After a solid performance on stage 6 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the team has a bit of a swagger about it ahead of the crucial mountain stages.
Cor Vos
The FDJ-Suez staff assemble the turbos for the riders to cool down. There are three turbos set up, in an arrow-like formation. Two small ice baths sit behind them. The mechanics are wrestling with the constant movement of the sun to keep everything in the speckled shade of overhead trees. The late afternoon sun stings.
Team leader Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) rolls up to her bus first. The mechanic takes her bike immediately, as the Dutchwoman pauses to sign a piece of merchandise for a young girl. Even after the first true test in the mountains, Vollering nurtures her fanbase, and the next generation.
Quickly, she hops on the turbo trainer. The legs start to rotate, and an ice vest is slipped over her shoulders. Soon after, Juliette Labous joins her teammate. She gets on the trainer farthest from the gathering press. Évita Muzic rolls in, taking her bike to the turbo closest to the microphones. They all sit up and look at each other. No real celebration, despite Labous’ late attack and daring descent to finish second, 1:09 behind the French winner Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ). This team still has a job to do, but today was key in that campaign for the Alps. FDJ-Suez looks the picture of strength.
Évita Muzic will play a key role for Demi Vollering in the days ahead.
There were doubts surrounding the strength of Muzic and Labous in previous stages. They had a lacklustre Giro d’Italia Women; honestly, they were nowhere to be seen. Muzic was their highest finishing rider at 8:25 down on GC; Labous was almost half an hour back. Then, their presence in the first five stages of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift was barely felt on the results sheet. No doubt, the team rode extremely well as a unit, but as individuals, their form was not tested nor apparent.
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