It’s hard to believe that the fourth edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is just one week away – a race that already feels like a permanent fixture, shining bright on the women’s racing calendar.

Last year marked a watershed moment in the nine-year history of this standalone women’s team from Leipzig, Germany. It was the culmination of past TDFFAZ highs, like winning the teams classification and placing third overall in 2022, along with another GC podium, stage win and the polka dot jersey in 2023. But in 2024, CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto captured the sport’s most iconic prize, the maillot jaune, in dramatic and unprecedented fashion, propelling the squad into an even brighter spotlight.

There are no illusions about how difficult it will be to replicate that success, but there is total commitment to the goal. Today, we announce our roster for the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

Last year’s winner, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, is joined by an elite support crew that includes Ricarda Bauernfeind and Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, both former stage winners at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Neve Bradbury and Soraya Paladin bring Giro stage wins and podium finishes to the lineup, while Chloé Dygert and Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka round out the squad as two of the team’s biggest powerhouses.

Hear from each member of our well-rounded Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift selection, all with at least one previous Tour under their belts and a taste of success to build on.

Ricarda Bauernfeind

“After missing last year’s TDFFAZ due to injury, how does it feel to be back at a level where you’re selected again?”

– “Before my two surgeries, I made myself a promise: to come back stronger and be ready for the TDFFAZ, to earn my spot on the team again. Thanks to my coach, who planned every step so perfectly, and thanks to my amazing team, my family, and all the people who never stopped believing in me, I’m here and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

“What emotions come with returning to a race where you had such a standout, career-defining moment?”

– “The TDFFAZ means so much to me. It’s where I’ve lived some of the happiest moments of my life. This race is truly the heart of cycling, and I can’t wait to give it everything I have and fight to defend the yellow jersey together with my teammates.”

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig

“This is your fourth Tour – you’ve won a stage, ridden into the top 10 on GC, and now you’re part of the team defending the yellow jersey. How does this combination of experiences influence your perspective and mentality heading into this year’s race?”

– “I still remember the nerves before my first one, but now I’m older and hopefully a little wiser. Every year has brought something different. Winning a stage was just… I mean, I still get goosebumps thinking about it. Now, being part of the team defending the yellow jersey? That’s a whole new level. It’s both exciting and humbling. There’s pressure, of course – but it’s the kind of pressure you want as a rider. I can’t wait to work toward a common goal – trying to win the TDFFAZ for the second year in a row. It’s a huge challenge, but we’re ready to give it everything.”

Neve Bradbury

“Heading into your second TDFFAZ, what’s something unexpected that caught you off guard last year, that you feel better prepared for this time around?

– ⁠”I was expecting there to be a lot of hype and pressure around the tour but it exceeded my expectations last year, so I’m ready for that hype.”

“Looking back at last year’s victory, what’s one emotion or moment that stands out most vividly for you?”

– “I remember riding up Alpe d’Huez and I had the second team car behind me so was getting updates. When I found out Kasia had won, I remember screaming from the top of my lungs in excitement for her.”

Soraya Paladin

“You’ve raced every edition of the TDFFAZ so far – is there a particular area where you’ve seen the race evolve or progress year after year? What do you expect to feel different this year?”

– “It’s been really special to be part of every edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift so far. From the very beginning, you could feel the excitement and pride around this race but each year, the level keeps rising. The media attention, the crowds on the roadside – everything is growing. This year, I expect things to feel even more intense: more pressure, especially after last year, as well as more fans, more visibility and also more motivation. It’s a race that pushes you to give everything, and being part of this evolution is something I don’t take for granted.”

Chloé Dygert

“Since leaving Europe in May and spending time back in the USA, how has preparation been for you? Do you find an uninterrupted period of training to be more effective over racing in a build-up, and are there any downsides to this for you?”

– “I would say this was a much needed break at home. Without it, I truly don’t know where I would be right now. That, on top of the consistency of uninterrupted training is definitely the best preparation for me. The only downsides are not knowing where I compare to the rest of the peloton because of the lack of racing, but my personal history has shown if I’m fit enough I’ll be competitive.”

Agnieszka Skalniak-Sójka

“After such a strong season so far, getting close to a debut WorldTour podium, do you see any stages in this year’s Tour where you could chase a result for yourself?”

– “My dream is to still stand on the podium this season and I will fight for every chance I get. For the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, stage 3 and stage 4 suit me. Preparations are going well and I am already looking forward to the start.”

“At the end of the tour, what personal and team outcomes would leave you feeling satisfied and happy with how it went?”

– ” The best scenario is that we have podium in the end, the same like last year – that would be perfect! And that we proud of ourselves and of the team work.”

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney

“Now that you’ve been there and done that, does the yellow jersey still hold the same appeal – or has your perspective on chasing it changed?”

– “Yeah definitely, the yellow jersey will always remain the yellow jersey. As some people say, you’re only as good as your last race – I guess the 2024 victory will stay with me forever but I don’t feel like I’m accomplished for my career. Seeing Longo Borghini defending her pink jersey [at the Giro d’Italia Women] definitely gave me extra motivation and faith to be like ‘we can do it as well’. So, I just want to let my legs talk once we race, because of course, before you can have millions of different scenarios. Once the race starts, then the reality hits. So, I do hope that the hard work that we put into the preparation will pay off.”

– “I’m feeling at ease that I’ve already won this race and don’t feel like I’m desperate, but I truly just want to defend it. I want to get another yellow jersey and enjoy the moment again, but yeah I’m not like obsessed.”

“Do you feel your position is an interesting one – coming in as defending champion, but with much of the attention still on other riders because of the incredible way you did win?”

