Who are the riders to watch in the 2023 Women's Tour de France?

File photo: (L/R): Netherlands' Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar Team), Poland's Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM), Belgium's Kim De Baat (Fenix-Deceuninck), Italy's Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) and Netherlands' Riejanne Markus (Jumbo-Visma) pose at the start of the women's one-day cycling race Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, for the first time part of the Women's World Tour races, 132km from Ghent to Ninove, February 25, 2023. © Tom Goyvaerts, AFP

As the Women's Tour de France rolls out of the French city of Clermont-Ferrand on Sunday, the Netherlands' Annemiek van Vleuten, who has already won this year's Giro d’Italia and Vuelta cycling races, is back to defend her title. However, a host of contenders are hoping to unseat her before she retires at the end of this year. FRANCE 24 takes a look at van Vleuten and her main challengers. 

Annemiek van Vleuten, reigning Women’s Tour de France champion