content to prepare for the stages is available on these platforms (profile, map, timetable, key segments with Strava) and in particular the video briefings of each stage with the director of the event Marion Rousse. And upon arrival, fans can watch the video of the last kilometre, the images of the on-board cameras embedded in the heart of the peloton and the highlights of the race. This year, TikTok becomes an Official Supplier of the event to promote the Tour to its users (more than a billion in the world, including 150 millions in Europe).
