Lauretta Hanson is making her debut at the Tour de France Femmes this month.
It’s a proud milestone for the 28-year-old from Fern Hill who the Macedon Ranges has been cheering on throughout her professional road cyclist career.
“I’ve always watched the Tour de France, but it was only last year that a women’s edition was added to the race and I was allowed to dream of racing it for myself,” she told the Express, just hours before the race.
“It’s a pretty special moment and I’m excited to be a part of one of the most iconic races in the world.”
There are eight stages with a start at Clermont Ferrand, July 23, and finish with a Time Trial in Pau in the south of France on Sunday.
“There’s a lot of climbing and some big mountains, but I’m looking forward to a challenging course,” Lauretta said.
“My role within the team is as a domestique – so I do a lot of work to help save the energy of my teammates that we’re racing for each day.
“For me, that means a lot of work into and through the mountains so there will be some big days for me.
“The toughest stage is probably going to be stage seven where we finish at the top of Col du Tourmalet. It’s an iconic climb in cycling and one of the highest paved mountains in the French Pyrenees.”
Lauretta lives in Girona, Spain, during the season and has been training there. She has been racing a lot so when home, it’s mostly shorter recovery rides so she can recover for the next race.
Before her big moment, Lauretta said she was most looking forward to the fans and atmosphere of the Tour de France.
“July is always a big party and a real celebration of cycling around the Tour de France. Cycling is on the world’s stage and I’m looking forward to being a part of that with my Lidl-Trek teammates,” she said.
