Follow cyclingfans on Twitter and never miss a race. Cyclingfans.com: The #1 destination on the internet for live race coverage.

- La Course by Le Tour de France: Kirsten Wild and Giant-Shimano.
- See also: Tour de France LIVE

- There are 20 teams entered in the La Course by Le Tour de France, a race for the women that will be held in Paris on the final day of the men's Tour de France.  There are 20 stages in the TDF before the final day.  So each day of the men's TDF leading up to Paris, we will feature one women's team and rider for La Course.

- This page was first published July 10, 2014.

- September 1, 2014 update: Kirsten Wild has signed a two-year contract with Hitec Products. More here.

- August 13, 2014 update: Kirsten Wild won Stage 4 of the 2014 La Route de France.

Kirsten Wild
Team Giant-Shimano http://www.teamgiantshimano.com
Twitter: @kirsten_wild Professional cyclist at Team Giant-Shimano; member of dutch national road & track team; London2012 Olympian
Strengths on the bike: sprinting
Age: 31
Nickname: Warda (that’s how they called me in China instead of Wild...)
Website: http://www.kirstenwild.nl

With her incredible power Kirsten Wild is a prolific winner of one day road races, stages in tours, and track contests. She currently stands fourth in the UCI women’s road rankings. The Dutch sprinter is a four-time overall winner of the Ladies Tour of Qatar, three-time podium finisher in Ronde van Vlaanderen, Olympian, and frequent first in Dutch national track championships. This year may again conclude with a dozen or more victories for Wild who recently claimed first overall in the tour and World Cup at Chongming Island. Wild began racing at age 18. Now a full-time pro, she previously worked as a physical education teacher. This prior bronze medalist in track and the team time trial at worlds yearns for a rainbow jersey.

Any list of favorites to capture the inaugural laurels at La Course by Le Tour de France would include Wild. “I think it will be very special to race at the course I've watched since I was a little girl with the competition between the biggest sprinters on earth,” she says. “The Champs Élysées is like the worlds for sprinters. I am really happy that the women are getting the same opportunity.”

Team Giant-Shimano is based in Holland and presently ranks fourth in the world. Wild supplied many of the team’s fifteen UCI event and World Cup victories this year, with two from all-rounder Amy Pieters and one from a climber, Maaike Polspoel. The eleven-strong roster encompasses riders from five countries with an average age of just under 26 years-old. Three athletes are under 20: Lucy Garner, Floortje Mackaij, and Kyara Stijns. Both men’s and women’s squads embrace the moto “Keep Challenging,” to advance cycling by reaching for their best and inspiring others to connect with the sport. Ruud Verhagen is coach and trainer/director of the team.

Self-description in three words: Fanatic, family person, fun
Favorite activities off the bike: Reading, family/friends time
Gluten-free or pasta lover? Pasta
What’s on my iPod: Coldplay is one of my favorites at the moment
What’s on my bucket list: Long ski holiday
Cycling career goals: Become world champion or win an Olympic medal
Post pro cycling plans: I studied to be a teacher in physical education, so I would like to work at a school or something else with kids and sports.
 

by Mary Topping
(photo courtesy Giant-Shimano)