Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig officially began her third season with the FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope in Spain with her first training camp for 2022. She has become a leader of the French team, winning her first Women's World Tour title this year and showing a positive attitude toward the team's growth as we head into the new year.

She has three spring classics on her radar, but the "big target" for the team will be the Tour de France Femme Avec Zwift, July 24-31.

"There's nothing like a French team racing the Tour de France. It's the best thing I've ever done," Uttrup Ludwig told Cycling News from her campsite.

She finished third in the 2019 La Course by Le Tour de France with the Bigla Pro Racing team and improved to second this season with FDJ. The 107.4-km 2021 course, with its finish line atop the Côte de la Fosse aux Roux in Landerneau, suited the always aggressive and uphill-loving Uttrup Ludwig. But competing in an eight-day stage race in France is a real gem for any rider of any background, but especially for a French team.

"The exposure is very high. We got a little taste of that at Paris-Roubaix this year. The exposure there, the interest from French TV was very big. So I think it's going to be very big and it's going to boost women's cycling. It's a big goal for the team," she added.

With the vacations approaching and the first spring races still months away, Uttrup-Ludwig said she is excited for the upcoming season, especially with two new riders, Vittoria Gauzini and Grace Brown.

"This team is improving every year. It's very exciting to race with them, especially Grace making it to the finals. I think we have a lot more cards to play, especially with Grace making the finals. Teams like Trek and SD Walks have a lot of cards to play. So in the finals, we can attack and counterattack. So hopefully next year we will be able to do that. And we (as a team) will attack.

"It's always exciting to see how the young French girls are developing. It's special for this team and it's in their DNA. You see girls like Evita [Mujic], who is growing and growing and now she's winning the French championships and competing in the toughest races. La course, the Giro, she's there.

"Yeah, it's always fun to see their careers and how they've grown since I joined the team three years ago. It's really cool. I feel like I'm getting old saying that."

She also added that she wants to lead by example, enjoy competing on the podium, and strive to be on the top step more often.

"My vision of racing is to be attacking, thrilling, powerful, and exciting. What is she going to do and when is she going to attack? At least I hope so. 21]

The all-rounder kicked off her 2021 campaign with a victory in the third stage of the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas. La Course's podium was big, but he only won one race last season, accounting for half of the team's annual winnings.

"It hasn't happened very often [this year], but I'm trying," Uttrup-Ludwig said. 'I want to win them all.'

She has always been aggressive and has 11 more top-10 finishes during the season, including a fifth at Strade Bianche, one of her favorite races.

"The races that always hold a special place in my heart are Strade Bianche, Flanders, and Flèche (Wallonne). These three races are the ones I look forward to getting to the start line for. And it's my dream to win one before I stop my cycling career. "

She could not confirm whether her goal was to GC in the Tour or to work with her teammates to win a stage. Even team director Stéphane Delcourt was a bit elusive.

"We will put together the best team possible for the Tour de France Fam. Our goal is to shine in our home town and to be the star of the show, both overall and in each stage. The team has some cards to play to shine," Delcourt told Cycling News.

The Tour de France Femme starts on the Champs-Elysées in Paris and concludes with a mountain stage.

"There's something for everyone. There are flat stages, there are punchy stages, there are real mountain stages. There's also gravel. The only thing missing is a time trial, but I think over time they will add a time trial or a team time trial," she said.

Did you expect the burden of leading a team to be so heavy on your shoulders? I put a lot of pressure on my own shoulders. Sometimes I am my own worst enemy. Of course, there are a lot of people looking at us FDJ, but there are many other strong teams lined up for the Tour. So I don't feel it's particularly tough because my desire is to do well in the Tour."