Demi Vollering returns to the Tour de France Femmes not only with fresh motivation, but in a completely new kit. The FDJ-Suez squad unveiled their striking 2026 jersey just days before the start in Vannes, a deep black design wrapped around the theme of light rising from darkness.
The shift in colours reflects the mental and physical transformation Vollering has undergone since joining FDJ-Suez in 2025. After a narrow four-second loss to Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney in last year’s edition, Vollering is determined to go one better. That defeat – snatched from her hands after a crash on stage 5 into Amnéville – cost her the yellow jersey and ultimately the title. Despite a bold attack on L’Alpe d’Huez, Niewiadoma held firm. This year, Vollering starts again, but now in the colours of a team that has built its GC ambitions firmly around her.
The jersey itself, made by Gobik, is intended to symbolise the hidden sacrifices behind every success. A black base represents the early mornings, long sessions in the rain and the mental challenges of elite racing. In the centre is a radiant halo – a burst of FDJ’s traditional blue and red colours circling the heart, suggesting that every triumph is born from endurance through difficulty. Vollering described it as a visual expression of why they ride – that behind-the-scenes effort fuels visible achievement.
It’s the same approach she’s brought to her racing this season. The Dutch rider has dominated since the spring, winning Setmana Valenciana, Strade Bianche, La Vuelta Femenina, Itzulia Women and Volta Catalunya. She skipped the Giro d’Italia Women to focus entirely on reclaiming the Tour, a decision that underlines just how much this race now means.
Vollering’s supporting cast brings strength on every terrain. Juliette Labous, fourth overall in 2022 and fifth in 2023, returns to the race with growing consistency, while Évita Muzic adds another elite climber to the mix after finishing fourth in last year’s GC. The squad now boasts three top-level contenders for the high mountains, offering the flexibility to cover attacks or launch them.
Backing up that trio is Elise Chabbey, who has been one of the most reliable climbers of the spring, winning a stage and taking 2nd overall at the Volta a Catalunya, alongside a podium at GP Plumelec-Morbihan and another top result in Switzerland. Marie Le Net adds the tricolore to the line-up, having claimed the French national title just a month ago. Ally Wollaston provides sprint speed, arriving with a win at the Tour of Britain Women and a stage win at the Tour des Pyrénées in June. Amber Kraak rounds out the selection, the Dutch powerhouse having taken a stage win at the Tour de Suisse with a surprise attack – a reminder of how valuable she can be in breakaways or defensive duties.
Vollering has worn yellow before, and she knows the fight it takes to earn it. This year, it’s not just the jersey that’s changed, but the narrative. She arrives as the leader of a team rebuilt around winning this race, wearing a kit that embraces hardship and demands excellence. In the mountains to come, it’s that mindset she’ll carry forward.
