Demi Vollering aims to dominate Tour de France Femmes as legends Pooley and Wellington celebrate race debut

Dutch rider Demi Vollering enters the Tour de France Femmes as the UCI’s top‑ranked female cyclist, fresh from winning the Giro d’Italia Women and a string of Spring Classic victories. Despite her dominant form, she says she feels “calm” and does not need to “save her season” on this race, focusing instead on daily opportunities rather than a single result.

At the Grand Départ, former elite athletes Emma Pooley and Chrissie Wellington reflected on the event’s growth, describing it as a “pinch‑me moment” and noting that the race they helped inspire has become larger and more celebrated than they imagined 13 years ago.