Vollering, Ferrand-Prevot, Niewiadoma-Phinney: The Biggest Quotes Before the 2026 Tour de France Femmes

It’s all to play for at the 2026 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot became the reborn race’s first French winner last year with a display that delighted home fans. However, she has not had a road success since her triumphs 12 months ago. It is all or nothing for the Visma-Lease a Bike multi-discipline superstar this week.

2023 winner and reigning Giro champion Demi Vollering has unfinished business after falling narrowly short in the last two years.

A consistent podium finisher for this entire decade, former champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney should be discounted at her peril.

You can throw the likes of TT titan Marlen Reusser (Movistar Team), experienced veteran Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-ProTime) or young hotshot Paula Blasi (UAE Team L’IMAD) into the mix too.

The race starts Saturday in the Swiss city of Lausanne and the favorites were not short of fighting talk ahead of the nine-day showstopper.

Here’s what they had to say before the 2026 Tour de France Femmes:

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot: Defending champ back to zero

Tour or bust
Starting the Tour as the defending champion is something very special. It’s something I’m incredibly proud of. At the same time, last year’s victory doesn’t guarantee anything this time around. Everyone starts from scratch again … my season goal was to be at 100 percent of my ability here. I wasn’t aiming for victories in other races. You have to prepare specifically for the Tour, and that’s what I did.

Training over excessive racing
When I was younger, I had the hunger to race a lot, but now I just prefer to train to build for an event and to go in altitude in training camp rather than racing more. I think it’s because of age; I’m now 34, and I don’t have like the same motivation, I would say, to race every weekend.

On Mont Ventoux, the vicious stage 7 decider
It’s a hard climb. It’s different than the Madeleine [which was crucial in last year’s race] because I think the wind also will have more of an impact. It’s a climb where, after Chalet Reynard, you need also quite some power because it’s a flatter part … I think maybe we will have more like team tactics for Ventoux [than last year’s Col de la Madeleine stage].

Demi Vollering: Calmer and prepared for last-day showdown

No pressure
I always like to think pressure is a privilege. It comes for a reason, so it’s a good thing to have. Of course, it’s also a very big motivation for myself to bring the yellow jersey to a French team. I love beautiful stories and I love to add this beautiful story to my list.

Down to the wire
The goal is always to be in front instead of behind. But still I believe that this Tour, every day is so hard that towards the end, there’s still so many opportunities.

Even the last day is super difficult. Like we showed in the Giro, everything can still change on the last day. So you should never give up or be unmotivated. I think it’s going to be a fight until the very end.

A different mindset compared to the 2025 Tour
I think for now what changed mostly is that I come into this Tour de France quite calm. I don’t have the feeling I need to save my season on this Tour because I have won already so many beautiful races, and I’ve really enjoyed this whole season with the whole team. We did such a great beginning of the season already.

So I think for that, this season is already very successful. So that’s for helpful. But also you just grow one year older, you get a bit more calm on everything. You you have seen and and learned so much on the way that you also take into your backpack.

Marlen Reusser: Fit and raring to go at last

A love-hate Tour relationship due to past crashes
The first Tour de France was an amazing thing, I was riding with SD Worx and found myself always in support roles in all the editions I’ve done. Last year, I was in a very bad state and had a full exhaustion again and couldn’t ride.

It’s the first year I’m here, this is the target and I had at least the last one or two months that were good for preparation and I feel healthy. It’s special now to finally be at the Tour in this way. I’ve seen this race from many perspectives.

On being underestimated
It’s always like this, before every race in my life, normally. The one exception, no joke, was Paris-Roubaix where the team didn’t announce me and I was never on the start list, but I was with a big picture. Normally, people say ‘Marlen? But it’s climbing? Ach’. It’s like this, it’s okay, I understand.

Yellow jersey dreams on home roads
That would be so cool, it would be amazing to wear yellow. But of course, it’s not our goal, we don’t target this, it’s the more Tour. But if it comes falling down from the sky, I will not say no.

Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney: Seeking Strava KOMs and opportunities

On boldly taking opportunities
Definitely the TT is not my strongest side but I also had enough time to prepare for it. I accept the fact that I definitely will lose time to riders like Marlen or Anna [van der Breggen], Demi probably. It’s all about finding opportunities elsewhere and after the TT until the end of the Tour, I feel like there’s plenty of them so it’s all about seizing the chance and not being too shy.

Shooting for another yellow jersey
The goal is clear – to win the yellow jersey, to wear it.  The race will show, but I feel ready and prepared. I’m ready to break Kim’s KOM on Mont Ventoux. You have it right now, right? [to Le Court-Pienaar next to her]

The difference Ventoux will make
It’s definitely a very iconic climb. It’s going to be hard, it’s a long one, the steepest part in the forest and I don’t believe anyone will be waiting until the final ks to make the actual decisive move. I think, even watching the guys race, we can all expect a hard start and then survival to the top.

Kim Le Court-Pienaar: Climbing up the ranks

Wanting no regrets
Of course there’s big goals, to reach the highest possible on the GC ranking, but also to finish the Tour with the feeling we gave everything we had and there’s no regrets, and that there was nothing on our path that stopped us from getting where we wanted to go. For me, that’s the most important, feeling you left it all out there.

Improving in the mountains
This year’s route is looking really good, Classics vibes every day. And I think the Ventoux is a better climb than the Madeleine for me. I’ve worked hard on my climbing, I’ve not been the greatest climber in the past and I’m still probably not the greatest but hopefully I can make a difference compared to last year.

Paula Blasi: Underdog power

Favorite or helper?
You have both sides of the coin, let’s say, but I have a pretty clear role these days so I’m quite confident. I came here for experience and usually, I prefer coming as the underdog as well. Usually, the road speaks [ie. decides]. But yeah, the roles are pretty much clear and I will be there for them and I’m really happy for that.

On the Tour’s aura
My memories are from last year because until then I was not really watching cycling, but it was really impressive. On TV, you really see all the crowds and how big this race is. I’m quite excited for it … I think we have a team goal rather than an individual one: if we can keep the yellow inside the team, that would be good.