Team SD Worx is going to the Tour de France with a strong six riders squad: Demi Vollering, Lotte Kopecky, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, Marlen Reusser and Christine Majerus are chasing the yellow dream of Team SD Worx. With Kopecky the team also has a contender for the green jersey in its ranks. “We have a team that can cope with any terrain. In addition to the yellow jersey, we are also keeping an eye on the fight for the green jersey. In our selection are mainly riders who can win a stage. We will therefore try to make it an attractive spectacle,” Danny Stam promises.
Demi Vollering
Danny Stam: “Demi Vollering has made a main goal of this Tour de France. She is our leader for the yellow jersey. Of course there is a lot of pressure involved. The outside world expects her to win the Tour. But, Demi will have the necessary competition for the final victory. In addition, with Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio we have a second hurdle in the fire. It is an advantage when you can go for the classification with several riders. La Super Planche des Belles Filles is a climb that should suit Demi Vollering and she has explored it several times, but the danger lies in the other stages. In the gravel stage for example… You can’t win the Tour there, but you can definitely lose it. The yellow jersey will not be a given, but Demi has done everything to be ready and we will start with a top team in France to support her.”
Lotte Kopecky
Stam: “Lotte Kopecky has indicated a number of stages where she wants to go for the stage win, including the third stage. This stage ends on a steep climb and this uphill finish should suit her. Lotte Kopecky is also eyeing up the green jersey. She can take away points in different places, so green could be a possibility. There are a lot of points to win in the intermediate sprints, so we’ll have to see how we deal with that.”
“Time will tell whether yellow and green are compatible. After three stages we will have an idea if Lotte plays a role in the battle for the green jersey. Then we can see if it pays off to spend energy on the intermediate sprints. We have a team that is good on all terrains, that gives us several cards to play.”
Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio
Stam: “Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio has also made a goal of the final classification. She has already proven in the past that she really has what it takes to go for a good GC. In 2018 and 2021 she finished second in the Giro Donne behind Anna van der Breggen. She will be very driven at the start. I see the fact that we have two contenders for the overall win as an advantage. If someone has a problem, you still have someone in reserve. It is interesting to have two riders with Ashleigh and Demi who can go far in a final with a lot of climbing. That has always been the strength of this team.”
Chantal van den Broek-Blaak
Stam: “Chantal van den Broek-Blaak has already been invaluable to our team this season. With her profile, she can certainly snatch a stage win. We will try to get her in the breakaway a few times, hoping she can stay away and win. Some of the stages suit her profile.”
“Chantal has already done a lot of work and contributed to some important wins for the team. But she is still waiting for that big victory herself this season. That’s a bit of a shame for a rider of her calibre, so she will certainly be very eager to take a stage win. We hope that in the Tour de France Femmes she will be able to take that big victory.”
Marlen Reusser
Stam: “Marlen Reusser had bad luck in June with an unfortunate fall on her hand, which forced her to abandon the Women’s Tour. She later missed the Tour de Suisse due to a covid infection. But I have no doubt that Marlen will be at the top of her game. She is just a super good rider who always helps to determine the course.”
“In the spring she did mountains of work for our team and we will also benefit of her strong racing in the Tour. I hope she can get into a nice breakaway and win a stage. We have several riders who are eligible for a stage win and we are aiming for an overall win, but both goals don’t have to get in the way of each other.”
Christine Majerus
Stam: “Christine Majerus is a strong rider who always puts the team first. She is someone who really embodies the concept of team spirit. Christine can do very well in these kinds of races. With her experience, she is an important rider in the team who can read the race well. She is also super motivated for this first ever Tour de France Femmes.”
“Christine is the biggest team player in our team. Someone you can always rely on. If you give her an assignment, she carries it out down to the last detail. Christine will play an important role in the pursuit of our yellow dream.”