2025 WC: Thread for all the women's races + Mixed Relay

[Andy262]

so what though, we saw yesterday, one day races can be won by anyone, did anyone think Vallieres was particularly suited to that course ? did anyone think Kiesenhofer was suited to the Tokyo Olympic course ?

no, but you have to be on the start line to compete, sitting at home and saying but weve got no medal prospects so wont even try is just stupid.

honestly from the current crop of UK riders, I dont see any of them as medal prospects in these kinds of races if the Dutch, Belgians and Italians actually rode them properly for a change, anyway, and thats both Men and Womens. So why even bother pretending anymore, just never bother sending anyone if medals are the only thing that matter.

we know BC only really focus on track cycling, the reason why the current crop of UK road riders arent suited to these races is we arent developing them, because we dont have an Elite road pathway for them. all the riders who come into Elite road racing do so in spite of BC help, not because of it, because frankly we know if BC found a super talented rider, theyd be forcing them onto the track instead.

Yep, I couldn’t agree more. Yesterday (or next week) could have been a tremendous opportunity for someone like Josie Nelson or Lauren Dickson to represent GB. I don’t doubt the parcours was on the tough side for Georgi or Henderson, but as you say you can’t win anyway, if you’re not in.

The attitude of British Cycling to Women’s road racing is utterly toxic. We’ve seen it repeatedly.

 

[Andy262]

Unfortunately, a few countries pump too much money into track cycling, at the expense of road cycling. Its just a part in the cycle that Britain does not have elite women riders suited to hillier courses at the moment , yet, the men have many of this type. I'll also add that you may not have many women who put their hand up to ride these races and I have not heard any complaints i n the media.

We have elite women who are just as good as those named in quite a few of the teams other countries put forward, including, arguably, Canada. Our absence sticks out like a sore thumb. We have won that race twice in the past 20 years but have a federation that sees no benefit in building the sport. It is shameful that the women did not represent us in this historic event. And it’s an even bigger mystery why they appear not to be competing next week.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

BC were awarded a record 39million pounds for the 2025-2029 Olympic/Paralympic cycle

they are the best funded of all the "Olympic" sports, that UKsports funds, taking over 11% of the whole budget.

they are recognised as the best funded national cycling team in the entire world.

its an absolute disgrace that they are allowed to withold what is tax payer money, not oil company money, not bankers money, not sponsors money, tax payers money in this way from funding and placing riders into World championships or European championships, regardless of whether we expect them to medal, and I hate thats become verbage.

this will be the fourth time in 5 years they havent sent anyone to the Elite road races at the ECs.

thats not ooh the races are too close to the WC, which we didnt bother sending any Elite women road racers too for the first time in 30 years, or ooh we dont have any riders who suit this course.

thats we dont give a fig for the riders, for the sport, or anything, we only care about guaranteeing we get bucket loads of money that gets spent doing what ? what is their purpose if not to compete at major championships ?

if we arent producing the riders or developing the riders to fill those gaps we think are there, what really is the point of them as a national body tasked with looking after the sport.

But they are in competition with other sports for that budget, and the budget determinations are based almost entirely on continental and world medals. So there is a severe financial disadvantage to 'participation'. I don't know the exact formula (I don't know if it is in the public forum at all), but I suspect that the revenue gaining opportunities in the Euro's are so much greater that sending any women to Kigali was just seen as pure indulgence.

Accountants making the decisions.

 

[Andy262]

But they are in competition with other sports for that budget, and the budget determinations are based almost entirely on continental and world medals. So there is a severe financial disadvantage to 'participation'. I don't know the exact formula (I don't know if it is in the public forum at all), but I suspect that the revenue gaining opportunities in the Euro's are so much greater that sending any women to Kigali was just seen as pure indulgence.

Accountants making the decisions.

Going by the published entries we’re not competing in the Euros RR either. Assuming Henderson is down for the ITT.

 

[awavey]

Unfortunately, a few countries pump too much money into track cycling, at the expense of road cycling. Its just a part in the cycle that Britain does not have elite women riders suited to hillier courses at the moment , yet, the men have many of this type. I'll also add that you may not have many women who put their hand up to ride these races and I have not heard any complaints i n the media.

Zoe B came the closest to complaining publically at least about being stuck in the U23, but BC wont let her ride in the Elite because thats essentially a guaranteed medal they then lose.

Cats quotes were a bit odd and I never saw the original interview so not sure if these were massaged by a press officer, but she was saying like the U23s were the better medal prospects so understood why there were no elites, but then was saying things like she reckoned 5th would be a good result for her and she didnt even know if theyd pick as the protected rider, then post race it was all about it was just the race experience for them.

but its not in a Brits nature to complain loudly, and in the past that has resulted in those riders who did complain, being cut out by BC, or being labelled difficult to work with, and then youve got to be absolute world class to force BCs hand then to pick you, lots of riders have ended up being dropped (aka the phone stops ringing) as a result like that.

and the UK media at least arent remotely interested in road cycling, I dont think Ive seen any coverage of these championships, and Im sure the Euros will pass them by similarly, so the concept that there is a story there to uncover if they were interested to dig a bit. yeah its not happening and it wont change.

 

[awavey]

Going by the published entries we’re not competing in the Euros RR either. Assuming Henderson is down for the ITT.

correct, theyve said theres no-one entered for the road race, its just the ITT for Henderson.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Going by the published entries we’re not competing in the Euros RR either. Assuming Henderson is down for the ITT.

Ah, that rather blows my analysis out of the water.

