PILOT FISH: The Beginner’s Guide to the Tour de France Femmes

All image credits: Justin Britton

You’ve watched Netflix Unchained, you’ve enjoyed the Tour de France – maybe you even stuck around for the Olympic Games road race. But WAIT – before you go, can we interest you in a little more cycling?

Yes, in this new 'Pilot Fish'* series designed to guide new, casual or curious fans through the cycling season, we aim to take you on a journey and show you that there is a life of fanaticism beyond ‘La Grand Boucle’ – although in this case, it’s ANOTHER Tour de France – what more could you ask?

Is there a women’s Tour de France?

No doubt the thought will have crossed your mind if you’re new to cycling, or have only been following the men’s Tour thus far. You may well have visited your chosen internet search engine to try and discover the answer.

There have been many iterations of a women’s Tour de France over the years, but establishing a consistent, high-profile equivalent to the men’s race has taken until 2022 to come about. So we can finally answer the above question with the answer – yes, there IS a women’s Tour de France! And while nothing is perfect, it’s been a great start so far. Two races down, two incredible winners, and a third edition that’s set to offer spectacle, excitement and unpredictability – it’s the Tour de France, Jim, but not as we know it.

We’re here to talk you through what to look out for, who to keep your eye on, and generally outline how it’s all going to go down in France next week – wait – it is in France, right?

The Dutch Grand Tour?

If you’re used to the Tour de France, you’ll be no stranger to the foreign ‘Grand Départ'. In fact, the men’s Tour hasn’t started in France since 2021, and even that year it wasn’t supposed to, but was relocated from the original host nation Denmark, due various scheduling issues caused by the covid-19 pandemic. Denmark took their turn in the end, in 2022; last year it was the turn of the Basque Country, and this year fair Florence was where we laid our scene, for the first three days of the race.

Usually a foreign Grand Départ takes in three stages, before the race makes its way back into France via the most sensible route. Three stages out of 21 isn’t that much in the grand scheme of things. But when you only have eight stages to play with, doesn’t starting in a country that isn’t France seem a bit – odd? Well, yes, in truth it is strange, particularly when you consider that not only are the first FOUR stages taking place in the Netherlands (day two has two stages), but the fifth stage begins in Belgium, so the race is actually spending less than half its time in France. Baffling on the face of it, but it's likely due in large part to the home Olympic Games that the nation will still be reeling from, just one day after the closing ceremony on Sunday (the TDFF would usually begin on a Sunday, prior to the final stage of the men's Tour, but has compressed its usual eight stages into seven days to compensate for just that).

Also, at the tender age of just three years old, it does seem a bit early to be venturing over borders, but if we’re going anywhere, the Netherlands makes perfect sense. The nation has played a vital role in the development of the top level of women’s cycling, and the first two winners of the race – Annemiek van Vleuten and Demi Vollering – both hail from the nation. It seems a fitting tribute then, that we begin in their home country.

Women’s cycling: like men’s, but with more colourful kits?

We could write a full piece about the differences between men’s and women’s pro cycling – there are many, and it doesn’t just boil down to team sponsors and colour-fade kits (which are stunning, I might add). It’s fair to say that you don’t need to know every nuance to get into the racing, so for speed and ease of understanding, let’s be brief here.

The peloton is smaller, although not by much – 22 teams will line up for the race – two-thirds of them World Tour and the rest Continental level – but each is composed of seven riders rather than eight at the men’s race, resulting in a bunch of 122 riders.

Women’s races tend to be more open and attacking than men’s. Though there are notable exceptions, and there will always be quiet flat stages, in general, the women’s peloton is less tightly controlled, and breakaways are often successful. Half the stages of the 2023 race were won from the break – there were in fact eight different stage winners from the eight stages – and there have been numerous examples of breakaway wins throughout the season so far this year, with plenty of teams bringing teams of riders who love nothing more than to go for broke and upset the odds – just look at Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner, who did just that in Paris last week. Her EF-Oatly-Cannondale team are notable for their breakaway victories and will be ones to watch this year.

All in all, it’s tougher to predict how individual stages will go down, in women’s racing. Like the men’s though, there is a strong favourite for the GC…

The Protagonist

Of course, a Grand Tour is composed of many competing narratives, with riders going for different jerseys, alongside stage wins, and of course the ultimate prize – the yellow leader’s jersey that is worn each day by the overall race leader.

