Now that the course for the 2024 Tour de France Femmes has been announced, with the Alpe d'Huez as its crowning climb, the time has come to examine which riders are likely to rise to the top in this third edition of the race, which takes place from August 12-18.
The first four stages and three days of the 946km race play out in the Netherlands and Belgium, with the flat terrain playing to the sprinters' hands for the first two, then a short time trial that could start to pull out some gaps in the overall before the race heads into the undulating terrain for stage 4 and stage 5, where it finally reaches France. Then the categorised climbs will start to make their presence felt on stage 6, but it is a downhill run to the finish at Morteau. Though after that, there is no reprieve, with stage 7 finishing atop Le Grand-Bornand and stage 8 on the iconic climb of Alpe d'Huez.
With just a few time trial kilometres, 6.3 to be exact, and two climb-heavy summit-finish stages to provide the finale, there is no doubt it is the riders who thrive on the long steep slopes that will be in prime position as the third edition of the Tour de France Femmes heads towards the Alps for the first time.
Particularly after her powerful performance on the Col du Tourmalet in 2023, defending champion Demi Vollering (SD Worx) has to remain firmly at the top of the favourites list. Still, given there is no concluding time trial this year where the powerful time trialist can claw back any missteps in the mountains there is opportunity for challengers to turn up the pressure cooker on those final two brutal days.
The course has set the scene for a build toward an exciting but unpredictable finale so it's time to take a closer look at the riders that are likely to be the star players as the drama unfolds.
Cyclingnews will have live coverage of all eight stages of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, along with race reports, galleries, results, and exclusive features and news.
1. Demi Vollering
- Team: SD Worx
- Age: 26
- Tour de France results: 1st overall in 2023, 1x stage win in 2023, 2nd overall in 2022, mountain classification in 2022
Demi Vollering lines up as the defending champion at the 2024 Tour de France Femmes after showing her strength and consistency across the early stages of last year's event, dominating the decisive Col du Tourmalet and then finishing second in the closing time trial to win the overall title.
She is backed by the world's no. 1 team SD Worx, which supported her best season to date with victories at Strade Bianche, Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Vuelta a Burgos and Tour de Romandie. While in 2024 she may not have Lotte Kopecky, who stood alongside her on the 2023 Tour de France Femmes overall podium, the team has an impressive array of climbing talent to act as back-up, including the developing young riders of Anna Shackley and Niamh Fisher-Black.
The Dutch rider also showed her abilities in the high mountains and long finishing ascents, particularly with wins atop Lagos de Covadonga and Mirador de Peñas Llanas at La Vuelta Femenina, Lagunas de Neila at Vuelta a Burgos, Col du Tourmalet at the Tour de France Femmes, and at Torgon at the Tour de Romandie.
She will be embarking on her sixth season of racing, her fourth on the Women's WorldTour, and has grown into one of the world's best one-day racers, time triallists and general classification contenders.
Vollering has not confirmed her 2024 season targets, but it would be no surprise to see her victorious at La Vuelta Femenina, Giro d'Italia Women and Tour de France Femmes, should she choose to target all three Grand Tours.
At 26, Vollering is just realising her biggest strengths and we can anticipate her to lead the Dutch dominance of women's world-class bike racing for another decade.
2. Kasia Niewiadoma
- Team: Canyon-SRAM
- Age: 29
- Tour de France results: 3rd in 2023, mountains classification in 2023, 3rd overall in 2022
Kasia Niewiadoma has twice finished third overall on the podium at the Tour de France Femmes, and while both were hard-fought achievements, it was the 2023 edition that really showed her progress as a general classification contender.
In 2022, Niewiadoma stated that she spent much of her off-season training strengthening her abilities in the long, high mountains, while in 2023, it was her time trial strength that she tapped into.
She also took more risks, none more apparent than her attack on the Col d’Aspin descent in a courageous bid for victory atop the Col du Tourmalet. She finished second, only to Demi Vollering, and then used her well-trained power in the closing time trial to finish ninth. Although Lotte Kopecky jumped ahead of her in the overall classification on the final day, she finished third overall, holding off the previous year's winner Annemiek van Vleuten in fourth.
Her consistent finishes over the mountain passes during the Tour de France Femmes also meant that she took home the mountain classification's polka-dot jersey.
Niewiadoma is one of the most consistent athletes among the women's peloton, often finishing among the top three and top five at the biggest races across one-day races and stage races. However, she regularly seemed to be edged out for the victory. Her last big road race win was at Amstel Gold Race and a stage at the Women's Tour in 2019.
In a spectacular turn of events this fall, Niewiadoma powered to victory at the UCI Gravel World Championships, claiming the world title and donning the rainbow jersey in Veneto. It was 'a victory that repays an entire season' she said
3. Elisa Longo Borghini
- Team: Lidl-Trek
- Age: 31
- Tour de France results: DNF 2023, 6th overall in 2022
Elisa Longo Borghini's all-in approach to racing often makes her a favourite for any one-day race or stage race throughout the season. Likewise, her consistency in the time trials and on long mountain passes also makes her one of the best general classification riders in the world.
