Fenix-Deceuninck – the only Belgian Women’s WorldTeam – is delighted to announce its line-up for the 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift that begins on Sunday July 23rd. The team will be racing under the name of Fenix-Elegant during the biggest cycling race in women’s cycling, with a unique new jersey to celebrate this event.
Fenix-Elegant is heading to this second edition of the Tour with 4 Belgian riders, 2 Dutch riders and the former Austrian Champion, Christina Schweinberger. Yara Kastelijn and Julie De Wilde (who spent a few days at last year’s edition in the white jersey as best young rider) are leading the squad, alongside former cyclocross World Champion Sanne Cant, Marthe Truyen (third at Paris-Roubaix 2023), Julie Van De Velde and Dutch rider Evy Kuijpers.
Sports director Michel Cornelisse is looking forward to starting the race with an ambitious squad: “We have a versatile selection, with several cards to play. We have the aim to bring an offensive style of racing with Yara Kastelijn in the hilly stages. With Christina Schweinberger, we have a real puncher and with Julie De Wilde, we can be confident if the stage ends with a sprint. A stage win is of course a huge expectation, but we are ambitious, and I am convinced we can play an important role each day.”
In addition, as the Tour begins, Fenix-Deceuninck will become Fenix–Elegant for one week. The Elegant window series will be made available in France from autumn 2023. The navy blue jersey will showcase Deceuninck’s ultimate window concept, Elegant, a series that continues to amaze through its technicality & design and which perfectly matches the team’s values.
For Deceuninck, it is important to keep the Elegant series in the spotlight, as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Bart Peeters explains. “As a multinational company, we are extremely proud to strengthen the introduction of our Elegant window in France, through our collaboration with the Fenix-Elegant team. The launch across Europe has already seen impressive momentum. As a main sponsor for both the men’s and women’s teams, we are committed to promoting the growth of women’s cycling and increasing visibility for these remarkable athletes.”
Philip Roodhooft, manager of Fenix-Elegant, is happy to support this project. He said, “After Paris- Roubaix with the men’s team Alpecin-Deceuninck, it is another unique opportunity to showcase Elegant in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the biggest event in the world of women’s cycling. Deceuninck is a main partner for both the men’s and women’s teams, so we are happy to put Elegant in the spotlight with both structures, especially on the occasion of this revolutionary event in women’s cycling. Our riders will be wearing this shirt with honour and will try to strengthen the initiative with great sports performances too.”
FENIX-ELEGANT TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES AVEC ZWIFT ROSTER:
• Yara Kastelijn, The Netherlands
• Julie De Wilde, Belgium
• Christina Schweinberger, Austria
• Sanne Cant, Belgium
• Marthe Truyen, Belgium
• Julie Van De Velde, Belgium
• Evy Kuijpers, The Netherlands
SPORTS DIRECTORS
- Michel Cornelisse, The Netherlands
- Rik Van Slycke, Belgium