One woman has dominated stage racing this season, and that is Team SD Worx-ProTime’s Demi Vollering. Is she the Pogačar of the women’s peloton? Or is he the Vollering of the men’s? The comparisons are disingenuous to either, as they both go about building their own glittering palmares, but Demi is in a league of her own this season, when it comes to stage racing. She has already won La Vuelta Femenina – the first of the three ‘Grand Tours’ for women – and while she didn’t take part in the Giro d’Italia Women, she was busy conquering a swathe of other stage races, with three other GC victories this season, at every possible opportunity. She is supported by a team of hitters who are committed to her cause, and it’s hard to look past her sealing back-to-back victories at the race.

The Rivals

Of course, the rest of the peloton aren’t going to just sit back and hand it to Vollering on a yellow plate, because that would be ridiculous. As we’ve seen in the past, bike racing is a fickle mistress and anything really can happen, and often does.

So who is out to steal the crown of the golden girl from last year’s race?

Lidl-Trek are your first port of call, when looking for worthy rivals. The American team have challenged the Dutch team consistently for the past few seasons, and are getting stronger every year. They have two potential leaders: Elisa Longo Borghini – winner of the women’s Giro d’Italia, veteran rider of 12 seasons, winner of – well, pretty much everything at some point in her career. Longo Borghini is a fierce competitor and will take on anyone who stands in her way. Riding with her, pocket rocket Gaia Realini – the smallest rider you’re likely to see at the race, Realini is an incredible climber and a gritty competitor. She took a stage win at last year’s Vuelta ahead of the legend Annemiek van Vleuten – she fears no-one.

Canyon//SRAM have two strong prospects in Kasia Niewiadoma and Neve Bradbury. Both have beaten Vollering this season – though not on GC – but it’s likely the more experienced rider, feisty Polish gravel world champion Niewiadoma, will take the lead for the team, who have come on leaps and bounds this season. Niewiadoma is a demon descender who doesn’t know when she’s beaten, and will give everything and more.

FDJ-SUEZ bring a strong team featuring Danish dynamite Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig and French climber Évita Muzic. Yes, we know some people call Jonas Vingegaard by that nickname, but Cecilie truly fits the moniker. I issue you this homework right now – go to YouTube – type in ‘Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig happy dead fish’ and watch the interview that will pop up as the first result – you will not regret it. (OK fine, I've done your homework for you, you're welcome - content warning - contains swearing!)

A former stage winner at the TDFF, Cecilie suffered a bad crash earlier in the season which means she may not be firing on all cylinders at the race, though she will absolutely do her damnedest. Step in Évita, who has beaten Vollering on a mountain stage this season, at La Vuelta, and could complete the Grand Tour trilogy of stage wins if she can win here. A gifted climber, Muzic will likely lead the team on GC, and is relishing the prospect of the mighty Alpe d’Huez, a climb close to her home roads.

Other ones to watch: Kristen Faulkner (EF-Oatly-Cannondale), Kim Le Court (AG Insurance Soudal), Cédrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling), Liane Lippert (Movistar)

The side characters

Every story needs characters who steal the show, and there are plenty of candidates this year.

THE ANIMATORS

As mentioned, the breakaway as an entity has been faring very well this year in the women’s peloton, and did so at last year’s TDFF. Plenty of riders might be in a breakaway on any given day, and depending on the situation on GC, there are a great many riders who might ride to a stage victory – but who are the riders who will stir the pot, throw themselves into the hunt, and just generally kick the race into a new gear, to the delight of all of us watching at home?

Puck Pieterse. If you don’t know the name, go search on YouTube, Google, Instagram, wherever you like, and you’ll find one of the greatest characters in our sport. Hugely talented off-road, Pieterse divides her time mostly between cyclocross in the winter, and mountain biking in the summer, but this season has seen her take to the roads with continental team Fenix-Deceuninck, where she’s proceeded to pay absolutely no heed to the idea that you should probably just cool it and play it safe until near the end of the race – nope. Puck attacks. Trust me on this one. And she’s been close to winning several times – look out world!

Faulkner’s teammate, Canadian champion, Alison Jackson, is another rider who you need to go check out on Instagram. Her legendary dancing and big personality make her truly one of a kind, and on the bike she’s a tough customer, as she proved when she won the notoriously tough one-day cobbled race Paris-Roubaix in 2023. A strong rouleur capable of upsetting sprinters on supposed bunch finish days, Jackson has already won a stage at La Vuelta this year, and she’s coming for your Tour stages, mark my words.

The AG Insurance-Soudal Team will be ones to watch at the race, and while their Mauritian champion Kim Le Court made waves at the Giro d’Italia women, their fan favourite, beloved former Australian champion Sarah Gigante, is the kind of rider to look out for kicking the race into life and turning herself inside out in pursuit of victory. Winner of her home race, the Santos Tour Down Under, earlier this year, Gigante wears her heart on her sleeve and is great value.

