The place to watch the Tour de France Femmes is right here on SBS. Replays, mini stage recaps, extended highlights, winning moments and live streaming can be found on the and the SBS Skoda Tour Tracker,available for download on and from August 12 to 18.
Million-dollar question
Much has been said of Demi Vollering’s likely departure from SD Worx-Protime, with the Tour de France Femmes firming as her final major event before her contract expires at the end of the season.
Though sources believe the Dutch star has been offered a deal worth one million euros per year, time is running out as it pertains to her other options on the table.
Lidl-Trek were reportedly interested in securing the 27-year-old’s signature, before pulling the pin in favour of their current squad and setup.
FDJ-Suez and UAE Team ADQ were two other teams believed to be in the mix, but as it stands, no offer has yet caught Vollering’s eye ahead of the biggest race on the calendar.
Should she successfully defend her crown, however, her list of suitors may increase - along with their respective offers.
Race for yellow
Reigning champion Demi Vollering is back to defend her title in 2024 but will face stiff competition from a host of rival riders.
Last year’s queen of the mountains Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) is certain to challenge in the general classification, with rival and Giro d'Italia Women winner Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) forced to withdraw after a fall in training.
Juliette Labous of DSM-Firmenich PostNL is another rider with high hopes on home soil, as are Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal QuickStep) and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-Suez).
Remaining podium hopefuls include Marta Cavalli (FDJ-Suez), Gaia Realini (Lidl-Trek), Ane Santesteban (Laboral Kutxa-Fundacion Euskadi), and Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon-SRAM).
Australia’s own
The Tour de France and the Olympics weren’t the only thing keeping Australian athletes in France, with the Tour de France Femmes certain to feature more faces from Down Under.
At the time of writing, seven Australians will take to the start line in the Netherlands, each with different roles and responsibilities as the race travels through Belgium and into France.
Liv AlUla Jayco will have two representatives in the form of Amber Pate and Ruby Roseman-Gannon, while Brodie Chapman will line up for Lidl-Trek, with Sarah Roy and Josie Talbot confirmed for Cofidis.
FDJ-Suez, meanwhile, will have Grace Brown back on the road fresh from her gold medal-winning performance in the Olympic time trial; and Canyon-SRAM will count on Neve Bradbury after the 22-year-old finished third overall at the Giro d’Italia Women.
No rest for the weary
Unlike other Grand Tours, the Tour de France Femmes will feature two stages packed into the same day in what is a treat for fans, but not so much the riders.
Stages 2 and 3 will take place in the Netherlands, with the former spanning 67 kilometres from Dordrecht to Rotterdam, before a 6.3-kilometre time trial rounds out the action.
The journey to South Holland is a rather flat one that should favour the sprinters, before the individual race against the clock offers an opportunity to make some ground in the general classification.
While lacking in technical sections – and climbs – the time trial is at the very least an exciting way to round out the opening days in the Netherlands before the first hills of the Tour await on Stage 4.
A climb to remember
For the first time in the history of the Tour de France Femmes, the famous slopes of Alpe d’Huez will dictate the final pedal strokes.
One of cycling's most famous climbs will conclude the final stage of the race, featuring over 3,900 metres of climbing, where the hardest section comes four kilometres from the finish line.
It will mark a seminal moment for the women’s peloton, and Australian Amanda Spratt was quick to acknowledge this during a recent episode of the SBS Cycling Podcast.
“It’s incredible that we are finishing up Alpe d’Huez,” Spratt said. “It’s incredible… we as a women’s peloton, women’s cycling, we are getting to race up these iconic climbs.”
“A climb with so much history,” she added. “I really hope we have a Dutch corner, for example, I’m sure we will.
“The fans up that climb are going to be incredible.”