In her first Tour de France Femmes in 2022, Longo Borghini finished in the top 10 in six of the eight stages, and was one of the event's star protagonists. Challenging back-to-back mountain stages at Le Markstein and La Planche des Belles Filles, which closed out the event, however, cost her dearly in the overall classification, as many of the best climbers struggled at the high pace set by the overall champion that year Annemiek van Vleuten. As a result, Longo Borghini dropped from 4th to sixth overall.
Her performances in the Grand Tours can be unpredictable, at times, but she has often shown her biggest strengths at the Giro d'Italia Women where she finished second overall in 2017 and third overall in 2020.
She was in great form this year, sitting in second overall as one of Annemiek van Vleuten's biggest challengers for the maglia rosa when she crashed on stage 5 and was forced to abandon. She returned to competition for the Tour de France Femmes but was also forced to abandon ahead of stage 7 due to a skin infection.
There are a couple of stages that look well-suited to Longo Borghini's puncheur-style, hilly mid-stages that include stage 4 from Valkenburg to Liège, stage 6 from Remiremont to Morteau, and her ability to muscle over the biggest climbs will keep her in contention on stage 6 into Le Grand Bornand and on stage 7 to the top of Alpe d'Huez.
Longo Borghini didn't get the chance to really show her true potential in the two big stage races of the 2023 season, but she will no doubt return healthy in 2024 and ready to race at her best.
4. Juliette Labous
- Team: Team dsm-firmenich
- Age: 24
- Tour de France results: 4th overall in 2022, 5th overall in 2023
Juliette Labous has become the French fan favourite at her home Tour de France and a podium hopeful, once again, for the 2024 edition.
She is a quiet contender, having slowly but steadily risen to become one of the best riders in the world over the previous seven seasons with the various versions of team Sunweb, Team DSM and now Team dsm-firmenich.
The team supports Labous' ambition to compete in her favourite Ardennes Classics while placing a major focus on the Spain-based Women's WorldTour races Vuelta a Burgos, Itzulia Women, and summer stage races Giro d'Italia Donne and Tour de France Femmes with an end-of-season focus on the World Championships.
Her steady progress has paid off, as the Frenchwoman has finished 4th at the Tour de France Femmes in 2022 and 5th in 2023. While those results are impressive, it has been the in-between performances where we can truly gauge her success with the overall victory at Vuelta a Burgos in 2022, the summit stage 7 victory atop Passo del Maniva at the Giro d'Italia Women, and a telling second place overall at the Giro in 2023.
She has made a conscious effort to improve her power on the climbs and in the time trial, which has made her a more complete rider suited to the longer stage races.
Her trajectory in the last two years has only just begun to spike, and at 24 years old, she is both the present and future of French cycling.
5. Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio
- Team: AG Insurance-Soudal-QuickStep
- Age: 37
- Tour de France results: 6th overall in 2023
Deciding against retirement and switching teams from SD Worx to AG Insurance-Soudal-QuickStep for the 2023 season was probably one of the best decisions Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio has made in her cycling career.
It seems to have ignited a new chapter for her that allows her to excel as an undisputed leader, select major season targets with full team support, and experience the thrill of success, while also allowing her to give back to the younger riders on a three-tiered development team.
Almost as soon as she signed her new contract, she won the Tour de Romandie at the end of 2022, then started the season with a victory at Setmana Valenciana, a victory at Durango-Durango, third overall at Vuelta a Burgos, and second overall at the truncated CIC-Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées.
At the Tour de France Femmes, she truly filled the leadership role when she sat third overall from stages 2-4 and moved into second overall from stages 5-6. She drifted down to fifth on the summit of Col du Tourmalet on stage 7 and ended a strong 6th overall following the closing time trial.
The 2024 Tour de France Femmes could be even better for the South African all-rounder, who also excels in the Ardennes Classics. She will certainly be eyeing stage 4 from Valkenburg to Liège, and stage 6 from Remiremont to Morteau, but her true strengths will shine in Le Grand Bornand and on Alpe d'Huez.
6. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig
- Team: FDJ SUEZ
- Age: 28
- Tour de France results: 7th overall in 2023, 7th overall in 2022, stage win in 2022
One of the most thrilling moments of watching Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig's cycling career was her stage 3 win on the steep finishing slopes into Épernay at the 2022 Tour de France Femmes.
The Danish champion patiently bided her time on the lower slopes of the ascent, as others burned their matches too soon. She then made her well-timed winning attack from five wheels back in a monstrous sprint up the Mur de Huy-esque final climb with her head down. As the fans cheered, treated to a spectacular finish, she passed Marianne Vos, Kasia Niewiadoma, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, and Elisa Longo Borghini to triumph in what was the biggest win of her career.
It was also one of the most dramatic moments of the entire 2022 season.
While Uttrupt Ludwig played much more conservatively in the 2023 edition, she ended with the same overall results, seventh two years in a row, and at the 2024 Tour de France Femmes perhaps we will see a combination of the two racing styles.
Uttrup Ludwig is a fan-favourite, not only for her charismatic personality but for also putting on a show of strong, aggressive racing. Look no further than her 5th-place performance at the 2023 UCI World Championships, eventually won by Lotte Kopecky, but where she played her cards all the way to the finish line.