If you watched the Olympic Road Race, you might have seen Great Britain’s Pfeiffer Georgi going all out to try and make a move away from the lead group on the Montmartre circuit. A smart tactical racer, resilient classics specialist and fast at the finish, Georgi will be on lead-out duties for Charlotte Kool for the flat stages, but look out for her giving it her all on some of the other stages and generally being instrumental in the action.

Like Puck Pieterse, Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek) is an exceptional cyclocrosser – but unlike Pieterse, she is an experienced road racer at the top level too, and while she’ll be working for her leaders for the most part and may not have the freedom that Pieterse has, she is the kind of rider who will be used by her team to set up moves, chase down others, and generally put her nose in the wind and make things happen.

Grace Brown – the Olympic time trial champion is no stranger to a breakaway win herself, and has won races solo in the past against top level competition. She may be in the final season of her career, but she’s already proven she wants to go out on a high. She beat Vollering and the all the other favourites at this year’s Liege-Bastogne-Liege and she’s in the form of her life – what can’t she do?

THE SPRINTERS

They only have three chances, maybe only two depending on how stage 5 plays out (see below), but the fast women will hope to take those chances at this year’s Tour, in the hope of taking home a prestigious stage win, or even the coveted green jersey.

The fastest of them all is Lorena Wiebes. Like Vollering, she also rides for Team SD Worx-ProTime (yes they have an embarrassment of riches) and she’s convincingly beaten all of her rivals throughout this season – on paper, she’s the hot favourite. Challenging her, the legend herself, Marianne Vos of Visma-Lease A Bike (see Olympics post for more on why she’s the GOAT), former world champion Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek), and the woman with arguably the most well-drilled lead-out in the bunch, Charlotte Kool (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL). Expect fireworks!

ANYONE ELSE?

Look, I want to include so many more riders here, and the reason it’s hard is because women’s cycling is so unpredictable, that every race you’re seeing different names crop up, new faces make their mark, and riders who you’ve not heard of before do something incredible. It's too hard to pick out just a few.

GIVE US SOME MORE NAMES!

OK fine. Here are a few more names who may feature - outsiders but ones to look out for nonetheless: Mareille Meijering (Movistar) - breakaway hopeful and strong rouleur; Fem van Empel (Visma-Lease A Bike) - current cyclocross world champion, fast, with a big engine; Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) bit of an all-rounder, not afraid to attack; Marion Bunel (St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93) pure climber, just 19 years old, but has shown promise this season; Kim Cadzow (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) fearless breakaway specialist and may even be up there on GC.

But there really is no way of knowing who will shine and that’s the beauty of cycling. Come what may, these women will fight tooth and nail to be the one who’s name you remember, to be your new favourite rider, and to prove that they deserve every bit of your attention – so don’t miss a moment. Speaking of which...

Which stages shall I watch?

ALL OF THEM! No seriously, there are no days off at the Tour de France Femmes, unlike at the men’s version where let’s face it, there were at least three that you could quite happily have skipped. Even the flat stages can throw up surprises, especially in women’s racing, and even more especially at the most prestigious race of the year – remember what I said earlier about eight different stage winners at last year’s race? Exactly. Dominance does not come easily in the women’s peloton.

Here’s what to expect from each stage, though, in case you’re short on time and need some hints other than ‘watch all of it!’

Stage 1 – Monday 12 August: Rotterdam – La Haye (123km, Flat)

Long, flat and sketchy, it’s not the way many of the riders would have wanted to start the race. With the potential for crosswinds and plenty of road furniture and tricky corners to navigate on the mostly urban parcours, the GC teams will need to be on their guard and protecting their leaders on this opening stage which is almost guaranteed to end in a bunch sprint.

Stage 2 – Tuesday 13 August – Dordrecht – Rotterdam (69.7km, Flat)

The first of two stages on ‘split stage Tuesday’ (as literally only me is calling it), this short stage could go one of two ways – the explosive, all-out battle from flag drop that organisers are probably hoping for, or far more likely, option two – a cautious, damp squib of a flat stage that will once again see GC teams riding conservatively and will once again probably end in a bunch sprint.

Stage 3 – Tuesday 13 August – Rotterdam – Rotterdam (6.3km, Individual Time Trial)

Part 2 of split-stage Tuesday sees the riders take on a short 6km time trial around Rotterdam. Great for the fans on site who get to see two races in one day AND have time for lunch in between. Not so great for the riders, who have to step off the bike after a stressful 70km, recompose themselves, and head out on their time-trial bikes to try not to lose any time on GC. It’s short, so any losses should be mercifully small.

