Vollering Out To Avenge 2024 Heartbreak In Tour De France Femmes Battle With Niewiadoma

The 4th version of nan Tour de France Femmes originates successful Brittany connected Saturday pinch defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma facing a scope of caller challengers arsenic Demi Vollering seeks to avenge past year’s sadistic four 2nd conclusion connected Alpe d’Huez.

While nan Polish prima has stated her wish to triumph back-to-back Tours, Vollering, who moved to nan French squad FDJ Suez astatine nan extremity of past season, is wished to again conquer nan title she won successful 2023.

Their duel connected nan slopes of Alpe d’Huez astatine nan climax of past year’s title was 1 of nan astir gripping successful nan history of immoderate Tour de France and led to nan narrowest separator of wide triumph ever, successful either nan men’s aliases women’s race.

Vollering, now 28, nan victor of this year’s women’s Vuelta a España, Strade Bianche and 3 different shape races, arrives successful Brittany arsenic nan outstanding favourite. Niewiadoma has made a slow commencement this twelvemonth but comes to nan title successful ascending shape for Canyon-Sram, having won nan Polish nationalist roadworthy title title successful June and vanished 3rd successful nan Tour of Switzerland.

But nan brace person different rivals, pinch Marlen Reusser, victor of nan Tour of Switzerland and 2nd successful nan Giro d’Italia, and Elisa Longo Borghini, victor of nan women’s Giro, starring nan way.

Others including Australian climber Sarah Gigante, Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, victor of nan women’s Paris-Roubaix, and Anna van der Breggen, 3rd successful nan women’s Vuelta and Vollering’s erstwhile sports director, are among those tin of mounting a superior challenge.

The peloton will title much than 1,165km crossed nan state from Brittany to nan mountains, nan stages expanding successful trouble earlier a last play of climbing successful nan Alps.

Demi Vollering successful yellowish during past year’s race. Photograph: Hollandse Hoogte/Shutterstock

As for nan title itself, which will shape its 2027 Grand Départ successful nan UK, head Marion Rousse has been overwhelmed by nan immense maturation of its popularity.

“The women’s Tour de France is increasing fast, almost excessively fast,” she said. “I deliberation backmost to nan first edition, I had a batch of questions and doubts. I wondered if it would work, if group would watch and beryllium interested.”

In 2026 nan title will move dates to a standalone start, that nary longer piggybacks nan liking successful nan last play of nan men’s race. “Our Tour is getting excessively large to beryllium tally astatine nan aforesaid clip arsenic nan men’s race,” Rousse said. “We request to alteration nan exemplary and create our ain timescale.”

The sporting demands of nan title are besides increasing, thing that Rousse again sees arsenic a earthy evolution. This year, some nan mammoth climbs of Col de la Madeleine and nan sadistic Joux Plane characteristic connected nan last weekend.

After past year’s cliffhanger, Rousse is hoping for different gripping ending to nan 9 shape race. “If it’s excessively hard, sometimes that causes excessively galore differences successful level, aliases excessively overmuch clip to beryllium lost. That tin termination nan suspense,” she said. “Just making it ace hard, doesn’t make it nan champion title to watch.”