For Marlen Reusser and Demi Vollering, the Tour de Suisse is a race with special significance. For Reusser, it is the stagerace of her home country, in which, in addition, a 25.7-kilometre relatively flat time trial offers opportunities. Vollering lives also in Switzerland and she also has a special feeling for this stage race.
Sports manager Danny Stam will be present at the Tour de Suisse as a director sportif. His team has won the last 18 races in a row. Which is very exceptional for a cycling team. "If you look at our results, I can really only conclude myself that it is ridiculously good. We have had a bizarrely good spring. We never expected these performances ourselves."
"I can't exactly pinpoint a reason for this success either. We had a good preparation for the season in Spain, where we again worked a bit harder than previous years. Then we were quickly successful and managed to keep this flow in the team. Everyone drives each other to a higher level this way."
Stam does not want to talk too long on the current win streak. "Of course we are immensely proud of it. However, we also know that this series is going to stop somewhere. Every race you start again at zero. In this Tour de Suisse, we are starting a new series in this season. Most riders return from an altitude training camp or a rest period. Then again you have to wait and see how everyone is doing."
Reusser has been on altitude training in Tignes in recent weeks. The European time trial champion is looking forward to the tour of her homeland. "The time trial to Abtwill is definitely in her favour," Stam says. "If Marlen rides strongly there, she can ride a good classification. However, we are also at the start here with Demi Vollering. She is returning to competition from a good three-week training camp with the team in Brides-les-Bains. Only after the time trial will we see how we will handle the ambitions for the general classifications."
The other riders of Team SD Worx starting in the Tour de Suisse are: Niamh Fisher-Black, Blanka Vas, Marie Schreiber and Elena Cecchini. Stam: "Niamh did not have the most fortunate series of races in Spain. In La Vuelta Femenina, she already crashed at a crucial moment, while later in the Itzulia Women she crashed even harder and had to abandon the race. She is now doing well again. She will soon be given a free role in the Giro d'Italia Donne to ride a short classification."
Stam continues: "Blanka Vas made a strong impression in Spain. After a difficult year 2022, she has now completely regained the pleasure in cycling and you can also see her among the best in the peloton. She had to work a few times for others in the team, otherwise she would have posted shorter results herself. Marie Schreiber is a pleasant surprise. We have contracted her mainly for cyclo-cross, but she also appears to be very employable in road races at the highest level. In terms of content, she will only get stronger from this. And Elena Cecchini needs no introduction. She is of great value to our team wherever she starts."