“We were also looking for a rider who is competitive on the gravel circuit, but who can also be an asset to our road team. Axelle fits the bill perfectly,” team manager Elsa Tromp enthuses. “On the road, she’s a bit of an all-rounder, and on gravel, she has the endurance for stage races and the speed for one-day races. Axelle doesn’t have a typical cycling background, and I appreciate that. I think it gives her a healthy perspective on cycling and life, as she has sometimes chosen to step away from the sport. This maturity speaks volumes about her character.”
In Axelle’s story, there are clear similarities to her older sister. Just like Pauline, Axelle gave up on road at one point, but eventually, the calls of Tour de France Femmes were too strong to resist. Of course, unlike Pauline, Axelle doesn’t aim to win Tour by a long shot, but even just participating would be a dream come true, she indicates:
“When I heard a few years ago that the Tour de France was coming back, I was no longer active in the cycling world. I felt a bit sad that I would never be able to participate. I’m French, and when someone asks me what I do and I say I’m a cyclist, they immediately ask if I’m riding the Tour de France,” she explains.
“That’s the benchmark. Now that I’ve seen the race and see that EF Education-Oatly really wants to achieve something big in the Tour, I would love to be part of the Tour squad someday.”