– “I’m coming to this race not focusing on others. I get asked all the time about the other riders but I really don’t care about them. I do care about my own performance and that of my teammates, so for the upcoming race, all I want to do is make sure that each of us feel perfectly prepared, not only physically but also mentally – just ready for the yellow jersey fight.”

“Beyond the usual nerves and pressure, is there something, big or small or just a bit random, that you’re especially looking forward to at this year’s Tour?”

– “I’m just looking forward to the whole week. It’s a very special week filled with many ups and downs, and I like seeing how the team deals with that and how we go through the days. In some ways, it’s just thrilling, you know. We spend a lot of condensed time together chasing the same goal, so it always brings us closer together. I’m also looking forward to seeing how I will be performing because I really put a lot of hard work into this race. You never know how everyone else is, but I’m just excited to see where everything that we did, especially on training camp, will put us.”

THE ROUTE

The 2025 route cuts a diagonal line through the centre of France, from the windswept coasts of Bretagne to the ski resort of Châtel les Portes du Soleil – 1168.6 kilometres of racing over nine days. While the course direction may appear simple on paper, the terrain is anything but. It begins with the classic twists and chaos of Bretagne before the topography gradually morphs from lightly textured to fully mountainous as the peloton closes in on the Alps. In total, the riders will rack up over 18,000 metres of elevation gain.

Stage one’s Grand Départ in Vannes promises a peloton brimming with stress and anticipation – not only because of the occasion’s magnitude but also due to the short 78km course along Bretagne’s narrow, winding roads, where there’s little room for error. Stage two, the second shortest of the tour at a more-typical 110km, delivers more of the same with another explosive uphill finish. Stage three takes riders out of Bretagne for a substantial 163km, with a high likelihood of a sprint finish. Similarly, stage four looks tailor-made for sprinters, featuring the least climbing of all days, with just 780m of elevation gain.

Stage five marks a shift from Bretagne’s sharp climbs to longer, steadier ascents. As the longest stage of the tour at 165km, it features a subtly rising profile throughout, culminating in three climbs of 2-3km each within the final 30km. Combined with accumulated fatigue, this is likely to rule out pure sprinters, potentially opening the door for a late breakaway.

Stage six covers 126km starting from Clermont-Ferrand, the TDFFAZ grand depart of 2023. Although the route is constantly up or down and features twisty, technical roads from 30km onward, with three mammoth stages still to come, it may still be too early for a GC rider to make a decisive move.

Stage seven covers 160km with a relatively modest amount of climbing but is heavily backloaded, featuring three successive climbs as riders approach the Alps. The route peaks at Col du Granier (8.9km at 5.5%), followed by a hair-raising 17km descent into Chambéry that will demand maximum focus and technical skill. From the summit onward, there’s nowhere to hide or hold back – both on the descent and for riders looking to make their mark on the GC.

The queen stage on day eight may be just 112km but packs a punishing 3500m of climbing. The Col de Plainpalais (13.3km at 6.4%) comes right from the start, yet it’s overshadowed by the massive, gruelling Col de la Madeleine (18.6km at 8.1%), where the battle for the yellow jersey will reach fever pitch and the top contenders will be locked firmly in the pain cave.

Unlike men’s grand tours, holding onto yellow is anything but guaranteed on the final day, as last year’s dramatic Alpe d’Huez showdown came 4 seconds close to proving.

This year’s stage nine finale promises another brutal test, with three huge climbs followed by a relentless uphill finish all the way to the line at Châtel ski station, deep in the Alps. Tanks will arrive completely empty, but the newly crowned yellow jersey wearer will be basking in triumph and overflowing with elation.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Stage 1 | Saturday, July 26 | Vannes – Plumelec | 78.7km  |  1142m elevation | Start: 17:25 CET – Fastest finish: 19:33 CET. LIVE from 17:20.

Stage 2 | Sunday, July 27 | Brest – Quimper | 110.2km  | 2029m elevation | Start: 12:30 – Fastest finish: 15:04 CET. LIVE from 13:30.

Stage 3 | Monday, July 28 | La Gacilly – Angers | 163.3km  | 1320m elevation | Start: 13:50 – Fastest finish: 17:33 CET. LIVE from 15:35.

Stage 4 | Tuesday, July 29 | Saumur – Poitiers | 130.6km  | 780m elevation | Start: 14:35 – Fastest finish: 17:35 CET. LIVE from 14:35.

Stage 5 | Wednesday, July 30 | Chasseneuil-du-Poitou (Futuroscope) – Guéret | 165.6km | 2073m elevation | Start: 13:20 – Fastest finish: 17:32 CET. LIVE from 15:35.

Stage 6 | Thursday, July 31 | Clermont-Ferrand – Ambert | 123.6km | 2474m elevation | Start: 14:00 – Fastest finish: 17:33 CET. LIVE from 15:35.

Stage 7 | Friday, August 01 | Bourg-en-Bresse – Chambéry | 159.7km | 1953m elevation | Start: 13:30 – Fastest finish: 17:30 CET. LIVE from 15:35.

Stage 8 | Saturday, August 02 | Chambéry / Saint François Longchamp – Col de la Madeleine | 111.8km | 3539m elevation | Start: 13:45 – Fastest finish: 17:15 CET. LIVE from 13:55.

Stage 9 | Sunday, August 03 | Praz-sur-Arly – Châtel | 124.1km | 2822m elevation | Start: 15:20 – Fastest finish: 18:45 CET. LIVE from 15:25.

Live coverage is available via Eurosport, Discovery Plus, TNT Sports, FloBikes, SBS Sport, France 3, and many other regional broadcasters. Stay updated on X with #TDFF2025 and #WatchTheFemmes, and follow CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto on social media for the latest team updates.