Seven Riders, Nine Stages, One Record-Breaking Race: Our Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift Preview
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is almost here – and this year's edition is the biggest yet. Two countries, three mountain ranges, a record 1,175km and a massive 18,795m of climbing.
As partners of Team SD Worx-Protime, we've spent the season working alongside the squad, and that collaboration has produced something we're proud to announce: the Limited Edition Velans 2, developed with the team and available on site now.
The Squad: Seven Riders, One Clear Goal
Team SD Worx-Protime heads to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift with Anna van der Breggen, Lorena Wiebes, Lotte Kopecky, Mischa Bredewold, Elena Cecchini, Nienke Vinke and Valentina Cavallar. It's a line-up targeting two things: stage wins and a top-five overall finish with Anna van der Breggen.
Anna van der Breggen: Anna is the team's rider for the general classification, and she's had an excellent season. Both the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta showed she's competing at a very high level, so is in a good position to be targeting a top-five finish overall.
Lorena Wiebes: Over the past two years, Lorena has proven she's one of the best sprinters in the world. She holds the record for the most stage wins in the Tour de France Femmes, and there's a reason for that: she's extremely difficult to beat in a sprint.
Lotte Kopecky: Lotte is on good form having raced the Baloise Ladies Tour and the Tour de Pologne in preparation. There’s a chance she’ll take a stage win from a breakaway and will certainly be one to watch.
Mischa Bredewold: Mischa is a very versatile rider and can perform well across different terrains. She has a huge engine, a strong time trial and a fast finish – a useful combination on a route like this one.
Elena Cecchini: Elena has been called one of the most important domestiques in the peloton and is an essential part of the team. This will be the final Grand Tour of her career, so the team are looking to make it count.
Nienke Vinke: Last year's young rider classification winner showed she can hold a consistent level across a full Grand Tour. The expectation is that she supports Anna as much as possible.
Valentina Cavallar: At both the Vuelta Femenina and the Giro d'Italia, Valentina proved how valuable she is when supporting Anna high in the mountains. Developing well, and on a route with this much climbing, that matters.
The Route
It starts in Switzerland. The race takes in two countries, opening on Swiss roads before crossing into France on stage 3.
Three mountain ranges, in order of difficulty. The Jura first, then the Massif Central, then the Alps. Between them they push the total climbing to 18,795m – more vertical gain than any previous edition, and a figure that reframes what this race now demands of a squad.
Nine stages, four flavours. Three flat days for the sprinters, three hilly ones, two proper mountain stages and a 21km individual time trial on stage 4 that will already have shuffled the general classification before anyone reaches the high ground.
The longest day comes late. Stage 8 runs 175km from Sisteron to Nice – the biggest single distance of the race, arriving when legs are pretty empty.
The high point is 1,910m. That's the summit of Mont Ventoux, where stage 7 finishes, and the highest the peloton climbs all race. That same stage carries 3,565m of vertical gain and the hardest climbing of the edition.
It's the longest edition yet. 1,175km in total, a record for the race, with 154 riders on the start line from 22 teams of seven.
Put simply: the fifth edition is the hardest one so far, on both distance and climbing. Which brings us to the day everything hinges on.
Stage 7: The Giant of Provence
Friday 7 August. 144km from La Voulte-sur-Rhône to the summit of Mont Ventoux. This is the queen stage, and it's the one to clear your afternoon for.
The peloton crosses the Rhône and heads into the hills of the Drôme, over the Col de la Grande Limite (6.6km at 5%) and the Col du Colombier (3.2km at 6.4%). Then the road turns towards Bédoin, and the Giant of Provence does the rest: 15.7km at an average of 8.8%, finishing beside the summit observatory at 1,910m.
It's a first for the women's Tour. Ventoux has appeared in 18 editions of the men's race but never in the modern Tour de France Femmes, and it's a very particular kind of test – long, exposed, brutally consistent. There's no rhythm to hide in and nowhere to recover. Punchy accelerations count for little here; pacing counts for everything.
Built for the mountains: Limited Edition Team SD Worx-Protime Velans 2
Developed with Team SD Worx-Protime, the Limited Edition Velans 2 are designed to feel weightless and 'barely there' on a long ascent – the kind of kit you stop noticing, which is the whole point. Comfort, precision and clarity, right when it matters most.
They're available on site now. Grab a pair and follow the racing.
See You Out There
The SunGod team will be out on the race, capturing the action with Team SD Worx-Protime. Make sure you keep an eye on our channels through the week for updates and on the ground action straight from the race.
Allez allez!
