On the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the battle between Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) and Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) was solely a part of the story. Whereas the yellow jersey was draped over the acquainted shoulders of Niewiadoma, it was the rising stars of girls’s biking who excited the followers throughout the seven days main as much as the finale. The eight-stage Tour delivered seven shock winners, most of whom had been little- or lesser-known names firstly.
The standout performances of those rising abilities sign a shift within the peloton. Whether or not it is the daybreak of a brand new technology or just a deepening discipline of expertise, the longer term appears to be like brilliant and aggressive.
Right here’s a take a look at the breakout riders of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift — names you may wish to bear in mind within the seasons forward.
Puck Pieterse
(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Staff: Fenix Deceuninck
Age:21
Nationality: The Netherlands
Arms down some of the thrilling playmakers of this yr’s Tour was 21-year-old Puck Pieterse. The Dutch cyclocross and mountain bike star remains to be “simply feeling it out” on the highway, however her performances depart us desirous to see much more of her.
The Tour de France Femmes marked her first-ever stage race. It was additionally her ninth highway race of the yr, following a short Spring marketing campaign that noticed her on the rostrum twice and miss out on the Prime-10 solely as soon as.
“Within the spring, I realized a bit about how the peloton works, and I can climb a bit of,” she instructed Biking Weekly at the beginning of the Tour. “However these final two days are actually large climbing days, and I’m not educated for that.” As a substitute of placing any expectations on herself, Pieterse went in anticipating to play extra of a supporting position for meant GC riders Yara Kastelijn and Pauliena Rooijakkers.
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Three days in, nonetheless, Pieterse was seen nabbing QOM factors and attacking the race favourites on her approach to successful the Liège stage on the line in a photograph end with Demi Vollering.
Staff director Michel Cornelisse instructed Biking Weekly afterwards that he had been something however stunned, stating, ” When Puck participates, she solely desires one factor, and that’s to win.”
For 2 days, Pieterse led the Climber’s and Younger Rider’s classification. She additionally went into the ultimate stage, sitting second within the general classification—not dangerous for a first-timer!
As soon as the Tour moved into the Alps, Pieterese misplaced the polka dots to Justine Gherieke however went residence with the perfect younger rider’s jersey. She completed eleventh general, third within the mountain classification, and eighth within the factors classification.
Cedrine Kerbaol
(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Staff: Certizit-WNT
Age: 23
Nationality: France
Cédrine Kerbaol delivered France its first-ever stage win within the Tour de France Femmes after a well-timed assault and a daring descent into Morteau on stage 6. The 23-year-old gave a masterclass in descending earlier than driving to the end solo to thundering applause from the French followers.
Stage 6 was the primary stage fully held on French soil. It was additionally the final stage earlier than the Tour’s large mountain phases. A breakaway was possible, and plenty of seemed to the French riders for the win, bolstered by the hoards of followers that got here out to cheer on their native heroes. With the hilly profile, French climber Juliette Labous (dsm-Firmenich) and Évita Muzic (FDJ-Suez) had been favoured to win, nevertheless it was final yr’s white jersey winner who made her mark.
Kerbaol gained such a lead on the descent that, for a minute, she even threatened Niewiadoma’s yellow jersey. However whereas her hole diminished earlier than the end, Kerbaol nonetheless had loads of time to take a seat up and rejoice the most important win of her profession.
“It is an unimaginable day for me, and I feel for lots of different folks. I hope the French are as comfortable as I’m. I hope it’s going to give them one thing to smile about, too,” Kerbaol mentioned post-race.
This victory on the world’s largest bike race was additionally significant for her Ceratizit-WNT staff, a UCI Ladies’s Continental Staff. Her teammates, who crossed the end line some 12 minutes later, celebrated like champions with cheers and fists raised in triumph. Their shared pleasure underscored the importance of the second for the complete squad.
“It is tremendous large as a result of it is a f*cking stage within the Tour de France,” Nina Berton instructed Biking Weekly. “It is one of many largest issues you possibly can win. And to win it with Cédrine is tremendous particular as a result of she’s French, and he or she actually labored tremendous arduous for this.”
Along with her stage win, Kerbaol moved into second place within the common classification, heading into the ultimate two phases of the Tour. Though she misplaced time on the mountainous Stage 7, she returned as a key contender on the ultimate day, fearlessly descending the Col du Glandon and showcasing her all-around power by ending sixth on the stage and within the general when the Tour concluded atop the Alpe d’Huez.
