2024 Tour de France Femmes Race Preview
The details of this year's 2024 Tour de France Femmes are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift promises to be one of the most compelling editions of the race since its modern revival, with a course that will test the full range of abilities across the peloton over eight demanding stages through France.
The race begins in Rotterdam before crossing into France, offering a unique international start that adds a touch of novelty to proceedings. The early flat stages will inevitably see the sprinters battle for stage wins and the early yellow jersey, but the race's real character will only emerge once the roads begin to climb in earnest.
Demi Vollering arrives as the defending champion and the rider most teams will be looking to control. The Dutch climber has shown an extraordinary capacity to both attack and respond to attacks, and her climbing credentials on any terrain make her the overwhelming favourite heading into race week. Her SD Worx-Protime squad boasts the kind of collective strength that other teams can only dream about, though the question of how they manage multiple protected leaders may occasionally complicate their dominance.
Annemiek van Vleuten's retirement has reshaped the hierarchy of women's cycling, and several riders are eager to step into the void left by the legendary Dutch champion. Katarzyna Niewiadoma has demonstrated she belongs among the very best on tough mountain terrain. Evita Muzic has been developing steadily into a genuine general classification threat, and home crowds will be eager to cheer her on.
Pauliena Rooijakkers, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, and Elisa Longo Borghini all possess the pedigree to threaten on the right day, while a strong showing through the middle stages could elevate any number of riders into contention before the final mountain tests determine the overall winner.
The decisive moments are almost certain to come in the final days, where summit finishes will separate the genuine contenders from the hopeful pretenders. The climbs selected should reward pure climbers capable of sustained efforts rather than explosive punchy accelerations, which may suit Vollering's patient but ultimately devastating style.
The sprinting contest will be fiercely competitive when the road stays flat, with Lorena Wiebes and Marianne Vos both capable of winning in the right circumstances, though the reduced number of sprint-friendly stages means those opportunities will be precious and hotly contested.
All eyes will ultimately return to Vollering, whose consistency and composure under pressure mark her out as the rider to beat. Whether anyone can mount a genuine challenge against her and her formidable team remains the central question that the race will answer across eight extraordinary days of racing.
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