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Stage 1 of the TdF Femmes just starting on TNT Sports.
Start/finish in Lausanne:
https://www.letourfemmes.fr/en/stage-1
Lovely to see such a big turn out.
Unfortunately can't see it on normal TV (not even Welsh), unless anyone knows otherwise.
A foot note to the mens race, and PSA for women's race. For The Love of Cycling (aka Never Stays Far) pod was, as always, lovely. A great balance of post race commentary, banter, history and interviews. I caught up on final three episodes today and still really enjoyed them even though they are a week old. Great work Ned, Lizzie and David.
Unfortunately can't see it on normal TV (not even Welsh), unless anyone knows otherwise.
Yeah, I thought it was supposed to be on Channel 5 but can't find anything so I'm watching it on SBS instead. Full stage plus various highlight packages. Just point your VPN to Oz....
A foot note to the mens race, and PSA for women's race. For The Love of Cycling (aka Never Stays Far) pod was, as always, lovely. A great balance of post race commentary, banter, history and interviews. I caught up on final three episodes today and still really enjoyed them even though they are a week old. Great work Ned, Lizzie and David.
Annoyingly, someone has put race spoilers in the podcast title so be careful if you've not bang up to date on catching up with the TV coverage
I can see why that would be annoying as a spoiler, but short of another underweight bike, that result wasn't ever in doubt.
An absolutely brilliant sprinter.
An absolutely brilliant sprinter.
I thought the lone breakaway would make it, but the peloton turned things up in the last 12-16k. And agree on the sprint, she just popped out of the middle of that lead group and blitzed them.
Looking forward to the Ventoux stage later in the week - if they let it happen...expecting PFP to do there what she did on the Madeleine last year. Tho Vollering looks to be in pretty good form......
Just as all the men's cyclists were pondering having a chance Tadej announces he is going to ride the Vuelta!
STage 3 of the TDFF was a corker, what a great finish. Very much enjoying it, need to watch more women's racing to increase my familiarity with the riders ahead of next year when they pass through Marple...
Just as all the men's cyclists were pondering having a chance Tadej announces he is going to ride the Vuelta!
Saves watching any of it anyway!
ITT day in TdFF today. 21km. I reckon Zoe Backstedt is in with a really good chance on this - maybe not the win up against the likes of Marlene Reusser but she blitzed the National Champs.
There was an interview with her a couple of days ago where she was talking about her form coming into the TdFF and she rather modestly said that "she'd had a good result at the Nationals..."
Yes, winning both TT and RR Champs does qualify as "a good result"... 😂
TT day in TdFF today
Do we think Haugset has a chance to retain the YJ? She seems to be a strong TT rider from Norwegian nationals. But will Reusser take 2.10 out of her today?
As NBT says, not familiar enough with the riders and strengths so not sure who is properly in the mix today. Vollering seems to be useful in the TT, and PVP was pretty good during her first road spell, but no info on where she is now.
ahead of next year when they pass through Marple
Thinking that I'll try and get up to Leeds for the last week of EpicJnrJnr's year 2 tenancy and get to the start.....
need to watch more women's racing to increase my familiarity with the riders ahead of next year when they pass through Marple...
What, you're not popping over the Winnats?
What, you're not popping over the Winnats?
I live in Marple, they're coming right through. Current thinking is to watch them here then head over the Monk's Road to watch them over the top of Chunal. Winnat's would be a fantastic to watch and I think it will be a great atmosphere with the crowds but I'd also expect that you'd need to be there pretty early to get a good spot.
Current thinking is to watch them here then head over the Monk's Road to watch them over the top of Chunal.
Actually that's quite a good shout. It might be better to watch Winnat's on the Telly.
Yesterday’s stage was a cracker. Solo break win then a wee tussle amongst the GC riders behind.
Really interested to see how Zoe Backstedt gets on today. The TT is hilly-ish and I’m not sure how she’ll fare on the parcours. Definitely a chance for a good result from her though! I suspect Haugset will keep yellow today as I can’t see anyone finding 2 mins on her over 21km. I’d expect this to be where Marlen Reusser stakes her claim for the overall by putting time into the other GCers though
Good ride for Zoe!
I suspect Haugset will keep yellow today as I can’t see anyone finding 2 mins on her over 21km.
Yeah, I made the same mistake in the Men's TdF TT thinking that the time gaps wouldn't be much over about 28km and I was wrong.
Same here - Reusser put over 3' into Haugset!
I suspect Haugset will keep yellow today as I can’t see anyone finding 2 mins on her over 21km.
The Race Predictor™ strikes again
Well she had done an 80odd km TT yesterday and she's still 4th overall.
****ing motos!
UCI banging on endlessly about safety and trying stupid shit like attempting to restrict gear ratios (based on seemingly zero actual evidence), meanwhile an entirely innocent rider in the breakaway taken out by one of the million or so motos in and around the group. 🙄
Brutal day today - nothing massively "special" in terms of climbs, it's just one of those relentlessly lumpy days, really selective.
That was a thrilling finish! Proper GC day, some great racing.
That was proper racing, and not a fore gone conclusion which always makes it great viewing.
It does appear tho that someone is not in great shape (looked that way yday even) and their Tour is effectively done.
It does appear tho that someone is not in great shape (looked that way yday even) and their Tour is effectively done.
Yes, bit of a surprise that (I know who you're referring to but I'll keep the spoilers off here for a day just in case). Although it was mentioned earlier in the day about a stomach bug doing the rounds so it could be like Adam Yates in the Men's Tour when he had a definite off-day but bounced back OK.
