The Tour de France Femmes Thread

Yet another huge sporting event starts tomorrow – another Tour de France!

This one starts in the Netherlands then works it’s way South to finish next Sunday on Alpe d’Huez:

The season so far has been fantastic, with loads of teams stepping up to challenge the dominance of SD Worx. There’s been lots of tactically interesting racing this year and I expect this race to be no different.

Abby Mickey’s preview on Escape Collective is the best I’ve seen: https://escapecollective.com/preview-your-stage-by-stage-guide-to-the-tour-de-france-femmes/. They also have a (free) fantasy game on their site – it’s a different format to velogames etc but I like it. If there’s any interest here I can try and set up a league.

I’ll try and post links to previews on each stage on the day as well as a few sentences in summary. You can watch the race on Eurosport/Discovery+ but there’s no free-to-air option like the mens race. Sigh.

Does anyone care to make a prediction abou the race? Which riders are folk looking out for?

Prediction, no. But I hope Kasia has a good tour. Always so damn close and rarely getting the win. Was great to see her win at Fleche this year. If she can give Vollering a battle in the hills it’ll be a great race.

Looking forward to stage 4, kind of LBL-light. And Alpe d’Huez obviously.

Here’s a non-paywalled preview: https://www.rouleur.cc/blogs/the-rouleur-journal/tour-de-france-femmes-2024-stage-one-preview?srsltid=AfmBOoqFc89rcR281D7AtVyhEvAqtw7KvSn1vHnuv96xYFyip1NaL_5J

As you might expect it’s a flat one today:

Almost certainly a sprint, but the wind could also play a factor. Expect to see some insane crowds – the Netherlands is to womens cycling what Belgium is to mens. If there isn’t a dutch winner today (Probably Wiebes or Vos) I’ll eat my own arse.

The racing hasn’t even started yet and the iamge of the Tour is already here. Please enjoy Blanks Vas with the correct number of stroopwaffels:

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Am down near Alpe d’Huez next weekend with the family and am really hoping to see the final stage.

Any top tips on the best way to enjoy it?

Any top tips on the best way to enjoy it?

Either:

– plan it with military precision, get up onto the mountain early with a day’s worth of food, water and suncream, enjoy the atmosphere and the mental (in a good way) Dutch fans and be prepared to spend a long time up there afterwards while the whole Tour caravan makes its way back down again.

or

– completely wing it, find a random bit of roadside somewhere along the route and hope for the best.

Alpe d’Huez will probably be VERY busy – as in road closed from the night before, people camping on it for days in advance, big crowds, lots of music… It’s all fine if you’re expecting that and OK with it but if you want a quiet night’s sleep beforehand and a peaceful spot to watch a race go by, forget it!

Cracking win today although Lorena Wiebes did drop her chain in the final few metres.

If there isn’t a dutch winner today (Probably Wiebes or Vos) I’ll eat my own arse.

Fortunately for you, Charlotte Kool is Dutch! And Vos gets the green jersey for tomorrow on countback since Kool is in yellow.

Thanks Crazy-Legs, I was wondering how busy it’s going to be compared to then mens, will there still be Dutch corner, will it be chaos?  Road closures don’t seem to be in place for very long, only from about 4pm to 9pm all the way from Allemond and then up the climb.

Will see what advice the Office de Tourisme has to offer and to make sure I’ve understood the road closures properly.

Fortunately for you, Charlotte Kool is Dutch! And Vos gets the green jersey for tomorrow on countback since Kool is in yellow.

I actually had Kool as my pick in the Escape Collective Fantasy but changed my mind this morning thinking only a fool would bet against Wiebes. It turns out that Kool has had some respiratory issues most of the year that have only just been resolved so I think we can expect to see more of her this Tour.

I notive Vos went for the intermediate sprint today. A statement of intent perhaps?

DOUBLE DAY!

Before anybody asks, I think it’s because the olympics forced them to squeeze an 8 day race into 7 days.

Rouleur’s preview is here: https://www.rouleur.cc/blogs/the-rouleur-journal/tour-de-france-femmes-2024-stage-two-preview

Stage 2

Flat, short, sprinty and ON TV RIGHT NOW:

They’re not even pretending the bridges have KOM points. Lorena Weibes says she wants to win today, but Charlotte Kool dropped the whole peloton in yesterday’s sprint so it should be a good finale.

