Much has changed in a year when it comes to the composition of the teams lining up for the Tour de France Femmes, with the paradigm shift delivered by the reshuffling of key riders from the women’s peloton set to get its biggest test in the race across France from July 26 to August 3.
Long gone is the era where the mountainous stage races repetitively came down to a two-way battle between Anna van der Breggen and Annemiek van Vleuten, or later presumptive heir apparent Demi Vollering. There are some standouts, but ultimately, the competition is far more open between the top riders and teams alike. As two-time Giro d’Italia winner Elisa Longo Borghini said before claiming her second Giro d’Italia title, this season so far is one where there have been a ‘lot of princesses, but never a queen’.
The competition at the top is intense; Kasia Niewiadoma already demonstrated in 2024 that even the strongest of favourites isn’t safe, as she bested Demi Vollering by four seconds. The margins at the top were already becoming paper-thin before this year, and that was even before top riders fanned out from the concentrated pockets among the longstanding top two teams of SD Worx-Protime and Lidl-Trek to accelerate the reshuffle.
You may like
The evidence of this is in the rankings, as this time last year, SD Worx-Protime dominated at the top of the team’s list with 13,385 points and a gap of more than 3,500 to their nearest rival Lidl-Trek, while third-placed Canyon-SRAM had around half the points of the leading team.
This year, FDJ-SUEZ leads the rankings with 8,801 points, while SD Worx-Protime is just under 500 points in arrears as both UAE Team ADQ and Lidl-Trek are sitting close to 2,000 points behind.
Not only are the teams more evenly matched, but the unpredictability as to what’s next is heightened by the learning process that occurs when new dynamics are at play.
The varying combinations of riders have been tested through the first half of the season, but how will they fare in the pressure cooker of the Tour de France Femmes spotlight?
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The spread of talent also raises the question of the vulnerability of the top teams if all doesn’t go well for their designated leader. FDJ-SUEZ, with Vollering at the helm, may be among the favourites, but can they pull the iron out of the fire if something happens along the way? SD Worx-Protime not only had Vollering as their key card to play last year, but also had Marlen Reusser and Niamh Fisher-Black on the squad. This year, the team have lost all three and are backing Lotte Kopecky. Can they prevail if the back issues that put Lotte Kopecky out of the Giro d’Italia can’t be easily overcome?
Cyclingnews has sat down to examine some of the teams of the key favourites for the General Classification (GC), assessing where the battle lines have been reinforced and where they have been weakened, leaving riders exposed as they make their way toward the final finish line in Châtel.
Canyon-SRAM – Elevating the game
(Image credit: Getty Images)
In relative terms, Canyon-SRAM’s transfer list was tame this season and defending champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney largely has the team that took her victory on hand to pick and choose from as she attempts to claim another. Sure, Elise Chabbey has been lost to FDJ-SUEZ, though that doesn’t change much from 2024. While Chabbey was on the team for the Tour, a crash on day one saw her leave after the individual time trial on stage 3, so she wasn’t on board anyway as the battle for yellow took hold.
The defending champion will have four of her teammates from last year on deck, ranging from compatriot Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójkat to Chloe Dygert, who delivers serious pulling power. Then there is the experienced Soraya Paladin, plus the capable climber Neve Bradbury. What’s more, the young Australian has now added experience after her Tour de France Femmes debut last year. This time, she comes into the race without having raced the Giro d’Italia Women, where last year she took third overall and the Blockhaus stage win. More rested, Bradbury will be a stronger ally through the tough final climbing stages, particularly if it comes down to the wire like it did last year.
There are also two more valuable riders that Niewiadoma-Phinney didn’t have with her last year that should do plenty to bolster the ranks of the squad of the 2024 race winner.
Ricarda Bauernfeind had a tough run last year with a knee injury, but the 2023 stage winner is now back and, on top of that, the team has this year signed another stage victor in Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig. The Danish rider, who has, along with Paladin, lined up at every edition since 2022, has two finishes in seventh overall and is more than ready to turn her experience at the race to support a team title defence.
While Niewiadoma-Phinney will be lining up with the pressure of being the defending champion, the team she has behind her offsets some of the stress. On paper, they look well-equipped to take on the challenge of being centre stage, as does the rider who put them in the spotlight.
“I’m feeling at ease that I’ve already won this race and don’t feel like I’m desperate, but I truly just want to defend it,” said Niewiadoma in the team announcement. “I want to get another yellow jersey and enjoy the moment again, but I’m not like obsessed.”
With form building toward the event, Niewiadoma finished third overall at the Tour de Suisse. With a team by her side that should not leave her wanting, the rider who has stood on the overall podium of the Tour de France Femmes for the past three years running should be on short odds to make it a fourth.
FDJ SUEZ – The team to beat?
Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ) (Image credit: Getty Images)
Demi Vollering is a constant contender at the Tour de France Femmes, with a consistent record that has put her right at the top of the list of riders to beat for a number of editions. She was second to Annemiek van Vleuten in 2022, took the win in 2023 and then was second again – with the tightest margin of just four seconds despite a costly crash – in 2024. Nothing has changed when it comes to her place at the head of the favourites list in 2025, but plenty of other things have.
The field of challengers has deepened with former friends now foes, and, after her switch to FDJ-SUEZ, there is a whole new cast of riders she will have to rely on to help her chase the top spot.
That is not necessarily a bad thing, as even though Vollering had the strongest team in the peloton behind her at SD Worx-Protime, there was some tension within the team. One of the biggest what-ifs of the 2024 edition was, could everything have been different if she had more teammates quickly on hand when she lost 1:53 and the yellow jersey to race winner Niewiadoma-Phinney after the crash on stage 5?
A fresh start could be just what Vollering needs to help her in the pursuit of recapturing the title, but there have been some learning curves for her new team, who had not won a Grand Tour until Vollering came along.
That first was on display at La Vuelta Femenina, where they faltered a little in the earlier stages, from losing a few seconds in the team time trial, to letting Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) get away on stage 4. However, they pulled together through the remaining stages to help Vollering back to the top. She will once again have many of the same riders alongside her in France, with lessons now learned and an unquestionable drive to deliver on what is now a very real possibility – a French team at the top of the podium.
Évita Muzic is one of the most powerful support riders in the mountains you could ask for, coming fourth overall last year, and then there is her French compatriot Juliette Labous, who was also just one step off the overall podium in 2023.
It makes for a powerful trio on the climbs and, if something went astray for Vollering, provides a plan B. Add in Elise Chabbey, Marie Le Net, Amber Kraak, and fast-finisher Ally Wollaston from New Zealand, and the squad at the top of the UCI rankings will be the team to beat. They have made winning the Tour de France Femmes a mission, and with Vollering on board, there is every chance they could complete that mission this year while also building the prospects of a future where the race is not only claimed by a French team but also a French rider.
UAE Team ADQ – The Giro/Tour combo
Elisa Longo-Borghini celebrates her win in the Giro d’Italia (Image credit: Getty Images)
Elisa Longo Borghini made the switch from Lidl-Trek to UAE Team ADQ after six seasons, but quickly made it clear that she wasn’t going to need much time to adjust to her new environment. Longo Borghini shot straight to the top at her first race with the team, claiming the overall victory at the home squad’s UAE Tour for the first time. The team was seamless from the beginning and quick to rally around their new leader, who was rapidly inspiring loyalty in her new teammates just as she had with Lidl-Trek.
“She’s an absolute pleasure to ride for and she makes everybody around her a better rider as well,” Brodie Chapman, who made the shift from Lidl-Trek to UAE Team ADQ along with Longo Borghini, told Cyclingnews at the start of the season.
Longo Borghini spoke confidently of the team dynamic they built through the off-season and spring as she headed into the Giro d’Italia. The team then proved they have what it takes to support her at a Grand Tour when they rallied as the rider defended her title.
There will be several alterations to the line-up from the Giro, with Chapman and Eleonora Gasparrini supplemented by the fresher legs of Lara Gillespie, Maeva Squiban, Dominika Wlodarczyk and Karlijn Swinkels.
Longo Borghini will have a solid team around her, though not another obvious plan B for the overall if things don’t go well for the Italian, who has had more than her fair share of trials at the race. Longo Borghini finished sixth at the Tour de France Femmes in 2022, but last year wasn’t on the start line due to a training crash on the eve of the event. In 2023, she had to abandon due to a skin infection.
Longo Borghini was clear before the Giro d’Italia that her focus has been on preparing for her title defence there, so the question is whether she can continue to hold that race-winning form through the end of July and beyond. If not, the attention is likely to quickly switch to stage wins this year, with overall aspirations saved for the future when the greater gap between the two races in the calendar will better enable Longo Borghini to target both.
Movistar – Finding the missing puzzle piece
Marlen Reusser (Movistar) atop the podium in the Tour de Suisse (Image credit: Getty Images)
Movistar has been looking for a GC rider that could bring them back to the top at the Grand Tours since Annemiek van Vleuten retired, and while they have added strong riders to the team, they were still lacking a little something until Marlen Reusser came along.
The Swiss rider has brought the team back into prominence at the Tour de France Femmes this year, delivering a serious contender who has shown her ability to challenge Demi Vollering in recent months. The recruit from SD Worx-Protime bounced back from a tough season last year and has made a clear run to go for the overall, coming second to Vollering at the Vuelta Femenina and then taking the win at the Tour de Suisse.
Reusser joined a team with experience supporting an overall leader to the very top step, and in Reusser, the team have found the missing piece of the puzzle for the GC. Reusser will have Liane Lippert, Mareille Meijering, Ana Vitória Magalhaes, Sara Martín, Jelena Eric and Aude Biannic on board for support. Lippert, in particular, looks to be mining a strong vein of form given her two stage wins at the Giro d’Italia earlier this month.
