After back-to-back races at RideLondon Classique and Tour of Britain Girls, the top-tier peloton returns to racing in Europe for the four-day Tour de Suisse Girls held from June 15-18.
The stronger climbers of the peloton will return to racing in Switzerland as a lot of them had competed within the extra mountainous phases races in Spain in early Could earlier than taking trip to recuperate through the sprinter-friendly occasions on British soil.
The Tour de Suisse won’t be essentially the most mountainous occasion on the calendar, however it’s a difficult route that can doubtless see the pure climbers and highly effective breakaway specialists excel. With a mid-race time trial additionally on the menu, there’s all to play for throughout the 4 days of racing which, for a lot of, may even present a constructing block towards the longer stage races of the Giro d’Italia Girls in July and the Tour de France Femmes in August.
Cyclingnews seems on the riders to look at within the fourth version of the Tour de Suisse Girls.
Defending champion Marlen Reusser has opted to skip the Tour de Suisse Girls this 12 months, however SD Worx-Protime nonetheless area the outright favorite in Demi Vollering.
The Dutch Champion completed second total in final 12 months’s version and has the power and expertise to provide her group a second consecutive victory. She comes into the race recovered from her back-to-back wins at Vuelta España Femenina, Itzulia Girls, and Vuelta a Burgos, with the purpose being to maintain her profitable streak alive.
Additionally it is the primary take a look at of the subsequent part of the season, which all level towards her main targets on the Olympic Video games and the Tour de France Femmes. The truth is, Vollering has not too long ago returned from previewing all eight phases, together with Alpe d’Huez, whereas travelling throughout France on a coaching vacation in her camper.
The course can also be well-suited to Vollering, who has confirmed her potential to succeed throughout hilly terrain, time trials and within the mountains. It will not be stunning if SD Worx-Protime dominated in all 4 phases and received the general classification.
Elise Chabbey offers her house crowds an actual contender to cheer for on the Tour de Suisse Girls. She completed second total in 2021 and fifth final 12 months.
Chabbey’s success on the Tour de Suisse Girls has grown from her power and talent to learn a race and be a part of essentially the most decisive breakaways, and she or he usually zeros in on gaining factors towards particular classes such because the mountain classification.
It will not be stunning to see Chabbey race similarly this 12 months. Even whereas probably working in a assist function for her teammate Kasia Niewiadoma, the rider who final month completed within the high 5 at each Vuelta a Burgos and Itzulia Girls may land herself a stage win and one other high inserting within the total classification.
Chabbey is perhaps considerably of a wildcard for Canyon-SRAM, however her consistency lies in her dedication to race aggressively, roll the cube, and benefit from each stage.
The Italian Champion returns to the Tour de Suisse Girls after ending third final 12 months behind SD Worx teammates Reusser and Vollering. She took a month-long break from competitors following the Vuelta España Femenina and so can be considerably of a wildcard, too.
Even when she just isn’t at her greatest, Longo Borghini will undoubtedly race for each phases and basic classification. She has a strong group to assist her aggressive model of racing, together with Brodie Chapman and Amanda Spratt, and the squad additionally has a pure climber in Gaia Realini.
Whereas it’s a top-tier occasion, the 4 days of racing provide considerably of a gauge for Longo Borghini to check her type on the hills, in a time trial, and towards a few of her essential rivals in greater occasions up forward.
FDJ-SUEZ can have two main playing cards to play with Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig and Évita Muzic. Uttrup Ludwig solely not too long ago returned to racing on the Vuelta a Burgos after taking three months off to recuperate from a fractured sacrum.
She not too long ago competed on the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya and seems to be on her approach to rebuilding her type towards goals later in the summertime. The Tour de Suisse ought to present a superb indication of the place her strengths are and what she wants to enhance on earlier than tackling occasions just like the Giro d’Italia Girls and the Tour de France Femmes.
Muzic could possibly be the extra doubtless contender for the general classification at this level, having proven promising outcomes earlier this 12 months; fourth at Flèche Wallonne, fifth at Vuelta España Femenina and second at Vuelta a Burgos.
She not too long ago expressed her disappointment over not being chosen by the French group to compete on the Olympic Video games, and so Muzic will undoubtedly wish to benefit from the top-tier stage racing along with her commerce group FDJ-SUEZ.
Juliette Labous earned a spot on the French group for the Olympic Video games and so her efficiency on the Tour de Suisse will doubtless be one of many first steps towards Paris.
She has had one among her greatest seasons thus far, with a fourth total at Vuelta España Femenina and third total at Itzulia Girls. Like a lot of her rivals, Labous took a protracted break after competing within the Ardennes Classics and Spanish stage races and is probably going recovered and able to start rebuilding her type.
Staff dsm-firmenich PostNL will go all-in for Labous with a strong assist group on the climbs of Becky Storrie, Nienke Vinke, and Eglantine Rayer.
She has additionally honed in on her time trial power, so look ahead to her to realize time within the total classification on stage 2, whereas holding her personal towards the likes of Vollering and Longo Borghini throughout the difficult hills in Switzerland.
EF Schooling-Cannondale is having a profitable debut season, with the brand new Continental outfit turning heads in practically each race they enter. The group has a number of riders to look at, together with one other house favorite, Noemi Rüegg, American Kristen Faulkner and New Zealand’s Kim Cadzow.
Rüegg received the primary race of the season for the group at Trofeo Felanitx-Colònia de Sant Jordi, after which went on to put second at Trofeo Binissalem-Andratx, eighth at Durango – Durango Emakumeen Saria and sixth total at Vuelta a Burgos.
Her teammate Faulkner has equally shined, profitable Omloop van het Hageland, taking two stage wins and second total at Trofeo Ponente in Rosa, a stage win and twelfth total at Vuelta España Femenina and victory within the highway race and second within the time trial on the USA Professional Street Championships. Faulkner additionally has ample expertise on the Tour de Suisse Girls, having completed second total behind Lucinda Model in 2022 after probably the most thrilling races of that season.
Then there’s Cadzow, who was seventeenth total when she debuted on the race final 12 months however since then the relative newcomer to the peloton has proven appreciable development. Other than profitable New Zealand’s time trial title and the Trofeo Ponente in Rosa the 22 12 months outdated has delivered a sixth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and high ten total at Vuelta España Femenina.
