Team manager Rutger Tijssen does not mince words. With Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, the team is aiming for the highest possible ranking in the final classification of the Tour de France Femmes. The 33-year-old Frenchwoman returned to the road this season after winning al lot of mountain bike races. In her first season with Team Visma | Lease a Bike, she immediately showed her class by winning Paris-Roubaix.

In the Vuelta España, the first grand tour of the season, a previous injury forced her to end the race early. Now, more than two months later, she is on the eve of her comeback. "Pauline is completely ready physically and mentally", Tijssen said. "The past two months she has been able to prepare for the Tour in peace and quiet. We made a conscious decision not to ride races and focus on training. Whether that was the right choice, we will know on 3 August."

Ferrand-Prévot believes that the altitude training in Tignes was a valuable period. "I had a very good training period there and was able to take the final steps towards the Tour. It was nice to be able to do that together with my teammates. We supported each other and brought out the best in each other. It's nice to see how much energy and ambition there is in the other riders."

For the reigning Olympic mountain bike champion, it will be the first time she will be at the start of the Tour de France Femmes. "I am very much looking forward to racing in front of a French audience. Of course we want to get the most out of it, but for me this Tour is above all an important moment to discover what it is like to ride a stage race of this level. This step fits into a long-term plan in which I want to gain experience and grow. Every stage is an opportunity to learn and grow in the bigger plan we have in mind as a team."

One of the riders who will support Ferrand-Prévot in the mountains is Marion Bunel. The 20-year-old talent is having a good season and hopes to continue the line in her second grand tour of the year. "I think it's very special to be able to ride this race in my home country. Many people who follow me have said they are coming to watch, so that is a good motivation to get the most out of myself," Bunel said.

The youngster knows she can be of value especially in the second part of the race. "In the first stages, as a team we have to make sure that Pauline doesn't lose time and makes it to the finish unscathed. In the second part of the stage race, when the mountains are just around the corner, my job is to support Pauline as much as possible. We have trained together a lot in recent weeks, so we feel each other better and better. That joint preparation has brought us even closer together as a team."

The fourth edition of the Tour de France Femmes starts on Saturday 26 July and finishes on Sunday 3 August. The stage race has nine stages this year, with the last two being the toughest. The penultimate stage has an arrival on top of the Col de la Madeleine and in the final stage the riders will cross Col de Joux Plane, among others. "The classification is expected to be decided there", Tijssen said.

Besides a good classification with Ferrand-Prévot, Team Visma | Lease a Bike is also aiming for day success with Marianne Vos. The 38-year-old Dutchwoman abandoned as a precaution in the Giro d'Italia Women, but is fully recovered. "The first two hill stages should suit her well. We would have preferred them to be a bit longer, but that doesn't mean we are not going for it." Tijssen advises everyone to watch. "The Tour is the biggest race of the year. I expect nine very nice days of racing."

Besides Vos, Ferrand-Prévot and Bunel, the Tour de France team selection consists of Lieke Nooijen, Eva van Agt, Imogen Wolff and Femke de Vries.