The fourth edition of the Tour de France Femmes begins in Brittany on Saturday with the defending champion, Kasia Niewiadoma, facing a range of new challengers as Demi Vollering seeks to avenge last year’s cruel four-second defeat on Alpe d’Huez.
While the Polish star has stated her wish to win back-to-back Tours, Vollering, who moved to the French team FDJ Suez at the end of last season, is determined to again conquer the race she won in 2023. Their duel on the slopes of Alpe d’Huez at the climax of last year’s race was one of the most gripping in the history of any Tour de France and led to the narrowest margin of overall victory ever, in either the men’s or women’s race.