Stage 3

An ITT, but it’s short short short:

The sprinters will do well on a course like this (Weibes said on the podium this morning that she’s guning for both stages today). On top of that we have half of the Team Pursuit Olympic champion team here (Dygert and Faulkner) who are quite good at this length of effort.

Here’s the preview: https://www.rouleur.cc/blogs/the-rouleur-journal/tour-de-france-femmes-2024-stage-three-preview

Ah I wondered why today’s stage was so short, didn’t notice it was a double header – RR this morning, TT this afternoon!

No spoilers for now but that was a gooooood sprint

Does anyone know where we can watch this? Is it on ITV4 again?

As I mentioned above there’s no ITV coverage of this, but you’ll find it on Eurosport or Discovery+

Didn’t manage to see the TT but it seems that Vollering has stamped her authority on the race today. There’s a good review of the stages at WriteBikeRepeat: https://writebikerepeat.com/le-tour-femmes-dispatch-stages-2-3/

Apparently Vollering took TWO power naps in between the stages today, which is the kind of professional sports behaviour I can really get behind.

Looking forward to tomorrow’s Amstel/Liege mashup.

there’s no free-to-air option like the mens race.

That’s a bit poor, isn’t it?

It’s time to Ardennes the **** Up. The race still hasn’t made it to France yet but now they’re heading into Belgian classics territory with a finish that wouldn’t look out of place on a rainy Sunday in April.

With the exception of Vollering (who is ok in this kind of race) we should expect to see a new cast of characters to the fore. I’m interested to see if Lidl-Trek deploy some of their talents here – the absence of Elisa Longo-Borghini puts a bit of a question mark over how they’ll approach the race. It’s also definitely a stage that Kasia Nieuwadoma has circled in her road book.

As for the lack of free-to-air option for the race, I agree that it’s hugely frustrating. This is a race with the potential to reach far beyond bike racing nerds like me and some free-to-air highlights strike me as the best way to do that.

As for the lack of free-to-air option for the race, I agree that it’s hugely frustrating. This is a race with the potential to reach far beyond bike racing nerds like me and some free-to-air highlights strike me as the best way to do that.

Notable how poor the commentary is compared to the usual Millar / Boulting combination on ITV4 as well.

It’s not “bad” as such, it’s just nowhere near the standards of the Men’s Tour.

Good interview with Vollering here

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/the-secret-behind-demi-vollerings-success-feelings-are-my-power

It’d be great if Kasia could win at least one stage this week – today does seem like a good candidate.

I remember last year or the year before, the ITV commentary team seemed actively cross about not being able to cover the TDFF – and rightly so, it is a travesty that the public don’t get to see the biggest race in the women’s tour calendar for free. For both the public and the competitors.

Grace Brown has gone very well in Liege in the past and she’s on good form. If Lotte was there I imagine she would light it up on La Redoute so it will be interesting who see who else will give it a nudge there.

Grace Brown has gone very well in Liege in the past and she’s on good form

She had a mechanical in the TT and needed a bike change so she’s a bit down on GC now, might give her a bit of freedom to get in a move.

Hmm. I wonder how Puck Pieterse will do today. She’s got a bit of a punch on her but less of a team behind her than the other big hitters.

Chloe Dygert and Neve Bradbury (both Canyon-SRAM) got lucky with that level crossing allowing them to regain the bunch! Looks like Chloe had crashed earlier and Neve was with her trying to tow her back.

Climbs are taking their toll now, the bunch is split to bits.

Also seems to be some slightly shady goings-on with lower ranked teams…

https://www.rouleur.cc/blogs/the-rouleur-journal/200-euro-salaries-inexperienced-youngsters-and-gaming-the-system-tashkent-city-justify-their-place-at-the-tour-de-france-femmes

That was a classy finish.

Yeah, great finish to a really exciting stage. So pleased for Puck!

Hmm. I wonder how Puck Pieterse will do today. She’s got a bit of a punch on her but less of a team behind her than the other big hitters.

well, not only did puck’s team do a great job for her today, but she got a brilliant lead out from 2/3 of last years podium.

