Tiffany Cromwell emphasized that Canyon-SRAM enters the Tour de France femme with an open mind and realistic goals.

The team will name Kasia Niewiadoma as overall leader, but the experienced Australian rider believes the team's strength lies in the depth of its six female riders and multiple options.

"We have two attacks," Cromwell said. 'We have Cassia and we have Pauliena. I'll be there as a support rider and as a road captain to keep the team together.

"We all know how strong Anne-Mike [van Vleuten] is, and it will be very hard to win one-on-one, so if we can go in with two options we can be more flexible."

While winning the overall is the ultimate prize of the Tour, there are many other ways to win the eight-day race.

"There are a lot of strong riders in each of them, so we'll be aiming for stage wins as well as other classes (teams, mountains)," Cromwell said. We won't be using sprinters, so we can't go for the sprints. But the chance to be on the podium is really important for the team."

While Niewiadoma, Roy Jackers, and Elise Shabby are the canyon riders to watch in the mountains, the team also recognizes that GC contenders need to be alert even on seemingly easy sprint days, an important responsibility for Cromwell.13 ]

"It's really important to look out for the leaders."

"You can be thinking, 'Oh, don't worry, I can handle it,' but if you're not fully focused, it's the kind of stage where a couple of seconds can be the difference between first place and second or third place."

Cromwell believes that it is not only putting together a strong team of riders, but also belief and confidence that will make the difference in the Tour.

"What our team has suffered from in the past is a lack of confidence," he said. But I think we should go into this with confidence."

While Cromwell has faith in his team, he is also keen to point out that their goals are realistic, especially in the face of a strong Van Vleuten (Movistar).

"I think we have an open plan, She said. 'We have some strong cards to play for the GC, but we are the out-and-out favorite. Probably a no on paper. We might have a shot at the podium. Of course, we could win some races where everything goes as it should" like you wouldn't believe."

But beyond the racing, Cromwell recognizes the fact that spectacle and fanfare bring more than just riding to the riders. As the most experienced rider on the team, the Australian hopes to help her teammates navigate the biggest race on the women's calendar.

"A lot of the riders won't have experienced everything that comes with [the Tour de France femme]. I think it can sometimes hurt an athlete if they don't know how to stay focused on themselves and their little bubble." It's very easy for players to get overwhelmed and distracted by all the extra media requests, videos, and all that.

"So I think part of my responsibility will be to be with these girls and talk about how to not be distracted by that stuff.