There is no shortage of reasons to watch the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift this year, given it is shaping up to deliver a charged battle among both the stage hunters and overall challengers, but with eleven riders from Australia and New Zealand set to be in the thick of the action, there are some extra reasons to tune in for late viewing in the southern hemisphere nations.
Among the seven Australian riders lining up for the July 26 to August 3 race, three will be making their debut, while all four from New Zealand will be return visitors. A number from both nations will be carrying a heavy load, one that is either filled with the weight of their own ambitions or that of their teammates.
No rider from either nation has yet to claim a stage victory in the rebooted version of the French Grand Tour, but this list delivers a group of competitors with the potential to bring home top results across a wide variety of terrain. There are sprinters, breakaway prospects, support riders, climbers and even overall contenders.
Read on for a closer look at just which riders from Australia and New Zealand will be lining up among the 154 riders from across 22 teams when the race sets off from Vannes on Saturday, July 26.
Australia
Neve Bradbury (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto)
Last year, Neve Bradbury came into the Tour de France Femmes off the back of Giro d’Italia success, riding to victory on the prestigious Blockhaus stage and proving that she was a climber who could match it with, and even beat, the best.
The efforts in Italy, where she finished third overall, may have taken their toll then, but she went on to go all-out in support of Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney as she rode to victory.
The debuting Australian let out a shout of delight on the Alpe d’Huez when she heard the news that her team leader had taken the win. This time, Bradbury will be back with fresher legs, having skipped the Giro, and likely with plenty of work in support of Niewiadoma-Phinney ahead as the team looks to defend the title.
It’s bound to be a race of hard work for Bradbury, but with what she has already shown she is capable of, it could also be another valuable step on the way for a rider that looks every bit a potential future stage winner or podium placer.
Brodie Chapman (UAE Team ADQ)
Brodie Chapman's calling will be as the valuable teammate, a role the rider who followed Elisa Longo Borghini over to UAE Team ADQ is well accustomed to playing, but never before at the Tour de France Femmes.
Moving through her WorldTour career first at FDJ-Suez and then Lidl-Trek, there was no shortage of competition for those team spots; however, this year, there was one with her name on it.
The Australian time trial champion will be lining up alongside a team leader who has already satisfied her overall goals at the Giro d'Italia and is now ready to shoot for stages in France.
Chapman's aggressive racing style means she'll no doubt be a handy ally in that chase. It's a pity, however, that there is no time trial in this edition, as not only would that mean Chapman would get to wear the green and gold stripes of the national champion at the race but the rider who last year stood on the podium of the Giro d'Italia time trial stage, would have also then have had a good chance to chase a result of her own in France. Maybe next time.
Lauretta Hanson (Lidl-Trek)
It was actually Amanda Spratt who was originally expected to be the Aussie rider on the Lidl-Trek roster, but there was bad news on the eve of the race for the climber, as she became sick overnight and left.
Though there is a silver lining, as now the rider who is one of the best domestiques in the business will be on hand to support the team. Lauretta Hanson is likely to be a particularly valuable cog through the early days of racing, where a mistake could mean that the overall battle could be lost before it even truly gets underway.
Emily Watts and Lucie Fityus (St Michel - Preference Home - Auber93)
Emily Watts and Lucie Fityus will both be making their debut at the Tour de France Femmes after St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93 once again received a wildcard entry.
Last year, the squad contained Marion Bunel, who impressed with her third in the youth classification at the race and will this year instead be lining up with Visma-Lease a Bike.
The goals may not be quite as lofty for Watts and Fityus, but it's an opportunity to make the most of for the riders at the pro women's cycling team. A spot in a break and the camera time it gets is usually part of the fun for the wildcard teams.
Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Jayco-AlUla)
Ruby Roseman Gannon may not have had the Tour de France Femmes she wanted last year, with two crashes ultimately resulting in a DNF, but she is back this year and ready to take on a course that has a number of stages that look well suited to the punchy sprinter.
“It will be my third Tour de France Femmes, and I’m really motivated and excited to race with such a strong team at the biggest cycling race of the year. I’ve had a really good training block and feel mentally and physically ready. I think we are close to something big as a team, we are racing well together."
Sarah Gigante (AG Insurance-Soudal)
Sarah Gigante’s path to the Tour de France Femmes this year has been similar to that of Bradbury’s last season, with the Australian winning not just one, but two climbing stages at the Giro d'Italia Women, and she also came third overall.
What’s more, Gigante has done it while coming back from yet another hurdle – iliac artery endofibrosis surgery. It was a spectacular way to clearly declare that she was back and not only as good as ever, but better.
There is nothing left to prove in France this year from the rider who came seventh on debut last year, as in Italy, she already highlighted that there are few limits to what she is capable of.
Still, there is no doubt that after an interrupted start to the career, Gigante needs time to develop, so while it’s certainly not out of the question that some strong results could come this year, what's probably most valuable is that it is another stepping stone to set the future charge for the promising overall contender.
New Zealand
Niamh Fisher Black (Lidl-Trek)
The theme of young, exciting and developing talent happily continues when it comes to the contenders from New Zealand, with Niamh Fisher Black stepping up to test the GC waters in 2025 with a new team.
The 24-year-old has certainly been showing an indication that she is growing well into the role of a team leader through the early part of the season, having claimed fifth overall at La Vuelta Femenina and fourth at the Tour de Suisse.
As far as what's ahead, her team, which is also chasing stages, have said they will be 'hoping' Fisher Black can go for a GC result, but neither they nor the rider were willing to make promises beyond that given what is ahead.
"I’m not entirely sure what to expect from this year's Tour de France Femmes, the parcours can make for a very unpredictable race. Which in itself excites me," said Fisher Black.
Henrietta Christie (EF Education-Oatly)
Henrietta Christie is lining up for her third Tour de France Femmes with a clear goal in mind: to do everything she can to support GC hopeful Cédrine Kerbaol, who came fourth at La Vuelta Femenina.
"During our Andorra camp, I was doing longer efforts so I can stay with her for longer on the longer climbs and help keep her in good position before she’s in a select group," said Christie. "That’s what we’ve been training for, so that she can have more teammates around her."
Ella Wyllie (Jayco-AlUla)
The last time Ella Wyllie was at the Tour de France Femmes, she came second in the white jersey competition, but the Australian-based squad's focus this year is on stage wins.
Riders like Roseman Gannon will be taking centre stage in the early days of racing, while the latter stages will deliver the climbs, which is where Wyllie is generally much more at home. The biggest climbing test of the race comes on the penultimate stage, which finishes at the top of the Col de Madeleine.
Ally Wollaston (FDJ-SUEZ)
The dynamic has altered significantly for Ally Wollaston, now lining up with the team of key favourite and 2023 Tour winner Demi Vollering.
She will wear the pressure of the pursuit of yellow for the French team but also carry some on her own behalf, as while the mountains are where their new Dutch star is expected to shine, the tough sprinting stages are where the attention turns to the rider from New Zealand.
"With the team that we have there's always room for individual goals – we have such a strong team and we're quite an opportunistic team and I think we can really leverage off the riders we have and the opportunities that gives," Wollaston told Cyclingnews, adding that supporting Vollering was still the number 1 priority.
She'll pursue both objectives with increasing confidence on the road, having benefitted from her recently increased focus on the road, which means she is coming into the race with wins at the Tour of Britain and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Races among her wins so far this season. "It feels amazing to be here knowing that I'm in good form and that I can take confidence from the races that have already been," said Wollaston.
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