Stage 4 – Wednesday 14 August – Valkenburg – Liège (122.7km, Hilly)

Now we are talking. If you are a casual viewer you may not be familiar with the Ardennes Classics, which take place in the late spring in the Netherlands and Belgium – they always see open, attacking racing and the organisers have played a blinder with this stage, combining the opening of one of the classic races (the Amstel Gold Race) with the ending of another (Liège-Bastogne-Liège) as the race moves into Belgium. This is a hilly day of constant ups and downs, and with the stress of the opening stages behind them, the women will relish the opportunity to open the tank and get stuck in – expect many attacks and an all-out battle for the line.

Stage 5 – Thursday 15 August – Bastogne – Amnéville (152.5km, Flat)

The final opportunity for the sprinters, the race begins in Belgium before finally heading to France, where we’ll see the sprinters take on a tricky finish which kicks up at the end – this will suit the likes of Lorena Wiebes and Marianne Vos, and may invite late attacks from non-sprinters hoping to grab a precious stage victory. A bunch sprint? Probably, but it’s not as nailed-on as the first two stages.

Stage 6 – Friday 16 August – Remirement – Morteau (122.5km, Hilly)

The first stage of the race to take place entirely in France, finally we head into the mountains, and the GC race will take over. There’s an early climb to kick off proceedings on stage 6 followed by a long flat section where things may settle (assuming there are no pesky crosswinds) – then strap in for the second half of the stage, which features four categorised climbs and is bound to draw out attacks, and make for a thrilling finale.

Stage 7 – Saturday 17 August – Champangole – Le Grand-Bornand (166.4km, Mountain)

It’s long, it’s lumpy, and it heads a long the Swiss border. What is it? Stage 7 of course. The longest stage of this year’s race in face, and the toughest challenge of the race so far, the Col de la Croix de la Serra is first up. 12km long and averaging 5.1%, this category 1 climb will offer the chance for GC contenders to strike early attacks, or at least drop those who can’t handle the pace. Four more categorised climbs follow, including two final, almost conjoined, cat 2 climbs that lead up to the first summit finish of the race.  The stage will shake up the standings and give us a clearer picture of who is really in line to take home that prized maillot jaune.

Stage 8 – Sunday 18 August – Le Grand-Bornand – Alpe d’Huez (149.9km, Mountain)

Hoooo-wee. It’s the big kahuna. The one you’ve all been waiting for. The one which, when it was revealed at the route presentation last autumn, had riders and fans alike rubbing their hands together in glee. Last year, the women took on the fearsome Col du Tourmalet for the first time, and it was truly, truly epic. This year, they will tackle probably the only climb that can rival or even outstrip the Tourmalet in terms of its legendary status, and significance to the Tour de France: Alpe d’Huez.

With its 21 hairpin bends, the climb is iconic, and along with the intimidating Col du Glandon before it, it will decide this year’s GC once and for all, on arguably the toughest Queen stage the women will have ever faced. I cannot WAIT to see that stage – make sure that wherever you are in the world, you find a TV screen and a seat and park yourself for the duration of this one.

Do we really have to say ‘avec Zwift’?

Sadly, women’s cycling is still under development, and while things have improved massively in terms of money coming into the sport, broadcasting and media coverage, there is still work to be done. The role of Zwift as title sponsor of the role cannot be underestimated, and as such, while you may get fed up with hearing the commentators repeat it – they are a big part of the reason why the race gets to go ahead in the first place. Thanks Zwift! (This is not a sponsored post, honest).

Any questions?

This series is for you, and as such, I’d love to hear your feedback, and find out what you feel works, and what you’d like to see more/less of.

Next up, La Vuelta España – the final men’s Grand Tour of the year, and a race without either Tadej or Jonas? Whatever will they think of next! Join us in a few days to find out what, when, where, how and who as we pilot you to Spain. Well, Portugal, then Spain (those pesky overseas starts strike again!)

In the meantime, follow along on the website for full coverage of the Tour de France Femmes with the daily Dispatches, featuring race reports, opinion pieces, interviews and exclusive images from photographer Justin Britton.

*Why 'Pilot Fish'?

Many of the cycling terms we use on a regular basis come from French – bidon, peloton, domestique, maillot jaune... all of this popular terminology derives from the French language. A phrase that hasn’t made it across in translation, however is the French for ‘lead-out rider’: ‘poisson pilote’ – or pilot fish, in English.

It describes the rider who guides a sprinter into a position from which they can win a race – but we’re adopting it here at writebikerepeat.com for this ongoing series in which we’ll guide you – the new, casual or curious budding cycling fan – through the intricacies of a sport which is pretty complicated with a huge range of characters, races and rules to wrap your head around. It can feel overwhelming at times so we hope you’ll find it useful. Feel free to get involved by asking questions, and we will show you there is a world beyond the Tour de France, and it’s well worth coming along for the ride.