Movistar have confirmed that Annemiek van Vleuten will seek back-to-back success in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, with Emma Norsgaard, Liane Lippert, Aude Biannic, Floortje Mackaij, Paula Patiño and Sheyla Gutiérrez completing the seven-rider Movistar line-up for the women’s Grande Boucle that begins in Clermont-Ferrand on Sunday.
Van Vleuten will retire at the end of 2023 but still dominates the hardest stage races in women’s cycling and won the recent Giro Donne leading the race from start to finish.
In 2022 Van Vleuten took the Tour de France Femmes yellow jersey after a fight back from early illness and then back-to-back stage wins in the final mountain stages. Last year Demi Vollering was not strong enough to challenge Van Vleuten but that could be very different this year after SD Worx’s dominance in the spring.
The second edition of the Tour de France Femmes includes some hilly early stages and chances for the sprinters before a grand finale in the Pyrenees. Stage seven climbs the Col d’Aspin and the Col du Tourmalet, while the final overall winner will be crowned after the 22 km time trial round Pau.
The women’s Movistar team will race in the white ‘iceberg’ colours the men’s team are using for the Tour de France to help in the expected hot weather. Sebastián Unzué will manage the team, with Jorge Sanz and Jürgen Roelandts as sports directors.
Since winning the Giro Donne, Van Vleuten has been trying and recovering at altitude in Italy, climbing the Passo dello Stelvio and other high mountains in preparation for the Tour de France Femmes.
Cyclingnews will have full coverage of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes with full live coverage and reports of each stage, pius news and interviews thanks to Women’s Editor Kirsten Frattini and Cyclingnews’ Women’s WorldTour correspondent Lukas Knöfler.
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