Visma-Lease a Bike will target overall success at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift with Riejanne Markus and stage wins with Marianne Vos, as the Dutch team celebrates the start of the race on home roads in the Netherlands.
The team’s final line-up of eight riders includes Markus, Vos, Olympic time trial silver medalist Anna Henderson, Fem van Empel, Femke de Vries, Sophie von Berswordt, and Linda Riedmann.
"With such a magical start in the Netherlands, this Tour had to end in a mythical place. That is certainly the case with Alpe d’Huez. The start is in the Netherlands, and the finish on a Dutch mountain. This should give cycling in the Netherlands a boost again. We are more than motivated to make this an unforgettable edition,” Visma-Lease a Bike directeur sportif Jan Boven said.
Markus finished 11th overall in 2023 after gaining time early on. She was an impressive second overall at the 2024 Vuelta España Femenina.
"I'm aiming for a good overall classification," Markus said.
"I haven't finished in the top ten in the Tour yet. I hope to achieve that this year. I've secretly circled the time trial on day two in red. It's a very nice course that should suit me well. Additionally, the stages in the final weekend have caught my attention."
"In the first stages, we can aim for stage wins with, among others, Marianne. There are many opportunities for our team."
"It’s really super special that the Tour is starting abroad for the first time, and then in the Netherlands. On the second day, we start in Dordrecht, my partner's birthplace. I know the area, and the whole family will come to watch, along with many friends."
"It's very cool that the race is so close to home for once, and it's also the biggest race of the year. I hope it will be as much of an experience as in France, but I'm not worried about that.”
Vos helped create the Tour de France Femmes thanks to her incredibly long and successful career and she wore the leader’s yellow jersey in 2022 for six days. She is now 37 but won the silver medal in the Olympic road race and remains a contender.
“The finish on Alpe d’Huez will be very special. I know that climb from TV. I'm looking forward to a very beautiful race. Hopefully, we can make it a successful and beautiful Tour as a team," Vos said.
"Now that the start is in the Netherlands, it feels a bit different than usual. I'm very curious about the atmosphere in the Netherlands. Of course, it gives something extra to the Dutch riders and teams. The Tour is the biggest race there is, so you always do everything to appear in the best possible shape.
"I'm going to try to go for a stage win again. There are certainly stages where we have marked opportunities as a team, but if chances arise anywhere, we will certainly go for it. The team goals are also important. I hope to support the team as well as possible in this Tour."
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