Already victorious in the Giro and the Vuelta this year, the Dutch Annemieke van Vleuten, who won the 1st edition of the Tour de France Women last year, is again this year as the big favorite. But a procession of contenders hope to dislodge her from her throne before her retirement at the end of the year.
Published on: 07/23/2023 – 06:56
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She has the world champion’s rainbow jersey on her shoulders, she has won the last five major laps in women’s cycling, she seems untouchable… At 40, Annemiek van Vleuten arrives at the Tour de France with one ambition: to consolidate her supremacy with a second consecutive success on the Great Loop, before retiring.
Read alsoTour de France Women: Annemiek van Vleuten, a winner “from another planet”
But behind, a pack of outsiders hopes to shake “the cannibal” from her throne. All hope to be able to beat her on a regular basis before her retirement, to mark a change of era. Demi Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini, Juliette Labous, Marta Cavalli… France 24 reviews its main challengers.
Demi Vollering, number 1 challenger and a dispute to be settled
If the cycling season consisted only of the classics, Demi Vollering would be the undisputed 2023 champion. In the spring, in the one-day races, the Dutchwoman won everything, helped by a monstrous team at SD Worx: a victory at the Strade Bianche and above all a historic hat-trick over the Ardennaises, Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallone and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Last year’s runner-up to Annemiek van Vleuten, the SD Worx rider will be keen to beat her this year. Their rivalry has already shaken the Vuelta, which Demi Vollering lost for nine small seconds, not without controversy, Annemiek van Vleuten having had the inelegance to attack his compatriot during the penultimate stage during a pee break. A lack of fair play that she will want him to pay for.
Elisa Longo Borghini, the Italian Trek
For the first women’s Tour de France in the history of the professional era, the Trek team, the juggernaut of the women’s peloton, had missed out. The team returns this year with great ambitions. In the general classification, it will count on its leader Elisa Longo Borghini to chase the yellow jersey.
The Italian road and time trial champion approaches the Women’s Tour with the memory of a violent fall on the Giro during the 5th stage, forcing her to retire. But the fighter will be back, hoping to do much better than her 6th place finish last year.
Juliette Labous, even better Frenchwoman?
Fourth last year, Juliette Labous is probably still France’s best chance of a podium, or even a final victory on Sunday July 30 in Pau. The DSM rider arrives in good shape: she finished second in the Giro behind the inevitable Annemiek van Vleuten, whose attacks she managed to follow.
On paper, the course suits him perfectly. Several tricky steps that can allow him to scratch second after second; a queen stage with arrival at the Tourmalet which suits her qualities as a climber; and a final bouquet in the form of a time trial which can allow her to surpass her competitors, she, the former champion of France in the discipline. After Thibaut Pinot for the men, the sensations of tricolor cycling definitely come from Franche-Comté.
Marta Cavalli, revenge to take on the Tour
On the first edition of the Tour de France Women, Marta Cavalli was to be the trump card of the FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope. She had, a few weeks earlier, managed to get Annemiek van Vleuten off the pedal on the Giro. However, everything changed from the 2nd stage towards Provins. Violently hit by a runner as she got up after being caught in a fall, the Italian had to give up, victim of a concussion.
Affected morally and physically, the Italian has long been struggling. Her team trusted her and gave her time to come back to her level, and she was right. Her success at Hautacam, during the Tour of the Pyrenees in June, was like a trigger for the Italian, who chained good performances, passing not far from the national titles, both on the clock and on the road race.
She returns to the Tour with a revenge to take, like the whole FDJ team. This year again, she shares the leadership with Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig and can count on the young Évita Muzic as joker. Something to make Annemiek van Vleuten tremble.
Other names to watch out for:
Biggest track record in women’s cycling, hard to completely dismiss Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) from this list, especially with a less mountainous course this year. The Polish Katarzyna Unknown (Canyon//SRAM-Racing), third last year, will want to do as well this year. She gave herself the means by skipping the Giro at the beginning of the month. Finally, Veronica Ewers (EF Education) will be the best American card in this race, having just finished the Giro in 4th place.
