“I’m feeling good,” De Vries begins. “I’ve had an excellent preparation. The training sessions during my altitude camp went really well and it was an enjoyable period. Even though the weather wasn’t always great, the training camp gave me exactly the right stimulus heading into the race.”

The 32-year-old Dutch rider, who already finished on the podium of the general classification at the UAE Tour earlier this season, hopes to compete with the very best in Italy as well. “I don’t want to put too much pressure on my ambitions yet, because in a Grand Tour you never really know how things will unfold. But it would be great if I could finish in the top five of the general classification.”

The GC battle will likely be decided on the Colle delle Finestre, a climb that brings back fond memories for the Dutch squad. “It’s a truly iconic climb,” De Vries says with a smile. “I really enjoyed watching last year’s Giro stage back. I think it’s a climb that suits me well. We also have a very strong climbing team, so hopefully we can show ourselves there.”

Alongside De Vries, Bunel is also part of the squad. The young Frenchwoman showed her potential at La Vuelta Femenina by finishing third overall. “Marion did an incredible job. She’s making huge steps forward and it’s great to see that translating into results as well. I’m really looking forward to racing together with her in Italy,” De Vries explains.

Bunel also looks back on La Vuelta Femenina with pride. “I knew I was in good shape, but I never imagined I would be fighting for the overall victory and eventually finish on the podium. The team supported me fantastically and I’m very happy that I was able to reward all the hard work with such a great result.”

“My preparation for the Giro d’Italia Donne has gone well,” the 21-year-old continues. “After the Vuelta I spent a few days at home with my family. After that I got back into training and I’ve never really lost the good feeling. Hopefully I can carry that form into the Giro as well.”

Bunel, who travels to Italy as a replacement for the injured Marianne Vos, hopes to support De Vries as best as possible. “We have a very strong team. I’m feeling really good at the moment and I hope I can support Femke in the best possible way with my current form. Hopefully we can achieve another strong result together.”

Alongside De Vries and Bunel, Nienke Veenhoven, Daniek Hengeveld, Rosita Reijnhout, Margaux Vigié and Viktória Chladoňová are also part of Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women’s seven-rider selection for the Giro d’Italia Donne.