The general feeling ahead of the Tour de France Femmes Grand Départ in Brittany was that the race might not be won in the opening weekend, but it may very well be lost there.
It remains to be seen whether the first part of that statement rings true, but, given the 2024 Tour was won by just four seconds, there may well already be a race-winning margin among the GC hopefuls.
Last July, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) prevailed over Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez), just about hanging on as the Dutchwoman soloed to a final-day victory on L'Alpe d'Huez. After two stages run on Brittany's narrow, winding roads and glut of hills, just three seconds separate the pair.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) sits four seconds up on the Pole in third place, while Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx-Protime) are two seconds off Vollering.
The margins are tight, but they're not nothing. For Vollering, the 2023 Tour champion and favourite to triumph again this month, what mattered most on the opening two stages was avoiding familiar pitfalls on those challenging Breton roads.
"Of course, the most important thing these days is that you stay safe. I think two times in the top 10 already is pretty good," Vollering said in Quimper following a stage 2 where she placed seventh among the chasers behind stage winner Mavi García (Liv AlUla Jayco).
"I expected a really hard day. It was especially hard to stay in the front because it was really crazy roads – really bumpy, twisting and turning, up and down. It was super hectic.
"You need to spread your focus a little bit because you can't really stay focussed the whole three hours. So you need to dose it a little bit."
Vollering finished among her rivals on the uphill finish in Quimper but shed a handful of seconds to Ferrand-Prévot and Niewiadoma in Plumelec on day one.
Her best days will lie ahead, with the longer climbs of the Alps – including the Col du Granier, Col de la Madeleine, and Col de Joux-Plane. Vollering said she's pleased to be where she is after the opening weekend, especially given the brief move from Ferrand-Prévot and Niewiadoma 23km from the line on Sunday.
"Today was a really chaotic, tricky race," she said. "You saw at one point where Pauline and Kasia were out [attacking]. That's something you always need to keep an eye out for and keep in mind – that other GC contenders can still try something on a course like this. On the other days, that's a bit less of a factor, of course.
"My biggest rivals also look good, but they're a bit more punchy than I am. I hope that, as it gets a bit tougher over longer distances, I'll be closer to the front."
As the Tour heads eastwards out of Brittany to flatter ground on Monday, the focus turns to the sprint favourites, including stage 2 runner-up Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime). The upcoming pair of sprint days will come as a welcome respite to Vollering and her fellow GC contenders, she said.
"The days after this are also about staying in front. But maybe the roads are a bit more decent, so you can stay as a team in front instead of being 'in the mix' all day or grabbing a bidon and needing to fight for 20km to come to the front again.
"I think it will be a bit easier in the next days."
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