Women's Tour de France launches with record‑hard route and two Navarre riders

The 2024 women's Tour de France begins on Saturday, departing from Lausanne, Switzerland. The race features 147 cyclists from 21 teams covering a record‑long 1,175 km and 18,775 m of climbing across nine stages, including the iconic Mont Ventoux finish on stage 7. Defending champion Pauline Ferrand‑Prévot will wear the yellow jersey against former winners Demi Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma‑Phinney, while a strong field includes riders such as Anna van der Breggen, Elisa Longo Borghini and Marianne Vos.

Two Navarre cyclists make history for the region: Idoia Eraso (Laboral Kutxa), in her second Tour, and 19‑year‑old Paula Ostiz (Movistar Team), who is competing for the first time. Eraso spent pre‑race training at altitude in Andorra and finished 11th at the Spanish championships, while Ostiz earned top‑three finishes in national time‑trial and road races before racing in French events. Their participation marks the first time two Navarre riders have entered the women's Tour together.

The demanding itinerary includes 39 categorized climbs, a mountainous individual time trial, and a final sprint on the French Riviera, promising a challenging and exciting competition for the world’s top women cyclists.