 

[broppo]

The Netherlands always take responsibility, always try to control the race. This year they didn't, and you can see it just disrupt the whole order of things. I don't know how many times Vollering has been the "overwhelming" favourite, but usually when she is she's very much not the wheelsucking type... almost to a ridiculous extent, as we've seen last yeyear.

Yeah that is my point. Last year also fancy tactics again, while they could just control for Vollering.

 

[Didinho]

So Magdeleine Vallieres is Cian Uijtdebroeks’ girlfriend.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

So Magdeleine Vallieres is Cian Uijtdebroeks’ girlfriend.

He was also very strong during the first 165 km today, so they got that in common.

 

[yaco]

The women's elite race needed to include the Mt Kigali circuit to spice up that race.

 

[awavey]

The women's elite race needed to include the Mt Kigali circuit to spice up that race.

No it just needed the race favourites to ride less stupid, as ELB herself summarised

 

[Valv.Piti]

Overall its been a disappointing season for the women's peleton. I go back to the first two race days of 2025 the Aussie Women's RR and stage one of the TDU set the scene for the season.

I have only watched TdF Femme and Worlds for the ladies this year, so I can't speak on the broader picture, but its absolutely insane how differently the women raced these worlds compared to the men. Mindblowing stuff. Not a single soul got more interested in the women's peloton after these Worlds.

 

[awavey]

I have only watched TdF Femme and Worlds for the ladies this year, so I can't speak on the broader picture, but its absolutely insane how differently the women raced these worlds compared to the men. Mindblowing stuff. Not a single soul got more interested in the women's peloton after these Worlds.

How can no-one not warm to scenes like this, you can keep your Pog wins again stuff for gold like this 😍

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPIgExmjQi4/

 

[Valv.Piti]

How can no-one not warm to scenes like this, you can keep your Pog wins again stuff for gold like this 😍

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPIgExmjQi4/

Because the favorites flew to Rwanda to look at each other and fly home again. Defensive and petty, without heart and desire, thats how they rode!

 

[Andy262]

Because the favorites flew to Rwanda to look at each other and fly home again. Defensive and petty, without heart and desire, thats how they rode!

Infected with the SDWorx mentality. However, second pro win or not, we had a brave and worthy winner. Ripping it from the very bottom of the cobbled climb was who dares wins stuff. I loved it.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Infected with the SDWorx mentality. However, second pro win or not, we had a brave and worthy winner. Ripping it from the very bottom of the cobbled climb was who dares wins stuff. I loved it.

Sure worthy, but extremely disappointing behaviour from the so called favorites to win the race. Compare and contrast to how the favorites rode in all the male races! SDWorx mentality indeed. Shameless and counterproductive racing.

 

[yaco]

No it just needed the race favourites to ride less stupid, as ELB herself summarised

Why should the women only race on a circuit while the men did the Mount Kigali loop? I have posted since the first day of the racing season on January 9 the Aussie women's elite race being a boat race, that the tactics of the women's peleton has been questionable. The reality is that the elite women's race at the World's was a boring and uninspiring race. I suspect it would have different if they did the Mount Kigali circuit.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

How can no-one not warm to scenes like this, you can keep your Pog wins again stuff for gold like this 😍

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

View: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPIgExmjQi4/

VP wants to see strongest riders battle against each other which we didn't really see yesterday.

At both the Tokyo Olympics and in Omloop this year we actually knew who the strongest rider in each race was, but I have no idea who it was here. None of the favourites dropped the others, apart from Reusser. We do know Vollering wasn't at her best though since she was in trouble, and that betting on Muzic once again didn't work out for her team.

At one point it looked like Le Court had been given a golden chance to win (she had no teammates, so she had probably spent more energy than some of the others during the race), but then Chabbey made the most impressive attack of all. However she kept losing time to Vallieres afterwards, so calling her the strongest on the day is also a stretch.

In both Tokyo and Omloop the winners came from the initial breaks consisting of third rate riders, while the decisive break yesterday was made up of second tier riders, who Vallieres comfortably beat in the end. She was indeed a deserving winner, but then I don't mind it when the same few riders win the major races.

It wasn't the best championship race I've ever seen, but it was better than the junior and U23 races and had a lot more suspense, for better or worse, than the men's race today.

 

[awavey]

Why should the women only race on a circuit while the men did the Mount Kigali loop? I have posted since the first day of the racing season on January 9 the Aussie women's elite race being a boat race, that the tactics of the women's peleton has been questionable. The reality is that the elite women's race at the World's was a boring and uninspiring race. I suspect it would have different if they did the Mount Kigali circuit.

The men did the Mt Kigali circuit did it make it an exciting race ?

 

[awavey]

It wasn't the best championship race I've ever seen, but it was better than the junior and U23 races and had a lot more suspense, for better or worse, than the men's race today.

I just think you could put them on any type of race circuit at the moment and by and large the same things will keep happening. We kind of overlooked Paris because Faulkner isn't such a wild card it wasnt a surprise, but the tactics in that race were non existent too and you had riders throwing away medal positions by being stupid for the umpteenth tine

Its like groundhog day with them, the favourites all stare at each other and do nothing none of them come in the race it seems with a plan, at least Pog told everyone what he was going to do and executed it.

I dont know if its their national coaching, the riders are just not instinctive enough without radios, they dont ride together often enough or what explains it other than basically all a nation needs is a strong rider with a bit of nous about them, and they'll clean up.

 

[RedheadDane]

@Armchair Cyclist, @Cookster15, might be time to unsticky this?

 

[yaco]

The men did the Mt Kigali circuit did it make it an exciting race ?

Absolutely it was an exciting because it exploded on the Mt Kigali circuit, while the women's race never exploded at all.