The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is about to start on Sunday, July 23, and it promises to be an exciting race. The eight-day event will cover 956km of varied terrain, from flat stages to hilly stages, from a mountainous Queen Stage to a final time trial. The race will feature 154 riders from 22 teams, including 10 North Americans – three from the U.S. and seven from Canada.
Last year, the race was won by Annemiek van Vleuten, who became the first woman to wear the yellow jersey since 1990. She faced a tough challenge from Tadej Pogačar, who won three stages and finished second overall. This year, both riders are back to defend their titles, but they will face strong competition from other contenders.
Let’s take a look at the North American riders who will be taking part in this year’s Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
U.S. riders
Megan Jastrab (Team DSM-Firmenich)
Jastrab is a young talent who has already shown her potential in the WorldTour. The 21-year-old is a former junior world champion and a two-time collegiate national champion. She has also achieved some impressive results this year, such as second place at Gent-Wevelgem and two top-five finishes at the Giro d’Italia Donne. Jastrab has a powerful sprint and could be a threat on the flat stages.
Coryn Labecki (Jumbo Visma)
Labecki is an experienced racer who has won several races in her career, including stages at the Giro d’Italia Donne and the Women’s Tour Down Under. She recently won the U.S. national criterium title and finished second in the road race behind Chloé Dygert. She also helped her Jumbo Visma team win the team time trial at the Vuelta Feminina this year. Labecki is a versatile rider who can support her team and also go for stage wins.
Veronica Ewers (EF-Education-Tibco-SVB)
Ewers is one of the best climbers in the peloton and a serious contender for the overall classification. The 26-year-old finished fourth overall at the Giro d’Italia Donne this year and came close to winning a stage. She also helped Alison Jackson win the Canadian road race title. Ewers will be aiming for a high GC finish and maybe even a stage win on the mountains.
Canadian riders
Alison Jackson (EF-Education-Tibco-SVB)
Jackson is not only a great teammate but also a great rider in her own right. The 34-year-old is an Olympian, a multiple Canadian national champion and, most recently, a Paris-Roubaix winner. She can sprint, climb and ride on the cobbles. She will be supporting her team’s GC ambitions but also looking for opportunities to win a stage.
Magdeleine Vallieres (EF-Education-Tibco-SVB)
Vallieres is one of the youngest riders in the race at only 21 years old, but she has already proven herself in the WorldTour. She finished ninth overall in the young riders classification at last year’s Tour de France Femmes and has had some solid GC finishes this year as well. She will be working for her team leader Veronica Ewers but also trying to improve her white jersey performance.
Sara Poidevin (EF-Education-Tibco-SVB)
Poidevin is another strong climber on the EF-Education-Tibco-SVB team, who will be helping Ewers in the mountains. She also helped Jackson win the Canadian road race title this year. She has some good results in her palmares, such as winning the Colorado Classic in 2017 and finishing third overall at the Tour de l’Ardèche in 2019.
Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Cofidis Women Team)
Pilote Fortin is a reliable domestique who has been racing professionally since 2014. She has raced for several teams, including Wiggle High5 and Astana Women’s Team, before joining Cofidis Women Team this year. She will be looking to help her team secure a stage win or a good GC result.
Simone Boilard (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93 WE)
Boilard is a former junior world championship medalist and a talented climber. She races for the Continental team of St Michel-Mavic-Auber93 WE, which is one of the wildcard teams invited to this year’s Tour de France Femmes. Boilard has had some good GC finishes in 2022 but has not been able to replicate them this season. She will be looking for a breakthrough result in this year’s Tour.
Clara Emond (Arkea Pro Cycling)
Emond is another Canadian climber who has shown her abilities this year. She finished second overall at the Vuelta Extremadura Feminas and won the mountains classification. She also had some good rides at the Tour de Suisse. Emond will be aiming for a high GC finish and maybe a stage win on the hills.
Olivia Baril (UAE Team ADQ)
Baril is a promising young rider who joined the UAE Team ADQ this year after racing for their development team. She has had some impressive results, such as finishing fourth overall at the Itzulia Women’s Tour and second in both the time trial and the road race at the Canadian nationals. Baril is a versatile rider who can sprint, climb and time trial. She will be looking to make an impact in her first Tour de France Femmes.
