Ladies Intermarché-Lotto Ladies heads to the Tour de France Femmes with a versatile squad

A young squad whose riders complement each other perfectly and have taken significant steps forward over the past few months. That is the group Intermarché-Lotto Ladies will bring to the start of the Tour de France Femmes.

"Selecting a Tour squad is always a difficult task. First and foremost, you look at the route, the riders' current form and putting together a group that works well together," explains Verbeke. Sandrine Tas has emerged as one of the revelations of the Belgian women's peloton this season and quickly became a certainty for the Tour selection. Just a few months after narrowly missing out on an Olympic medal in speed skating at the Winter Olympic Games, she immediately impressed on the road with two stage victories at the Bretagne Ladies Tour, a silver medal in the Belgian National Time Trial Championships and bronze in the road race. Linda Riedmann, who won a stage in the Volta a Portugal Feminina this season, also brings valuable experience to her second Tour de France Femmes.

"Sandrine Tas has her biggest opportunities in the sprint stages and the individual time trial, where she can compete with the very best in the world. On the more demanding transition stages, Linda Riedmann and Elisabeth Ebras will also have the freedom to ride for their own chances," says Verbeke. "Marieke Meert and Romina Hinojosa Cruz feel at home on tougher terrain and have repeatedly shown their commitment to the team throughout the season. Young Belgian riders Sterre Vervloet and Dina Boels complete the line-up. Their primary role will be to support the team, although Vervloet already showed at the Vuelta that she is not afraid to race aggressively and has already put our team in the spotlight."

Annelies Nijssen was originally part of the plans, but a broken collarbone sustained after a crash at the Volta a Portugal Feminina, followed by a recently diagnosed wrist fracture, ruled her out of the Tour de France Femmes. "That's a real disappointment because we lose one of our strongest riders. At the same time, it's reassuring to know that the rest of the squad is in good condition."

Verbeke also sees the Tour de France Femmes as an important milestone in the development of her young team. "These are riders we want to continue investing in for the future. Racing a Grand Tour helps them grow as athletes. It's an experience they will benefit from for many years to come."

Following a series of strong performances in recent weeks, Intermarché-Lotto Ladies hopes to continue that positive momentum without putting additional pressure on itself. "It's difficult to set concrete objectives at this level, but above all we want to build on the good momentum we've created. On paper, the flat stages offer our best opportunities, but above all it's a fantastic opportunity for our team to take part in the Tour de France Femmes. For nine days, we want to show the progress we're making as a team and seize every opportunity that comes our way."

Selection Intermarché-Lotto Ladies:

Sandrine Tas

Linda Riedmann

Elisabeth Ebras

Marieke Meert

Romina Hinojosa Cruz

Sterre Vervloet 

Dina Boels

Sports Directors:

Grace Verbeke

Zico Waeytens

Photo: Cyclingmedia_agency