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- La Course by Le Tour de France: Pascale Jeuland and Poitou-Charentes Futuroscope-86 Team.
- 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.

Pascale Jeuland
Poitou-Charentes Futuroscope-86 http://www.cyclisme-vienne-futuroscope.fr/
Twitter: @pascalejeuland
Strengths on the bike: sprinting
Age: 27
Website: www.pascalejeuland.com

A special motto guides Pascale Jeuland. Translated from the French, it means something close to “always ready.” More than likely that motto is unique in the professional women’s peloton because it comes from the French artillery unit in which Jeuland has served her country. Riding as a member of the military with a special athlete status, in 2013 she became a world champion for the second time by capturing the military road title. Talent on the track brought her first rainbow jersey in 2010 when she won the worlds scratch race. Jeuland started to collect national champion gold medals at junior track competitions and continued to earn them as an elite rider. In 2014 she completed the Tour of Qatar as the highest placed French rider.

If she’s selected to contest La Course by Le Tour de France, racing past the Arc de Triomphe should hold special meaning for this woman who believes in the power of sports to help rehabilitate injured soldiers.

The Poitou-Charentes region, a set of four departments in west-central France, believes in the future of women’s cycling and this season it significantly increased its support and became principal sponsor for the French team previously known as Vienne-Futuroscope. Now called Poitou-Charentes Futuroscope-86, the roster of twelve targets the La Coupe de France Dames series; this year team member Amélie Rivat carried off a race win and the series overall victory. Among the squad’s four riders who finished in the top twenty at the recent French road championships, Sandrine Bideau took fifth place. Former Australian criterium champion Kimberly Wells and the current espoir Canadian road champion, Gabrielle Pilote-Fortin, also ride for this team which also supports juniors and U23 riders from the Poitou-Charentes region. Paul Brousse is the sports director.

Cycling came into my life: at age 12
Favorite race: Tour of Qatar
Favorite region for riding: Bretagne
Best weather for racing: rain, but not until the race is underway
Cycling goals for 2014: improve in international races with top 10 results
I like: respect, discipline, tolerance

by Mary Topping
(photo not currently available as the team has not responded to multiple requests for information)