Visma | Lease a Bike unveils its squad for the Vuelta a España Femenina with Ferrand-Prévot and Vos as leaders

With the first Grand Tour of the women's cycling season set to begin next week in Spain, Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women is bringing a formidable lineup to the Vuelta a España Femenina. Focusing primarily on stage victories, the squad will rely on the finishing speed of Marianne Vos, while Pauline Ferrand-Prévot uses the demanding seven-day race to build her general classification form ahead of the ultimate goal: the Tour de France Femmes.

The early stages of the Vuelta Femenina are expected to favor the fast finishers, and Visma | Lease a Bike has its sights set firmly on those exact opportunities. Sports director Jos van Emden highlighted Marianne Vos as the team's primary weapon. Vos has claimed two stage wins in each of her last three Vuelta appearances, currently sharing the all-time record of six victories with Demi Vollering.

"It should come as no surprise that we have Marianne firmly marked for a number of stages," Van Emden noted in a statement shared by the team's official website. "A seventh win would be fantastic, of course."

Van Emden also pointed to 24-year-old Canadian Sarah Van Dam as a crucial asset. Making her Vuelta debut after a highly consistent spring campaign in the yellow and black, Van Dam provides the team with tactical flexibility.

"Sarah is a rider who strengthens us across the board and gives us another card to play," the sports director added. "I expect her to play an important role in several finales."

Following a phenomenal spring classics campaign highlighted by podium finishes at both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is now shifting her focus entirely to stage racing. For the French star, the Spanish Grand Tour is a vital stepping stone.

"Personally, I’m also here to make progress as a stage racer," Ferrand-Prévot explained. "Everything I do here is aimed at improving, with our main goal of the season in mind: the Tour de France Femmes. Just like last year, I want to show my very best level there."

Van Emden echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that securing a solid block of stage racing is the current priority for her development. "After a strong spring, this is her first real preparation for racing for general classifications again. There’s still work to be done, but we know that. It will be important for her to get a full week of racing under her belt in Spain."

The twelfth edition of the Spanish stage race kicks off on Sunday, May 3. While the opening days offer clear chances for the stage hunters, the overall general classification will be decided during a brutal final weekend in the mountains.

"The Angliru will be decisive," Van Emden predicted regarding the iconic and fearsome final climb. "The penultimate stage also finishes on a steep climb. The earlier stages are more similar in profile, and that’s where we’ll go all-in for stage wins. That’s our main goal this week."

Ferrand-Prévot, Vos and Van Dam will be accompanied by Lieke Nooijen, Marion Bunel, Maud Oudeman, and Imogen Wolff.