Rebranded last year, La Vuelta Femenina, continues to grow and expand as it makes its return to the calendar at the end of the month – with an exciting mix of racing set to whet the appetite of the Grand Tour racing aficionados.
Fighting it out over eight stages the peloton will kick things off with a team time trial – which is a unique event on the Women’s calendar – so fans are set for a spectacle from the outset. From there, a mix of rolling and flat terrain should give those with a fast kick a chance of going for a result over the next three days. Stages five and six see summit finishes, while day seven could be one for the attackers, but it does come with a punchy uphill sting in the tail. Finally, the race is rounded out with the queen stage which includes over 2000 metres of elevation in just 90 kilometres of racing; so the fight for the overall title could go down to the wire.
Aiming to build on consistent performances throughout the opening quarter of the year, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL once again intend to be at the proverbial pointy end of proceedings, no matter the terrain.
Team dsm-firmenich PostNL coach Albert Timmer explains more: “La Vuelta Femenina is the first big stage race on the calendar for our Women’s program. The parcours look like an intriguing one with multiple opportunities for different types of riders. Like last year, we have the same goals for the race. We will focus on riding well as a team and go for the best GC result possible with Juliette as our finisher. Next to this, we will also bring a very capable lead-out group and aim to bring Charlotte into a prime position for the sprint finales. We have a mix of experience in the team, but everyone is really motivated, and we are confident that we can bring home some top results.”
Speaking about the race Labous said: “Last year the Vuelta went well for us with a stage win in the sprint with Charlotte, and I was fighting for the GC podium until the last day. I think we can come with high ambitions again this year. Firstly, we have prepared well for the opening TTT and have a strong team for the route. For the sprint stages with Charlotte, and in the GC we will look to perform like last year, and there are may be some breakaway opportunities for the girls as well. I have done a three-week altitude simulation camp over the last month, and I felt really good in training and recently in the races. We’ve worked a lot to improve my GC abilities so I want to aim for a podium, and we will do everything we can to achieve that goal. Personally, I am looking forward mostly to the TTT and then to stages five, six and eight which are the hardest days and where the GC will likely be decided.”