Justine Ghekiere
(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Staff: AG Insurance coverage – Soudal
Age: 28
Nationality: Belgium
Whereas Kerbaol displayed her descending mastery, Belgian rider Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance coverage-Soudal) demonstrated her prowess on the uphills.
The 28-year-old was an animater all through the seven days of racing, and her efforts put her into the white-and-red polka dot package on the finish of stage 6. She cemented her standing as Queen of the Mountains with a solo victory atop Le Grand Bornand on the next stage.
Whereas the race favourites had been taking part in GC video games, Ghekiere went on the assault on the Col de Saint-Jean-de-Sixt with a bit of over 13.5km but to go. When nobody adopted—whether or not from underestimation or lack of ability—she tackled the ultimate climb alone, displaying precisely what this rising star is able to.
Ghekiere secured the climber’s jersey on the Giro d’Italia Donne and the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya Femenina earlier this yr, which already hinted at her potential, however her stage win on the Tour de France Femmes stands as her largest outcome so far.
A bodily training trainer and private coach, Ghekiere solely began biking throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, turning to Zwift to remain match. Her spectacular energy numbers on the digital platform led to her first biking contract with Bingoal On line casino-Chevalmeire staff the very subsequent yr. She signed with AG Insurance coverage-Soudal forward of the 2023 season, and her star has been on the rise ever since.
“I actually don’t have any phrases. I feel I am dreaming, it is loopy,” Ghekiere commented post-race.
Charlotte Kool
(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)
Staff: dsm-Firmenich
Age: 25
Nationality: The Netherlands
Charlotte Kool (dsm-Firmenich) just isn’t a brand new expertise by any means, however she’s re-emerging after a sub-par season.
The sprinter got here up via the junior ranks, and her breakout season got here in 2023 when she wrote a string of victories in her identify. When sprinting sensation and DSM teammate Lorena Wiebes left for SD Worx, Kool seized the chance to fill the void. An thrilling rivalry between the 2 Dutch sprinters rapidly took form, with Kool popping out on prime at phases of the UAE Tour Ladies and once more at RideLondon Classique.
By including two extra stage wins on the 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Kool firmly established herself as one of many prime sprinters within the peloton.
Nonetheless, the extremely anticipated dash battles between Kool and Wiebes in 2024 didn’t fairly play out as anticipated. Whereas her rival continued to dominate, Kool struggled to achieve the rostrum’s prime step.
“It wasn’t my coaching. I used to be coaching properly however on the very finish of a race, my torso felt caught. It’s arduous to elucidate,” Kool mentioned.
She noticed medical doctors, chiropractors and physiotherapists however reduction would not come. Then, two weeks earlier than the beginning of the Tour de France Femmes, her medical staff had a breakthrough. After contracting one other virus following the Baloise Girls Tour in July and experiencing shortness of breath, a deeper investigation revealed the basis of the issue.
“It goes again to February,” Kool instructed Biking Weekly. “I bought actually sick—excessive fever and respiratory points. If you’ve been in poor health for a very long time, you possibly can develop shallow, high-torso respiratory, which ultimately disrupts your respiratory patterns and restricts your torso.”
By bodywork and workout routines, her physique began to return free once more. And the outcomes quickly adopted.
The opening stage of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift was poised for Wiebes, the highest sprinter with SD-Worx’s flawless lead-out practice. However a chaotic closing and a contact of wheels noticed Wiebes’ derailleur get ripped off, leaving Kool completely positioned to capitalize. She powered to victory, claiming the win, and the yellow and inexperienced jerseys alongside the best way.
Kool proved her win had been no fluke the very subsequent morning. When Wiebes launched her dash early right into a headwind, Kool slipped into her rival’s slipstream and timed her personal bounce completely, surging previous Wiebes to take a convincing victory, this time by not less than a wheel’s length.
Kool held the yellow jersey for 3 phases earlier than Vollering seized it with a dominant time trial. She additionally defended the inexperienced jersey till Stage 6, when Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) overtook her within the factors classification. However two stage wins and a number of other days in a jersey was a dream come true for Kool. Greater than something, the Dutch girl mentioned she’s comfortable to really feel like herself once more.
Now again to full well being, Kool has returned to her finest, reigniting her rivalry with Wiebes. The stage is about for an exhilarating battle between these two sprinting powerhouses in 2025, and we are able to’t wait to see the way it unfolds.
