SD Worx will send a talented team to support world number one and Women's World Tour leader Demi Vollering in the Tour de France Femme Avec Zwift, which begins Sunday, July 23 in Clermont-Ferrand.

Demi Volering, 26, finished second in this race last year, 3:48 behind Annemiek van Vleuten, but Volering is showing signs of closing the gap on the retiring powerhouse.

"With Demi Vollaring, we are going for the full yellow," said team director Danny Stamm.

Volering has won five spring classics, including all three Ardennes classics and the Vuelta a Burgos. She also finished second in the Tour de Suisse and Ituria women's race behind teammate Marlen Reusser, and second in La Vuelta Femenina, just nine seconds behind Van Breuten.

"She had a great spring. She made her mark right off the bat in her first chance at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. She will continue along that route this season. Hopefully, she will be successful in the Tour de France Fam."

SD Worx has four riders in the top five of the UCI ranking, with Reusser, sprinter Lorena Wiebes, and Tour de Flanders winner Lotte Kopecky joining Volering, all on the Tour de France Femme team. Also there are veteran domestiques, Italians Elena Cecchini and Christine Majerus, and Misha Bredewald, who finished second in the young rider class of the 2022 Tour de France Femme.

Van Vleuten, the defending Tour champion, showed her usual top form in winning the Giro d'Italia Donnay, but Stamm says Vollering is mentally stronger this year.

"Demi has proven that he has progressed in all aspects. That will make a difference. Especially mentally, she is much stronger."

"For the first time this season there is a time trial on the course. It is difficult to assess the value ratio of that discipline because it only happens a few times a year. But if you get on the podium in the Dutch time trial, as Demi did, you are the best in the world. It will be an interesting battle between the mountains and the clock."

The Tour de France route has only one major summit finish, the iconic Col du Tourmalet, one day before the 22km time trial in Pau.

"We chose a group that is complementary and has the qualities to create course conditions," Stamm said. That group included Vives, one of the sport's top sprinters.

"The advantage of taking Lorena is that with her sprinting, you always have one more weapon in your arsenal. On top of that, she is a very good team player who can completely surrender herself to the group," Stamm said. 'She's become more complete this year, and she's able to hold the team together better. She has integrated herself into the team in a great way. With Lorena, we are guaranteed a chance to win at many stages."

Kopecky and Reusser also have riders who will be in the breakaway for a stage win or, in Reusser's case, a backup plan for the superdomestique and overall classification.