The third edition of the Tour de France Femmes took riders over 946km from Rotterdam to the top of Alpe d'Huez but, with plenty of obstacles along the way, many of the 153 riders that started did not make it to the end, with 43 riders ultimately withdrawing along the way.
In fact the announcements of the riders having to step away from the race started even before it began, with a positive COVID-19 test for New Zealand's Kim Cadzow on the eve of the event leaving EF-Oatly-Cannondale one rider down and the number of riders in the peloton at the start of stage 1 at 153. Elisa Longo Borghini, on the other hand, was a little earlier in having to pull the pin after a training crash so Lidl-Trek had time to replace the in form Italian rider.
The in race crashes, illness, fatigue and time cuts during the race, however, were final. That left some with stage victory hopes shattered, others with lead out trains taxed and overall contenders having to fight for yellow with the odds stacked against them – such is the inevitability of attrition in stage racing.
Throughout the eight stages and seven days of racing from Monday August 12 to Sunday August 18 that made up the third edition of the Tour de France Femmes, Cyclingnews tracked the withdrawals, so read on for the final tally.
Stage 1
There were a number of crashes in the nervous first flat 124km stage from Rotterdam to The Hague but the biggest cause of attrition on day one was the inevitably fierce pace.
Ekaterina Knebeleva, Asal Rizaeva, Mohinabonu Elmurodova and Madina Kakhorova (Tashkent City Women) – DNF
As a team that ranked in the top 18, the team from Uzbekistan automatically qualifies for a place in every Women's WorldTour race but most of the riders in the team don't have the depth of experience at the top level found within much of the Tour de France Femmes peloton. The intensity and pace of that hard-fought opening stage proved too much for Ekaterina Knebeleva, Madina Kakhorova as well as 19-year-old Asal Rizaeva and the 18-year-old Mohinabonu Elmurodova, who were the third and second youngest riders on the start line in Rotterdam.
Natalie Grinczer (Roland) - DNF
The Tour de France Femmes was Natalie Grinczer's first race back since a nasty crash at La Vuelta Femenina in April which included head trauma and left her with a tough recovery. The British rider made it to the start line but was unable to finish.
Stage 2
There were no withdrawals on the first race of the double-stage day on Wednesday, a 67 km dash from Dordrecht to Rotterdam.
Stage 3
The second outing on Wednesday was a 6.3km time trial, with the number of starters reduced to 147 when one rider was unable to line up.
Dilyxine Miermont (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) - DNS
After crashing in the morning stage French rider Dilyxine Miermont had to leave the race, with the 24-year-old's second time at the event being cut short before she got to head into home territory or the stages that played to her strengths.
Stage 4
Wednesday's stage 4 was the biggest so far for abandons, firstly with a number of riders who had managed to nurse themselves through the double stage day not starting and then more stepping away through the wet and slippery day. In the end ten riders abandoned on the stage from Valkenburg to Liège, leaving the number of riders left in the peloton down to 137.
Christina Schweinberger (Fenix-Deceuninck) - DNS
The day may have ended with jubilation for Fenix-Deceuninck after Puck Pieterse won the stage but it started with the announcement on social media that the 27-year-old Austrian Christina Schweinberger would have to pull the pin on her time at the 2024 Tour de France Femmes. "Unfortunately, today we start the avec Zwift with one less rider. "Christina Scheinwberger has been struggling with gastrointestinal complaints since yesterday and since health obviously takes precedence, the medical staff decided to let her recover," said Fenix-Deceuninck.
Clara Emond (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) - DNS
Illness also hit the EF-Oatly-Cannondale squad, with the team saying that Clara Emond wouldn't be at the start due to a "non-COVID illness".
Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) - DNS
A crash in the final kilometre of stage 1 took its toll on Elise Chabbey and while she managed to forge on a for another day afterwards, working through the soreness, she had to pull the pin on Wednesday.
Nafosat Kozieva (Tashkent City Women) - DNS
The rider from Uzbekistan was unable to line up on stage 4, with the departure of Nafosat Kozieva leaving the team starting in Valkenburg with just two riders.
