EF-Oatly-Cannondale has confirmed their squad for the 2024 Tour de France Femmes, set to commence in Rotterdam on Monday. The team, announced on Wednesday, features a blend of experienced Olympians and promising talent, including Kristen Faulkner, Alison Jackson, Noemi Rüegg, Kim Cadzow, Lotta Henttala, Magdeleine Vallieres, and Clara Edmond.
Kristen Faulkner, fresh from her victory in the Olympic road race, will head the team. She will also compete in the women’s Team Pursuit on Wednesday, her final event of the Paris Olympics, before turning her focus back to road racing.
“The Olympic road race showed me that my form is really good, perhaps the best it’s ever been,” Faulkner stated. “I’m excited to take that into the Tour de France Femmes and try to win some stages. I’ve won stages at the Vuelta and Giro, so the Tour is one I still want to cross off the list. I’m also excited to support my teammates. I have been so focused on track and Olympic preparations that I haven’t raced with my EF-Oatly-Cannondale teammates since June. I’m so excited to reunite with them. It’s been too long.”
Despite past setbacks, including two crashes in the 2022 edition and a knee injury preventing her participation in 2023, Faulkner remains optimistic about her return.
Photo Credit: SWPix.comKim Cadzow, 22, who has enjoyed a strong season with top 10 finishes at the Tour de Suisse and Vuelta a España Femenina, and a victory at the Trofeo Ponente in Rosa, expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming race. “My goal is to get stuck into the racing,” Cadzow said. “I want to enjoy the experience and support the team as best as possible. I expect the team to produce some stellar performances. I’m looking forward to getting to see what the atmosphere at the Tour is like! It’s a pinnacle cycling event so how can one not be a bit excited.”
The Tour de France Femmes will start with three stages in the Netherlands, including a 6.3km individual time trial on stage 3, before moving to Belgium for a finish in Liège. Magdeleine Vallieres, competing in her third Tour, highlighted the importance of the fourth stage.
“It really suits our team super well. It’s a bit similar to Liège-Bastogne-Liège where we did quite well with Kim in the breakaway. I think this squad is super strong. We have a lot of riders who can do well on this stage,” Vallieres noted.
The race will reach France on stage 5, with the following stages being some of the toughest in the race’s history, featuring the daunting climb of Le Grand Bornand on stage 7 and the final stage on l’Alpe d’Huez.
“If we come together as a team, we can really achieve something great, not just on this stage but on most stages. It will be super special to have the last stage on Alpe d’Huez, on such a special and mythical climb. It’s going to be a special Tour,” Vallieres said.
Alison Jackson, making her second appearance at the Tour, added, “We’re looking for stage wins. I can’t wait to check Alpe d’Huez off the bucket list.”
2024 Tour de France Femmes EF-Oatly-Cannondale line-up
- Kristen Faulkner
- Alison Jackson
- Noemi Rüegg
- Kim Cadzow
- Lotta Henttala
- Magdeleine Vallieres
- Clara Edmond