Still, what this team – and others – appear to lack is an ability to play the numbers game. While Reusser may be able to stack up to Vollering, the question is, can she and the team tackle the climbing combination of Vollering, Muzic and Labous?
Lidl-Trek – Building for the future
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The departure of a rider like Elisa Longo Borghini was always going to leave a bit of a hole at Lidl-Trek, and while they have riders that can grow into a leadership role, that will take time. Gaia Realini is the most obvious rider to step into the void, but an illness-plagued season has slowed her progress. The signing of Niamh Fisher-Black from SD Worx-Protime has left them with an alternate overall option.
The Kiwi made the switch to the squad with the target of working toward being a GC leader, telling Cyclingnews at the start of the season that: “I’m really motivated to see what the potential is there. I think it’s difficult to become a GC rider. I still need to grow a lot, and there are a lot of things I need to work on.”
However, circumstances have meant she’s going to get the chance to test the waters on the biggest stage in cycling a little earlier than anticipated.
Stage wins are the goal for the team, both in the sprints with Elisa Balsamo and in breakaways, but the squad are also hopeful that Fisher Black can chase the GC. A fourth at the Tour de Suisse on the run in and sixth overall at La Vuelta Femenina are encouraging signs.
The 24-year-old may be feeling her way into a leadership position, but on her side is that she is doing it with a strong and experienced team around her. Apart from Balsamo, they also have Lucinda Brand, Emma Norsgaard, Riejanne Markus, Shirin van Anrooij and Amanda Spratt. It’s a group of riders that should have her covered no matter what the terrain. The meshing of rising talent and wisdom from the experienced team around her, both in the car and on the road, could be the perfect combination.
Visma-Lease a Bike – Agenda shift
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Marianne Vos has undoubtedly been the main Visma-Lease a Bike leader in the past at the Tour de France Femmes. While Vos, who won two stages in the first edition of the rebooted race, will still be key for the Dutch team, they have another big aim this year in Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. The French woman returned to the road in 2025 with a clear goal in mind: to win the Tour de France Femmes.
Given that the team hasn’t yet cracked the top 10 at the Tour de France Femmes, taking on the pursuit of yellow is not going to be an easy task. The team is used to success in other realms and have ambition, but there is every reason to be a little restrained when it comes to their GC hopes. The Visma-Lease a Bike squad hasn’t exactly been focused on a Grand Tour GC until now, and Ferrand-Prévot likely needs time to rebuild her familiarity with the peloton, this race, and her road form.
It’s hard to gauge exactly how Ferrand-Prévot, who won Paris-Roubaix in April, compares to her GC rivals because she hasn’t raced since an injury put her out of La Vuelta Femenina.
“Pauline is completely ready physically and mentally,” said team manager Rutger Tijssen. “The past two months, she has been able to prepare for the Tour in peace and quiet. We made a conscious decision not to ride races and focus on training. Whether that was the right choice, we will know on 3 August.”
Joining Ferrand-Prévot in the line-up in Vannes will be Vos, Lieke Nooijen, Eva van Agt, Imogen Wolff and Femke de Vries, along with debutante Marion Bunel, who is bound to be a valuable support rider on the climbs.
SD Worx-Protime – A new reality
(Image credit: Getty Images)
SD Worx-Protime were at the very top of the favourites list last year for most races, and certainly at the Tour de France Femmes with Demi Vollering as defending champion. In 2024, there was no doubt that they had their sights set on yellow, and the biggest surprise was that they missed it. This year couldn’t be more different.
At the start of the season, there was no reason to believe that the loss of Vollering would mean a loss of options to chase the top step of the General Classification podium in France – not when they had World Champion Lotte Kopecky in firing form after having already proven her abilities at the race. Kopecky, second overall in the 2023 Tour de France Femmes and again in the 2024 Giro d’Italia, proved just how well she could cope with the tough climbs. However, with the departure of Vollering, Marlen Reusser and Niamh Fisher-Black, the team’s options have shrunk.
Kopecky had to pull out of the Giro with back problems, and the world champion is now “assessing her options for the Tour de France day by day,” according to a team release. The original plan of going into the race with her as the sole leader is now in question.
The team that has long been so dominant is now resetting by largely focusing on stage wins, outlining that they are still keeping an open mind so they can assess the GC potential of Kopecky and also Anna van der Breggen as the race progresses.
Van der Breggen, pre-retirement, was a stage racing beast and has shown indications of her previous form. As a support rider, her knowledge from experience and her DS background is superior. However, after coming sixth overall in the Giro d’Italia, there is no reason to automatically assume she can step up as a plan B to Kopecky after a string of setbacks. SD Worx are still a strong team with Lorena Wiebes, Mischa Bredewold, Blanka Vas, Femke Gerritse and Elena Cecchini joining Kopecky and Van der Breggen. While they could still be fighting for the overall podium if all goes well, the era of everyone else racing for second is now well and truly over.