…and apparently she didn’t feel her legs today.

And wasn’t sure where the finish line was.

Great to see her get a win so early in her road career.

Today’s the day that the race remembers that it’s the Tour de France and finally crosses the border from Belgium:

Unfortunately we’ll don’t get to hear how many syllables Rob Hatch puts in ‘Bastogne’ (Buiastiaognyiuuea) but we will get a good break vs peloton fight. Of the stronger teams I can ony see SD Worx and Visma LAB with a sprinter who has a good chance in today’s finish. There has to be about 30 riders trying to get in the break today.

Not even going to attempt to make a prediction here!

Absolute carnage at the end of stage 5!

Yeah, today seemed LIVELY. While it’s not how I’d like it to happen, I’m pleased with the outcome.

Ooft. Suspect the atmosphere at SD Worx dinner table will be TENSE ?

Ooft. Suspect the atmosphere at SD Worx dinner table will be TENSE ?

Might wanna hide the steak knives and go with soup instead. Interesting to see how DV reacts, but I think we can forget any lead-outs for Wiebes in the very near future.
Wasn’t there a controversy last year when AMVV attacked while DV was stopped for a pee? Or have I misremembered? Seem to recall that DV got fired up and burned the field the next day. 

There was indeed, at the Vuelta. Annemiek van Vleuten attacked when SD Worx decided to stop for a comfort break; SD Worx had done the same the day before to Movistar, so it wasn’t as simple as Vollering was implying.
I miss AvV for the absolute joy of watching her fired up and on a mission!

Seems like nobody’s upset with Canyon-SRAM for pushing on after the crash – they were already trying to string the bunch out to position Kasia well for the finish.

There’s some on-the-ground on Escape Collective about the confusion at the end of the race here: https://escapecollective.com/confusion-and-chaos-for-sd-worx-protime-as-vollering-is-left-behind-while-vas-wins/

If we take them at their word then it just seems like nobody on SD Worx knew where anyone was after the crash so they didn’t manage to send anyone back. Part of me thinks it sounds like a convenient story to deflect attention, but then again both Weibes and Vas have shown themselves to be selfless team mates when needed in the past. Either way, if anyone can come back from 1:20 down in the mountains it’s Vollering.

Also feel the need to remind myself here that beside the controversy yesterday the racing was GREAT.

Here’s today’s stage:

It’s another medium-hilly stage! I love this kind of bike race where there’s just no telling how it will pan out. Accordingly, Rouleur have named about half the peloton as contenders for today: https://www.rouleur.cc/blogs/the-rouleur-journal/tour-de-france-femmes-2024-stage-six-preview

Really interested to see how Canyon-SRAM deal with defending yellow – they don’t strike me as a team that does much conservative riding.

If we take them at their word then it just seems like nobody on SD Worx knew where anyone was after the crash so they didn’t manage to send anyone back. Part of me thinks it sounds like a convenient story to deflect attention,

I think I saw on telly the SD Worx car was on the scene very shortly after the crash, and according to Lanterne Rouge it was Wiebes’ handlebars that DV got entangled with. If (big if) those things are correct, it doesn’t shine a very good light on SD Worx.

PS what has happened to Cecilie U-L ?  I saw she was in a crash on an early stage but I haven’t seen her listed as withdrawing.

PS what has happened to Cecilie U-L ? I saw she was in a crash on an early stage but I haven’t seen her listed as withdrawing.

25th yesterday; 29th overall.

25th yesterday; 29th overall.

Yes, sorry – my phone screen is too small for my ageing eyeballs 🙁

Women’s racing is excellent, as either:

the DS’s don’t have a clue where anyone is, or

the teams lack any real depth so there’s no ‘team’ to speak of anyway, or

everyone is just out for themselves (read into that what you will).

It all makes for a a very different type of racing to the men’s, and a great watch.

Sad to see Pfeiffer Georgi out, it looked like a really bad crash for her – that’s some injury list:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/cpvyr1m20nxo

Another cracking stage today. Great solo finish by Cedrine Kerbaol and Vos fighting like mad to get back onto the group for some more big green jersey points.