Monica Trinca Colonel is pedaling fast towards the third Grand Tour of the season. After the Vuelta Espana and the Giro d'Italia Women, the 27-year-old from Valtellina, Italian vice-champion in Pordenone behind Longo Borghini, will return to racing from Saturday at the Tour de France Femmes to lead Liv AlUla Jayco through the mountain stages of the French race.

Alongside Trinca Colonel, the Australian team has called up another Italian for this important French appointment: Letizia Paternoster. The rider from Trentino, who finished several stages in the top-10 at the Vuelta, will also target the flat and slightly rolling sections at the Tour de France Femmes.

The Liv AlUla Jayco roster also includes two experienced Dutch athletes who will be starting the French race for the fifth time: Smulders and Korevaar. Silke will return to racing after competing in June at the Giro d'Italia Women, Volta Catalunya and national championships, while  Jeanne comes off the Tour de Pologne.

Mackenzie Coupland, however, will make her Tour de France Femmes debut. The 20-year-old Australian national champion, who finished third about ten days ago at La Périgord Ladies, commented on the eve of the start in Lausanne: "I never thought I would be racing the Tour de France Femmes this year. I'm eager to experience the atmosphere of this incredibly important race, which I've only watched on television so far. I'm excited but also a bit nervous about what awaits me. Wearing the Australian champion's jersey in a prestigious race like the Tour means a lot to me". Coupland will be able to count on the support and experience of her compatriot Ruby Roseman-Gannon, who is preparing to compete in her fourth Tour de France Femmes.

Completing the Liv AlUla Jayco lineup for this Tour de France will be Nadia Gontova: national time trial champion, the Canadian is making her second appearance at the French race.

Analyzing the nine stages that await the athletes, Liv AlUla Jayco's technical director Wim Stroetinga stated: "We are approaching the Tour de France Femmes with confidence. The athletes have completed excellent preparation and, as a team, we are determined to make the most of every opportunity. We will face the race day by day, identifying the stages where we can fight for victory. With this lineup, we have several options, both in the flat stages and in those that are more challenging from an altitude perspective"