3 favourites for the 2025 Tour de France Femmes white jersey
The white jersey is awarded to the best young rider, and while that is under 25 in the men’s race, for the women’s it’s under 23, specifically any rider born after January 1st, 2003. Surprisingly, that means this year there are only 12 riders eligible for the classification. It’s for this reason that we have not selected five, but three women. The classification works the same as the general classification, the leader being the eligible rider who has the lowest aggregate time across the completed stages. And yes, whoever is leading the classification heads to the podium and is awarded their jersey, which they wear the following day.
Marion Bunel (Visma | Lease a Bike)
This will be Marion Bunel’s second Tour de France after she finished 17th overall last year as a 19-year-old. That placing earned her third place in the 2024 young rider classification, and with the two women who finished ahead of her now ineligible for the white jersey, it would follow that Bunel would be favourite to inherit the jersey next weekend.
After her excellent maiden Tour, Bunel stayed in France, winning two stages and the GC at the Tour de l’Avenir, then finishing second in the notoriously hilly Tour de l’Ardeche, with results showing her as a classy act.
This year she has continued building a very respectable palmarès, with a series of decent results in the hilly spring classics, though perhaps her most impressive performance was at the Volta Catalunya. There she finished third on GC after tracking Demi Vollering (FDJ-SUEZ) on the queen stage to Coll de Pal. She was able to follow some of the Dutch rider’s attacks, and was even confident enough to give her a turn as they dropped the rest of the peloton.
However, the Tour is a different kettle of fish, and not only will Vollering and everyone else be at their best, but Bunel is likely to ride in the service of both Marianne Vos and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, which may comprise her white jersey ambitions.
Julie Bego (Cofidis)
Finishing third in a combative race like the French road championships is an achievement in itself, doing it aged just 20 is a sign of real talent. Julie Bego did just that this year, but then French cycling spotted Bego long ago, selecting her for two Junior World Championships, the second of which she won, ahead of no less a rider than Briton, Cat Ferguson (Movistar).
Days later, she signed for Cofidis as a trainee, staying at the French outfit ever since and while she has no pro wins to her name, she is progressing steadily. The team have been careful with her development, not exposing her to the WorldTour peloton too much, a strategy which has allowed her to collect a handful of top 10 placings in the hilly, even mountainous races.
With her lack of WorldTour experience, she may struggle in the world’s biggest race, but if the team can support her, we may well see Bego in white.
Nienke Vinke (Picnic-PostNL)
Picnic-PostNL have always invested heavily in young women, and 21-year-old Nienke Vinke is a perfect example of that, joining the team aged only 18. This has allowed the Dutchwoman plenty of exposure to World Tour racing, and crucially, she has the experience of winning best young rider classifications already.
Indeed, already this year she won the classification at the Vuelta Burgos, and though there is no equivalent contest at the Vuelta España Femenina, she was certainly the best of that age group, taking ninth overall.
Vinke will not be expected to lead the team; they will be concentrating on stages with riders like Charlotte Kool and road captain, Pfeiffer Georgi, but she will be supported in the mountains, and white is a possibility.