Outside of the Tour de France, Uttrup Ludwig's 6th overall at the Giro d'Italia Women in 2018, 4th in 2020, 6th in 2022 and 6th in 2023, mean that she has a lot of experience competing against the best at the toughest stages races in the world.
7. Marta Cavalli
- Team: FDJ SUEZ
- Age: 25
- Tour de France results: 19th overall in 2023, DNF in 2022
At the first edition of the Tour de France Femmes in 2022 the great hopes for the rider who had just taken the runner-up spot at the Giro d'Italia Donne came crashing down on stage 2. It took some time for Marta Cavalli to build back up after that devastating accident but given her solid top 20 in the race for yellow this season, which then led into overall victory at the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche, it looks the rider is working her way back toward that sparkling form of the early half of 2022.
What's more the course this year is one that plays to the strengths of the 25 year old. The shorter individual time trial in 2024 works in her favour, with the Italian rider losing more than four minutes over the 22.6km in Pau in 2023. This edition she'll face just 6.3km of racing against the clock and the individual time trial taking place on the second day in Rotterdam, when there is also plenty of time left to work up the overall rankings.
The ability of the rider to keep pace with some of the best climbers in the world will hold her in good stead for the crucial duo of summit finishes, Le Grand Bornard and Alpe d'Huez, that decide the race.
Running to her advantage, also, is the team Cavalli will be surrounded by. Being French, FDJ-Suez will undoubtedly do whatever they can to be on the front foot at the Tour de France Femmes and they have some serious muscle on their roster to assist their key riders on those summit finish stages with riders like Évita Muzic and Grace Brown on the roster alongside potential team leaders Uttrup-Ludwig and Cavalli.
8. Gaia Realini
- Team: Lidl-Trek
- Age: 22
- Tour de France results: Yet to debut
In 2023 Gaia Realini managed to reach the podium of both the Giro d'Italia Donne and La Vuelta Feminina, and it seems only a matter of time until the talented young climber will add the Tour de France Femmes to that list.
The rider who joined Lidl-Trek from Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria at the start of this season has yet to debut at the French race. Elisa Longo-Borghini has been a deserving leader for the squad in the race for yellow the last two years, though her sixth place overall in 2022 turned to a DNF in 2023 after a challenging run in. Particularly with the course , that's probably an outcome that will encourage a multi-option strategy for the team in 2024.
The team has a number of climbing options, with Amanda Spratt for one taking tenth overall in 2023, but Realini seems made for them. The Italian is another one of those riders who will be happy to see some seriously tough climbing days to finish the tour and low time trial kilometres.
Her prowess on challenging summit was made all to clear at the start of the season when, in her first race with her new team, she was instrumental in supporting Elisa Longo Borghini to victory on the Jebel Hafeet climb at the UAE Tour, also taking second on the stage with the powerful effort. The strong results continued through the season, as on top of the Giro d'Italia Donne and La Vuelta Feminina, there was another third place overall at the Tour de l'Avenir Femmes, plus Realini also made it ito the podium at La Flèche Wallonne Femmes the Tour de l'Avenir Femmes and won a stage of La Vuelta Feminina and the Trofeo Oro in Euro.
9. Ane Santesteban
- Team: Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi
- Age: 32
- Tour de France results: 8th overall in 2023, 60th in 2022
Ane Santesteban stepped up as a key part of the climbing team when she joined Jayco-AlUla three years ago and with the Australian team this season she stepped into the top ten overall at both the Giro d'Italia Donne and Tour de France Femmes. What's more the eighth place finish in the race for yellow was delivered after a powerful performance on Col du Tourmalet, where she came seventh.
That highlighted her ability on the long climbs, which are taking centre stage in the 2024 edition. However, there is another element at play in 2024. Not only does the course suit her but after years of calling for a home team, she now has the chance to play a headlining role at Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi, where she has signed for the next three years.
The Basque team didn't race the Tour de France Femmes in 2023, but they plan to step up the level significantly in 2024, strengthening the budget and roster and applying for a Women's WorldTour licence. There is little, however, that could do more to prove their arrival as a world class team than a strong showing as the world watches the battle for yellow unfold at the Tour de France Femmes.
10. Ricarda Bauernfeind
- Team: Canyon-SRAM
- Age: 23
- Tour de France results: 9th overall in 2023, stage win in 2023
It was one memorable debut at the Tour de France Femmes in 2023, with a win on stage 5 and a strong tenth on the Col du Tourmalet. It was a performance that followed on from a fifth overall at La Vuelta Femenina, plus the strong results continued on through the remainder of the season, with seventh overall at the Tour of Scandinavia and sixth at the Tour de Romandie Féminin.
It is an impressive build through her first year as a professional, with the German rider quickly jumping to notice when Bauernfeind started out with the Canyon-SRAM development team in 2022 with podium spots on all three stages of the Vuelta Ciclista Andalucia Ruta Del Sol and overall.
The quick rise up the ranks has delivered a strong second card for the WorldTour team, as while Niewiadoma is likely to take the brunt of the spotlight in 2024 it could well transition over in the years ahead.
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