Martina Alzini (Cofidis) - DNF
The first abandon once the tough day of racing got underway was Martina Alzini, who came ninth on stage 2 to Rotterdam.
Debora Silvestri (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) - DNF
Gastrointestinal problems brought Debora Silvestri's race to an early end.
Daria Pikulik (Human Powered Health) - DNF
It was a sixth for the Olympic silver medallist on the opening stage sprint at the Tour de France Femmes, but Daria Pikulik bowed out during stage 4 as the climbs began and the chances for the sprinters dwindled.
Elyne Roussel (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) - DNF
The second rider to depart for St Michel-Mavic-Auber93, with the absence of Elyne Rousse leaving the team who has Marion Bunel chasing a high position in the youth classification down to six.
Maggie Coles-Lyster (Roland) - DNF
Even after a fall on day 1, Maggie Coles-Lyster managed to deliver eighth in the stage 2 bunch sprint, however the impact caught up with the Canadian who had to bow out during stage 4.
Margarita Misyurina (Tashkent City Women) - DNF
The final rider to bow out on stage 4 was Uzbekistan's 21-year-old national champion Margarita Misyurina, leaving her Tashkent City Women team with one rider left in the event.
Stage 5
On stage 5 as the race hit French soil for the first time in 2024, it looked like it could be a day where just one rider had to leave the race but the tally grew after a dramatic crash within ten kilometres to go. That caused another two immediate departures but given the number of riders down and nursing injuries to the line it could also have consequences in the coming stages. There were 134 riders left in the race at the end of Thursday's stage.
Špela Kern (Cofidis) - DNF
After a crash on Wednesday Špela Kern had lined up for stage 5 with several stitches in her knee. The 34-year-old from Slovenia attempted to race on but had to abandon, leaving the French team with five of its seven riders still in the race.
Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL) - DNF
The British champion may have had her thoughts on a strong stage result with under ten kilometres to go but was then caught in a crash that also put Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) out of yellow. However, the 2023 race winner could continue to the line but not Pfeiffer Georgi who was clearly one of the hardest hit in the fall which occured on the exit from a roundabout. Georgi left the race and was taken to hospital with her team having said in an evening update on social media that she is "doing well given the gravity of her fall".
Magdeleine Vallieres (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) - DNF
The 23 year old was another rider taken to hospital after being involved in the late crash. The team said on social media that "following assessment at the hospital, it was determined Magdeleine Vallieres sustained a concussion in her crash on stage 5 of [the Tour de France Femmes] She has entered our team’s concussion protocol. Her recovery will be monitored by our team medical staff."
Stage 6
The Tour de France Femmes headed back into the hills for stage 6 after what was an extremely chaotic and crash-marred stage the prior day. There were 131 riders left in the race at the end of Friday’s stage.
Marta Lach (Ceratizit-WNT) - DNS
Former Polish champion Marta Lach did not take the start in Remiremont. The Ceratizit-WNT team reported via social media that Lach “has been suffering with stomach issues for the last few days. Together with the team's medical staff, we've decided it would be better for her to leave” the Tour de France Femmes, said the post.
Tamara Dronova, Elena Pirrone (Roland) - DNF
Roland teammates Tamara Dronova and Elena Pirrone did not finish the stage, leaving the team with three riders still in the race.
Stage 7
The first day of back-to-back climbing on the final weekend of racing took its toll on the peloton. The longest stage of the race, at 166.4km, stage 7 ended with a finale that included the ascents of Col de Saint-Jean-de-Sixt and Grand Bornand - Montée de Chinaillon. There were 120 riders left in the race at the end of Saturday’s stage.
Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) - DNS
Olympic gold medallist in the women’s team pursuit, American Lily Williams did not take the start in Champagnole. Her Human Powered Health team started on social media “Olympic gold medalist Lily Williams bows out of the Tour for some much deserved rest.”
Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ) - DNS
Feeling the after-effects from a crash on a previous stage, Sofia Bertizzolo also did not take the start. The UAE Team ADQ said, “It was a painful decision, but right now it is important to recover and think about her next goals of the season.”
Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco) - DNS
Australian national champion Ruby Roseman-Gannon of Liv-AlUla-Jayco did not take the start to allow for recovery after being involved in two crashes this past week.
Anya Louw (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) - DNF
Anya Louw (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) abandoned the race after a crash during stage 7. Her teammate Justine Ghekiere went on to a solo victory from the breakaway
Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) - DNF
After sustaining an injury following a crash on stage 1, Amanda Spratt abandoned early on. “She’s been fighting since day 2 after suffering a fracture to her left hand in a crash,” her team Lidl-Trek stated on social media, but, unfortunately, Amanda Spratt has had to stop racing Le Tour de France Femmes today.”
Mieke Docx (Lotto Dstny) - DNF
Mieke Docx of Lotto Dstny was the third rider of the race to abandon in the first 10 kilometres of the stage after leaving Champagnole.
Antri Christoforou (Roland) - DNF
Antri Christoforou was the fifth rider to depart for Roland, leaving only Sylvie Swinkels and Giorgia Vettorello left to race on for the team.
Barbara Guarischi (SD Worx-Protime) - DNF
Leadout rider Barbara Guarischi did not finish stage 7 for SD Worx-Protime. The Italian rider had received the first UCI yellow card for dangerous riding on stage 2 after she stopped cycling and started cheering her teammate once her leadout was done.
Anna Henderson (Visma-Lease A Bike) - DNF
Olympic silver medalist Anna Henderson (Visma-Lease a Bike) left the race after suffering from a crash on stage five.
Charlotte Kool and Becky Storrie (dsm-firmenich PostNL) - DNF
Double-stage winner Charlotte Kool, who wore the yellow jersey for a brief time, abandoned the race due to fatigue, and said that she was "struggling to eat on the bike early on". Her teammate Becky Storrie sustained a broken left collarbone in a crash and could not continue.
“We saw that Charlotte had spent a lot of energy in the first five days here and today that simply took its toll on her with a build-up of fatigue, and she could no longer continue. She will head home now and rest up and recover before getting back on the bike. As for Becky, assessments at the finish revealed what we had unfortunately suspected, that she has broken her left collarbone; the same side that she broke earlier in the year. Becky will now head home and take the required time off the bike to recover before we start to look at possible training or racing later in the season," dsm-firmenich PostNL doctor Camiel Aldershof stated in a press release.
Stage 8
The final stage to Alpe d'Huez was a brutal one, with nearly 4,000m of climbing on the 150km day to round off an already tough week of racing. No surprises then that the abandon toll mounted in the final stage, with 110 riders making it across the final finish line.
Barbara Malcotti and Marit Raaijmakers (Human Powered Health) – DNS
Both Barbara Malcotti and Marit Raaijmakers had been battling an illness, which the team said prevented them from taking to the start line.
Josie Talbot (Cofidis) - DNS
A crash on stage 7 and th subsequent shoulder pain prevented Josie Talbot from lining up for the final stage.
Sheyla Gutiérrez (Movistar) - DNS
Movistar said on social media that COVID was the reason Sheyla Gutiérrez didn't make it to the start line on stage 8.
Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM) - DNF
Chloe Dygert carried on from her efforts at the Olympic Games on the road and track to take on the Tour de France Femmes, staying through to the latest stage to support her team's yellow chase though she did not make it to the line at the top of Alpe d'Huez.
Ilsie Pluimers (AG Insurance-Soudal) - DNF
A crash ended Ilsie Pluimers participation in the race.
Amber Pate (Liv AlUla Jayco) - DNF
The Australian had managed to battle through after a hard crash at the end of stage 2 to the very last stage, where Amber Pate finally stepped off the bike.
Alison Avoine and Camille Fahy (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) - DNF
Alison Avoine took a fall during the stage and teammate Camille Fahy also didn't make it to the final line, but at least the French squad got to celebrate the youth classification third of 19-year-old Marion Bunel who still has many years ahead to try and move into the white jersey.
Ruth Edwards (Human Powered Health) - DNF
This was the 31 year-old's first Tour de France Femmes, with the race having started after her now interrupted retirement in 2021. The American almost made it to the end, but had to step off during the stage.
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