I guess the issue in Women's racing is they don't have as long to play with, it's "only" 9 days so a single off-day gives you very limited opportunity to recover and gain back the ground you've lost.
Tomorrow looks another relentless day, constantly hilly.
TNT Sports have just posted the last few km here:
mentioned earlier in the day about a stomach bug doing the rounds
Did wonder if something like that might be going on.....
Deficit surely way too big to be in with a chance now.......
How the heck did Demi Vollering overhaul Kasia Niewiadoma in that sprint? Or was Kasia going really really slowly? I didn't like Demi when she was in SD Worx but now she is putting a lot of emphasis on team achievement with FDJ she seems a much nicer person. Or maybe that's just a successful PR campaign.
Some of the car and moto driving in this race is abysmal.
Full race-on, attacks going every which way and both motos and cars are caught up in it all due to the drivers having zero race awareness.
Shaping up to be another cracking finish, the race is in bits.
Tomorrow looking like the decider for yellow......
is it DV v MR, or is KN going to come through on Ventoux and steal it...
DV surely has it vs MR on such a long ascent, but does KN have enough of a weight advantage to overtake them both.
Had hoped that PFP would be in the running but it's not realistic, even Tadej doesn't have 5 minutes in him.
Had hoped that PFP would be in the running but it's not realistic, even Tadej doesn't have 5 minutes in him.
I don't know, Ventoux is MASSIVE and I think it'd be easy to get significant time gaps up there if anyone isn't on top form. It's looking unlikely admittedly.
PFP came in for some criticism about her TT position (which looked terrible) but was apparently the best compromise in terms of comfort and efficiency given some injuries she's had in the past. Plus I'm willing to bet it was still a fair bit faster than most of the people posting the criticisms could actually manage.
Anyway - the Ventoux stage. Flattish (a couple of small categorised climbs) 125km then straight up Ventoux from Bedoin. The current QOM on there is held by British climber Illi Gardner who at one point was specialising in Everesting, she held the fastest women's Everesting record for a while. Just under 1hr 10 mins is the Ventoux QOM (set during a specific record attempt so it'll be interesting to see how racing affects it).
Anyway - the Ventoux stage
Seeing some speculation that they'll shorten and finish at Chalet Reynard cos of gusting NW winds higher up which will make that last few km a bit difficult - not sure when that gets confirmed
Would be a ride for the ages if PFP can take the lead. I guess she might have to settle for the stage win
The current QOM on there is held by British climber Illi Gardner
Second is Kim Le Court a couple of months ago.
Fingers crossed it’s going to be the full climb today. The presenter on SBS was just at the summit and it didn’t look horrendously windy, just depends if it was filmed earlier today or not.
I’d like to see Puck smash it and take the win today.
I've ridden all of these roads. 😍
Break of 9 still got a few seconds but it all looks like it's about to explode any minute.
Stunning part of the world to ride.
Watching this makes me want to go back there.
This is blowing the race to smithereens.
I don't think Kim Le Court will be matching her second place on QOM time today. PFP nowhere close either.
Hot damn. Big mountain stages in the womens' grand tours never fail to deliver do they?
Well they're doing the full mountain but the wind is ripping across the top of it. Been a good stage, it's blown things to bits. I think there'll be riders finishing for the next 30 minutes or so!
How do spoilers work
Considering the peloton was more or less together at the foot of Ventoux, there are some massive time gaps caused simply by that final climb.
PFP was nearly 11 minutes back, looks like all the dropped riders got themselves organised and finished together in a group about 30-31 minutes back, including highest placed British rider Zoe Backstedt.
That was an excellent stage, caught up with it just before they got to Malaucene, and great racing.
I wonder why PFP's tour has fallen apart so spectacularly. Illness, fuelling? This was her focus for the year, so something v out of kilter to be so far of the pace?
SO glad we're watching this, catching up with the highlights on SBS each day - just watched two days worth one after the other. Tadej is lovely, but it's boring seeing him smash every race (though the race behind can be entertaining). this is another level though, it's fab
I've casually watched a few stages this week (while working), properly watched yesterday - so much more interesting when there isn't a massive gap between the leader of the race and everyone else.
I was cheering on KNP - for so long the climbers in women's cycling have had a poor deal with very few big mountain top finishes so it was great to see a lighter rider take the stage and move into the lead.
Sprint stage today I believe, then 4 x up Eze as the final day. That'll be one to watch, could be epic.
I was cheering on KNP - for so long the climbers in women's cycling have had a poor deal with very few big mountain top finishes so it was great to see a lighter rider take the stage and move into the lead.
Was cheering on KNP as well - epic ride. But I think the 24 and 25 TDFF's have been decided on classic climbs.....KNP of AdH in 24, and PFP on the Madeleine last year...Both times to DV's detriment.
Maybe these next 2 days are where DV gets her own back. It's going to be a tough couple of days for KNP and CanyonSRAM that 15 seconds is slim. They're going to have to mark DV and make sure she doesn't get a look at taking some seconds in a sprint today, and not sure who is best suited for tomorrow. She finished strong if belatedly yday, so perhaps she has something left
I wonder why PFP's tour has fallen apart so spectacularly. Illness, fuelling?
She said the other day that she had produced her best ever 10min power but everyone else is more betterer too.
PFP on the Madeleine last year.
Tourmalet Shirley?
I think Kasia will be really keen to win this year to bury the comments from 24 that she only won because of Demi's crash.
