“We want to be sure Demi and the group are fresh”: FDJ - SUEZ ready to support Vollering's quest for second Tour de France Femmes title

After finishing runner-up at the 2025 Tour de France Femmes with Demi Vollering in her debut season for the team, FDJ - SUEZ returns with the objective of winning the biggest race on home roads. Team manager Stephen Delcourt believes the squad has evolved in every area, from race preparation to team chemistry, as they prepare to challenge defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot and the rest of an increasingly competitive peloton.

One of the biggest changes compared to 2025 has been Vollering's race programme. Instead of continuing to race after the Giro, FDJ-SUEZ deliberately gave their leader more time to recover and prepare specifically for the Tour.

"We learnt a lot about last season. It was an amazing season for the team, but we want every time to improve. We changed the programme of Demi first," Delcourt said in an interview with Cycling News.

Delcourt explained why the team opted to skip races such as the Tour de Suisse and the national championships. "After the Giro, she stopped racing; she didn't do the Tour de Suisse. It was hard for her to accept that decision, but we wanted to finish with this special victory on the last stage of the Giro."

He believes that decision has left Vollering arriving with both a fresher body and mind. "No Tour de Suisse, no Nationals, because last year she was sick after the Tour de Suisse and she crashed at the Nationals. Now she has more time... We did a three-week training camp in Tignes, with a fresh mind and fresh body, and she can really focus on the main goal."

The team has also seen improvements from key climbing domestiques Évita Muzic and Juliette Berthet after difficult periods earlier in the year. "Evita was sick over the winter; it was really hard for her... Now she's mentally ready to come back at the top level, and the same for Juliette."

Delcourt believes continuity has become one of FDJ-SUEZ's greatest strengths. Most of last year's Tour squad remains together, with Paris-Roubaix winner Franziska Koch the main addition. "In 2025 we created a group together, and we kept a big part of that group for 2026. We just put Franziska into the group."

The team has even adapted its altitude camps to better protect riders' personal lives. "At the training camp, we really want the riders to keep the team mindset and spend time together off the bike too. For example, for this training camp, we also accept that the boyfriends can visit them for a few days there."

"Because you know now, for a rider like Demi, she has spent maybe four periods in attitude during the season. If you look at the number of days away, at training camp, attitude camp, media camp, we really want to be really careful about this part. We really want to protect the private life of Demi and the other riders too."

Looking back at last year's second place, Delcourt insists only small adjustments were necessary. "It's mainly about the preparation and to be sure that Demi and the group are all fresh. We really want to change something about the details of the preparation... It's not a revolution, it's an evolution."

Although Vollering is among the favourites, Delcourt openly admits the defending champion remains the rider to beat. "Pauline was on another planet, and we expect that Pauline will be on the same level or better this year."

At the same time, he believes the battle for the podium extends well beyond the two biggest names. "We also need to be careful of Marlen, she will be fresh because doesn't race a lot, and it's a really good parcours for Marlen. We know that also riders like Kim Le Court will arrive really fresh, and the first part is really really good for her. I think she will want to be in yellow early, and we know that when a rider is in yellow, she has a special power on her shoulders. We also never forget Kasia Niewiadoma."

The Frenchman even highlighted several emerging contenders. "We also never forget riders like Antonia Niedermaier, Paula Blasi... I think it's an exciting Tour de France because we can put five, six names on the podium. For us, we are only focused on ourselves, to arrive with the best shape, with the best staff, with the best collective, and the best materials."

Beyond his own team, Delcourt also shared his views on the continued evolution of women's Grand Tours. "For me, it's impossible to have a Grand Tour without a TT or a TTT. If it's a Grand Tour, it needs to be complete."

"I think the [overall] parcours is really beautiful. For me it's not good that we have only one finish line on the top [of a climb], we need two minimum. I know it's hard to always have a parcours like this, but I push. If we can have 10 days one day, that will be better. Now with the move to another week, they are more space and time, so I really hope for 2028 we can have 10 days."

Finally, Delcourt dismissed any suggestion there had been uncertainty surrounding Vollering's future before her recent contract extension through 2028. "We never have doubted about Demi."

Negotiations may have taken time, but the outcome was never really in question. "Everybody was always aligned that we wanted to work together; there was no stress. It was better to build the season with her, for her, and that's where success is. We extended early also Celia and Elise, and that was also really important."

He also underlined that the team's long-term stability extends beyond its riders, pointing to several major sponsorship renewals.

"We've signed a new partner every month this year, I think, small and medium partners. What is important is that we've signed the naming contract with FDJ United and Suez until 2028, we extended the contract with Specialized and Shimano, and we are really close to extending the contract with Gobik also. I think that is the best reply, but we are always open to meet sponsors and partners, to grow."