Marianne Vos and Annemiek van Vlueten headline a Tour de France Femmes field packed with talent

The Tour de France Femmes isn’t too far away, so who will be claiming the yellow jersey on the summit of the Super Planche des Belles Filles on July 31? The start list reads like a who’s who in women’s cycling, with plenty of top riders planning their entire season around this inaugural eight-stage race. Ad/> A fair few haven’t disguised their desire to grab the maillot jaune, while others will be looking to hoover up stage wins in north-east France.

Tour de France FemmesCordon-Ragot: 'To be a woman in cycling you have to be crazy'12 HOURS AGO So without further ado, here are some of the stars to keep a close eye on... YELLOW JERSEY HOPEFULS Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) It’s always a toss up with whether to start with the yellow-hunting Annemiek van Vleuten or stage-shooting Marianne Vos when discussing the best female riders in the peloton.

But van Vleuten — who turns 40 later this year — shades it having hit the headlines of late with both her victory in the Giro Donne earlier this month and her announcement that 2023 will be her last year in the peloton. An all-rounder who has seen it all and participated in most of it, Van Vleuten has bounced back from her injuries sustained at Paris-Roubaix last year in style.

The reigning Olympic time trial champion won Liege-Bastogne-Liege this season, was second at Strade Bianche and also came home as runner-up at the Tour of Flanders. Her Giro win shows she is hitting form just at the right moment, and she won’t want to end her glittering career without a yellow jersey.

She’s won La Course twice — in 2017 when it was held across two days, and in 2018 when it was a single stage that mirrored the men’s race that day. Demi Vollering (SD Worx) Van Vleuten may have had a