Team dsm-firmenich PostNL has announced its roster for the upcoming Tour de France Femmes, which will commence with a Grand Départ in the Netherlands on 12th August. The third edition of the race promises a week of exciting competition across diverse terrains, beginning in Rotterdam.
Coach Albert Timmer expressed confidence in the team’s preparations, highlighting their successful performance in the first two editions of the race. “It is exciting to be able to start on home Dutch soil, and we will be targeting those opening sprint stages with Charlotte as our finisher. We have a really strong lead-out group to support and position her for those finales, to give us the best chance possible in the all-out efforts to the line,” Timmer stated.
Sprint Stages and General Classification Ambitions
The race will see the peloton tackling the famous Ardennes hills in Belgium, before returning to France. Timmer pointed out the team’s dual goals, stating, “Like last year, we also have the combined goal of going for a top GC result with Juliette; we’ve performed consistently on that front this year, and with good climbing support, we believe that we can do so once again at the Tour.”
The final stages of the race include a summit finish on Le Grand-Bornand and the climactic ascent of Alpe d’Huez. Timmer noted, “In the more transitional stages, we will ride smartly and if an opportunity presents itself, then we will also continue our aggressive and attacking approach to hunt for those stage results.”
Resident Dutch sprint finisher Charlotte Kool shared her enthusiasm for the race’s start in the Netherlands. “I’m really excited for the start of the Tour de France in the Netherlands; it’s really special. The first few stages are actually around where my boyfriend is from, so I know the roads really well there, and stage three begins in Valkenburg, which is also super close to the team’s Keep Challenging Center in Sittard,” Kool said.
Reflecting on last year’s performance, Kool added, “Last year the Tour was good for us, we maybe missed that win to really crown it off, but we all did our best and fought to the end; and we had a nice GC with Juliette. For me personally this year, I will be satisfied if I do everything to be the best version of myself at the Tour de France.”
Kool expressed confidence in the team’s strength, saying, “With Juliette, we really want to try and aim for another top result in GC again. I have a lot of confidence and trust in her, so we will fully support her for those goals. We have a really strong team that can give our all each day. I’m just really excited to get started.”
The team is eager to showcase their capabilities and aims to be a formidable presence in the Tour de France Femmes, hunting for stage wins and aiming for the best possible GC result.
