The 2024 Tour de France Femmes kicks off on Monday in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and on Wednesday, EF-Oatly-Cannondale released its Canadian-heavy seven-woman lineup. Paris Olympic Games gold medalist Kristen Faulkner will stay in France for another big show, as will Alison Jackson, who was 19th in the Olympic road race on Sunday.
Faulkner and Jackson will be joined by Canadians Clara Emond and Magdeleine Vallieres. It’s Jackson and Emond’s second Tour de France Femmes and Vallieres’ third. Emond claimed the Giro d’Italia’s fourth stage in July.
Another Canadian who has been announced for the race is Uno X Mobility’s Simone Boilard. Like Vallieres, Boilard is also racing her third Tour.
Last season, seven Canadians started, six finished and three—Emond, Olivia Baril (Movistar) and Boilard—were in the top-34, Emond highest at 23rd. It’s yet to be seen if Olympian Baril gets the call for her third Tour de France Femmes.
This year’s race ends on Alpe d’Huez. Can yellow jersey holder Demi Vollering of SD Worx-Protime destroy the field on Alpe d’Huez like she did last July on the Tourmalet? In 2023 Vollering took over the Dutch WorldTour Queen mantle from Annemiek van Vleuten, to whom she came runner-up in 2022. Vollering’s main challengers are Lidl-Trek’s Giro d’Italia winner Elisa Longo Borghini, Polish ace Katarzyna Niewiadoma and consistent French rider Juliette Labous.
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