Fenix-Deceuninck come into the 2025 Tour de France Femmes with two strong cards to play in Pauliena Rooijakkers and Puck Pieterse, though both riders are managing expectations despite a clear upward trajectory.
Rooijakkers is coming off another 4th-place finish at the Giro d’Italia Women, repeating her result from 2024, and was 3rd overall at last year’s Tour de France Femmes after a dramatic battle for the final podium spot. “Secretly, a lot has changed since then. I get looked at a bit more,” she said in a pre-race interview. “But I’ve had the same preparation. I still want to get the best out of myself.”
That build-up has been fine-tuned with altitude training in Livigno directly after the Giro. “I’m really satisfied with how everything has gone. I wanted to find some training stimulus but also take time to rest and reset,” she explained. This is Rooijakkers’ third Grand Tour of the season after solid spring form and a clear focus on consistency in the stage races.
For Pieterse, 2024 was the breakthrough. She won the stage to Liège with a solo move and finished 11th overall, a remarkable ride in her first Tour. “I’m trying to approach it the same way,” she said. “We’ll just see how far we can go. I feel good, anyway. I’ve been on altitude for a long time and raced the MTB World Cup in Andorra at 2,000 metres – that can’t hurt.”
She’s under no illusions about the level of competition this year. “I think this is the strongest field in years. Last year, a few strong riders were missing, but now everyone’s here. Even Anna van der Breggen is back. For us, it’s day by day, but it would be amazing if I could be Demi Vollering’s biggest rival.”
Fenix-Deceuninck aren’t naming GC ambitions outright, but between Rooijakkers’ steady climbing form and Pieterse’s explosive versatility, the team brings more than just outside chances to the start line in Vannes.
