With the Paris Olympics highway racing drawing to a detailed on Sunday after Kristen Faulkner’s solo win, consideration now turns to the following main occasion of the season, the Tour de France Femmes.
The largest race of the Ladies’s WorldTour 12 months begins in Rotterdam on Monday, August 12, and groups are starting preparations for the primary international Grand Départ.
DSM-Firmenich PostNL have turn into one of many first groups to verify their seven-rider squads for the race, with Charlotte Kool aiming for dash stage victories and an try at taking the yellow jersey on house floor within the Netherlands. In the meantime, French rider Juliette Labous might be main the staff’s GC cost following a top-five end final 12 months and on the Giro d’Italia Ladies final month.
“I am actually excited for the beginning of the Tour de France within the Netherlands; it is actually particular,” Kool stated. “The primary few levels are literally round the place my boyfriend is from, so I do know the roads very well there and stage three begins in Valkenburg which can be tremendous near the staff’s Maintain Difficult Middle in Sittard, so they’re additionally house coaching roads for us.
“I believe the route is particular this 12 months, with a whole lot of alternatives for the staff. Now we have some actual onerous levels the place Juliette can go for it within the GC, however there are some flatter levels firstly of the race the place we are going to go for it with me as finisher within the sprints.
Kool might be going through off in opposition to SD Worx-Protime and their star sprinter Lorena Wiebes, who she was once the final lead-out rider for as teammates on DSM, within the early sprints as each ladies search glory because the race begins of their house nation.
“For me personally this 12 months I might be happy if I do all the pieces to be the most effective model of myself on the Tour de France. In fact, we’re aiming to go for a stage win but it surely’s necessary to strive all the pieces we will and revel in it too.
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“With Juliette, we actually wish to try to purpose for one more prime lead to GC once more, I’ve a whole lot of confidence and belief in her so we are going to absolutely help her for these targets. Now we have a very sturdy staff that can provide our all every day. I am simply actually excited to get began.”
Francesco Barale, Rachele Barbieri, Pfeiffer Georgi, Franziska Koch, and Becky Storrie spherical out the DSM-Firmenich PostNL squad for the Tour.
Liv-AlUla-Jayco have additionally confirmed their lineup for the race, with Mavi García main the lineup as she goals for a robust basic classification problem following a sixth place on the Paris Olympics highway race.
After ending tenth on the inaugural Tour de France Femmes, she’ll as soon as once more be aiming for a excessive GC inserting on the highway to L’Alpe d’Huez.
“Now we have a really good Tour de France Femmes route this 12 months through which the entire staff will go along with a whole lot of want to do it effectively,” García stated. “Now we have a really full staff for this race with riders that may do effectively on many days! There are a whole lot of classic-style levels, and because the days go by, will probably be very onerous for everybody.
“This has been a really concentrated a part of the season’s goals for me with the Giro d’Italia and the Olympic Video games this summer season and I am hoping for a robust consequence on the Tour.”
Australian highway champion Ruby Roseman-Gannon will help García, although the 25-year-old might be handed the liberty to hunt out stage wins on the week-long race.
Amber Pate, Caroline Andersson, Jeanne Korevaar, Quinty Ton, and Silke Smulders will be part of the pair in France.
“After I did the 2022 Tour de France Femmes, it definitely felt like the largest race I’ve ever accomplished, simply because of the variety of spectators and media curiosity,” Roseman-Gannon stated. “It was a very unbelievable ambiance and I am excited to return again this 12 months with two extra years of coaching and expertise.
“I believe we’ve a brilliant sturdy and versatile staff which fits the numerous terrain, and attributes required to carry out within the technical metropolis circuits of the Netherlands and the mountains of the French Alps.”
