Meet the Riders of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift

With 154 riders from 27 countries competing in the 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (TDFF), the personalities in the peloton were myriad, the stories inspiring. We've selected five intriguing personalities from the TDFF who are well worth getting to know.

Audrey Cordon Ragot, Human Powered Health Cycling

After a stroke last September, the end of the B&B Hotels-KTM team and setbacks with the Zaaf Cycling Team, the cycling season began badly for Audrey Cordon-Ragot. But the multiple National French Champion is a fighter, and she has found her feet again with the Human Powered Health Cycling team, where her Tour team-mates benefited from her valuable experience.

When we asked Audrey for a note to a young rider, she said “Until the line is crossed, you need to believe in yourself. Believe in the fact that you will win and achieve your goals. And make sure to balance the good times between the bad. Cycling has many downs, but not many ups. But the ups cancel out the downs. I’m not thinking about what happened. I’m just thinking about the Tour and how lucky I am to be here.”

Teniel Campbell, Jayco AlUla

When you come from Trinidad and Tobago to take the start of your first Tour de France, you may not yet be familiar with the Tourmalet, but you've already had to cross all the Tourmalet that life and its detractors have put in your path (the name of this famous pass literally means "evil diversions" in Pyrenean dialect). This is the story of Teniel Campbell from the Jayco AlUla team, and it's already historic.

“Nothing in life is unachievable. I think once you believe in your dream and go after it, just keep going. If it’s meant for you, everything will fall into place. Regardless of what obstacles come your way and the challenges you have to face, just keep going. You will reach your goals, just be prepared for the challenge.”

Teniel didn’t win a stage or a jersey this year, but at the age of 25, she’ll have more chances to write her name in the history books – and we’re betting on her.

Evita Muzic, FDJ-Suez

As a National French champion at the age of 22, and placed in the top 10 of the inaugural year of Tour de France Femmes at 23, Evita Muzic has already left her mark on the world of cycling. The climber from the FDJ-Suez team was set to approach this edition with the experience of co-leader already acquired in the Vuelta.

Unfortunately, Evita had to leave this year’s Tour after four stages. We wish her a speedy recovery and a good finish to the season. No doubt, you’ll be seeing Evita at the front of a race again soon.

Elise Chabbey, CANYON//SRAM

Elise Chabbey is more than just an all-around incredible athlete (she represented Switzerland at the Olympic Games in canoeing before taking up cycling)—she's also an all-around incredible human. During the pandemic, she left the turbo-trainer to the other cyclists to put on her doctor's coat, joining the front lines during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. After returning to the sport, the CANYON//SRAM rider took an impressive 11th place in the inaugural Tour Femmes, and while this year's race was not as kind to the Swiss rider, her fellow riders count themselves lucky to be alongside her in the pro peloton.

Veronica Ewers, aka Tenacious V, EF Education-Tibco-SVB

Tenacious V, as she’s known, only took up riding during COVID, and 2022 was her first season as a full-time professional cyclist. The results immediately followed, including 9th in the Tour Femmes last year and 4th in the Giro at the beginning of July, turning the rookie rider from EF Education-Tibco-SVB into a regular on the podium.

Her word of advice to new riders, “Find a way to keep play in the equation.”

Unfortunately, Veronica had to abandon the race after breaking her collarbone in a crash in Stage 6. But with a nickname like Tenacious V, she'll almost certainly come back from that injury with a vengeance!