The Tour de France Femmes Thread

Agree. Absolutely superb racing and Kerbaol rode like a woman posessed in the finale.

Just read this excellent piece on Escape Collective about how the riders at TdFF express their femininity https://www.rouleur.cc/blogs/the-rouleur-journal/tour-de-france-femmes-2024-stage-six-preview

Spending a bit of time thinking about the context of TdFF and womens cycling in general is one of the reasons I love this race. (as an aside, I don’t think there’s anyone out there doing the same kind of journalism that EC do)

Quick preview today:

MOUNTAINS!

Here’s a preview:

https://escapecollective.com/preview-2024-tour-de-france-femmes-stage-7/

(as an aside, I don’t think there’s anyone out there doing the same kind of journalism that EC do)

I sometimes get berated on here for being a free member, as I don’t get value from what Singletrack do. If they were doing the interesting, varied, insightful and funny stuff that Escape so but for mountain bikes I’d stump up. It’s such a good website.

Kasia held strong today – do we think she’ll clinch it? I’d love her to.

Kasia held strong today – do we think she’ll clinch it? I’d love her to.

Well I don’t think she was under real pressure today. Tomorrow may be a different story, and Demi put down a marker sprinting away to take the bonus seconds at the end. It will be a cracker !!!

If they were doing the interesting, varied, insightful and funny stuff that Escape so but for mountain bikes I’d stump up. It’s such a good website.

For three times the price …

Really gutsy win by Ghekiere yesterday – really taking the race by the scruff of the neck. Not much movement in the GC, probably because the gradients were fairly steady with nowhere.

Speaking of which…

It’s Alpe d’Huez today:

If anyone can make back 1:20 on a mountain finish it’s Demi Vollering. But then again, if anyone can fight off Demi Vollering it’s Kasia Niewiadoma. This should be quite the stage!

This is intense!

HOLY CRAPOLA.

That was some race…  a lot of respect to all of them.  This has been good for women’s racing.

Incredible!

Chapeau!

Well that was exciting!!  Kasia and Demi really gave it everything. Can’t help thinking that Rooijackers made a mistake by not working with Vollering, but maybe there’s a reason I’m not a professional racer (I mean apart from being a slow old fart).

Closest stage race finish I’ve ever seen. Fascinating seeing the gap respond to every change in pace.

Some good gifs of the key moments over at Escape collective: https://escapecollective.com/tdff-stage-8-report-vollering-battles-to-win-on-alpe-dhuez-but-niewiadoma-defends-yellow-by-seconds/

Some thoughts:

– I honestly think that all other podium finishers gave everything to win today, even Rooijakkers. There was not a single poker face in sight, just everyone riding their guts out. An absolute classic of a stage.

– Vos in green. Of course Vos wins green.

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.

– Whoever posted that eariler in the week is a fool. Young riders jersey, a stage win and a podium spot. Fenix are a seriously good team.

What a stage, awesome.

Amazing. What a stage, and there have been a couple of really competitive stages already. Top riding. Great to see Kasia take the win. SDW were so nonchalant about not waiting for Vollering after she crashed, but she only needed 4 seconds in the end – another helper after the crash might have made the difference.