Isabella Holmgren of Oro-Medonte, Ont., opened the Tour de l’Avenir Femmes with a statement ride on Sunday, winning the prologue in Tignes, France.
The 19-year-old WorldTour pro covered the three-km uphill time trial in eight minutes 43.57 seconds, finishing 16.64 seconds ahead of Italy’s Eleanora Ciabocco. Holmgren’s performance gave her the first leader’s jersey of the eight-day under-23 stage race.
Riding for the national team, Holmgren smoked a field stacked with some of the top u-23 talent in the world. The steep test in the French Alps highlighted her climbing prowess. It’s also a clear sign that she is a clear favourite for the overall classification.
Her sister, Ava, placed 23rd, Annabelle Thomas 51st, Kiara Lyklyk 72nd, Alex Volstad 75th and Mairen Lawson 92nd. Holmgren also claimed the youth and climbers’ jerseys.
The Tour de l’Avenir Femmes is regarded as a key showcase for future stars of the sport. It features several summit finishes and closes with a mountain time trial. It is considered the little sibling of the Tour de France. Many of the biggest names in cycling — including future Tour de France winners — have won the Tour de l’Avenir.
In 2024, Holmgren finished second overall and won the mountains jersey. Stage 2 is 129.8 km, running from Saint-Vulbas to Saint-Galmier. The men’s race is also going on concurrently, with a Canadian team there, as well.
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