Vuelta a España La Vuelta Femenina 2023 (1st-7th May)

[Armchair Cyclist]

Shouldn't linger in the 'Lesser Known Women's Road Races' thread

The route for La Vuelta Femenina, which funnily enough is sponsored by Carrefour, has been announced this evening. The race will start with a TTT in Torrevieja and finish atop Lagos de Covadonga. But most importantly, it also has a stage start in Cuenca!

 

[Netserk]

I approve of early race threads. Just don't forget about it.

 

[yaco]

Will SDD Worx take Wiebes as there are three definite sprint stages.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

A bit early for a thread perhaps, but here we go.

The race will have longer transfers between some of the stages, but it's probably impossible to avoid it when you're going from one end of the country to the other.

They have also introduced a new prize for the first riders to cross the highest peak of the race, which have been named in honour of Estela Domínguez, who tragically lost her life last month after being hit by a car during a training ride near Salamanca

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Will SDD Worx take Wiebes as there are three definite sprint stages.

I think the final of stage 3 is the same as the start of the 2006 Vuelta stage to Cuenca, but ridden from the opposite direction.

This is the final climb (Alto de Horche). I haven't found a profile of the penultimate one yet, called Alto de Tendilla from the opposite side, but it's around 8.5 km at 4%, approx. 10% max., so although it is called a flat stage in the roadbook, it might not end in a bunch sprint.

 

[yaco]

I think the final of stage 3 is the same as the start of the 2006 Vuelta stage to Cuenca, but ridden from the opposite direction.

This is the final climb (Alto de Horche). I haven't found a profile of the penultimate one yet, called Alto de Tendilla from the opposite side, but it's around 8.5 km at 4%, approx. 10% max., so although it is called a flat stage in the roadbook, it might not end in a bunch sprint.

This will be a reduced group.

 

[ice&fire]

So they're celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first Vuelta stage to Lagos de Covadonga. The rumours weren't totally wrong, only got wrong the race.

 

[red_flanders]

I really hope they stop treating the women like fragile beings who can't handle 21 days in the saddle. I guess it's more about money than that, but still...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Sadly apart from Covadonga it's a big pile of meh (other than the TTT which is horrible), but I do like that the women get to climb Covadonga, and they are using Mohandi as a lead-in.

 

[Izzyeviel]

I really hope they stop treating the women like fragile beings who can't handle 21 days in the saddle. I guess it's more about money than that, but still...

On one hand I agree with you.. on the other I don't want to watch 120 days of cycling in Grand Tours alone.

 

[red_flanders]

On one hand I agree with you.. on the other I don't want to watch 120 days of cycling in Grand Tours alone.

It's a fair point. I certainly wouldn't. I only started watching the Vuelta a couple of years ago.

 

[EarlHardman]

Shouldn't linger in the 'Lesser Known Women's Road Races' thread








I sincerely hope they stop treating the women like they are helpless people incapable of enduring 21 days in the saddle. But, I suppose it has more to do with money. I want to write an essay and i am looking for the essay topics online and want to know how to write an essay then i found this website https://writinguniverse.com/essay-outline/ which guides me to how to write an essay and i can write an essay easily.

I sincerely hope they stop treating the women like they are helpless people incapable of enduring 21 days in the saddle. But, I suppose it has more to do with money.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

We're only a few days away from the opening TTT in Torrevieja, and we might even have a full start list quite soon!

Van Vleuten and Vollering are of course the biggest favourites, and it's hard too see anyone else winning. Hopefully it'll be a closer fight between than what we've seen so far this year.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The Vuelta Femenina will also mark the return of the wife of the moment:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1652279613068828672

View: https://twitter.com/Movistar_Team/status/1652279613068828672

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

It's not the worst route but they really need to work on the balancing of the women stage races and stop the backloading.
TTT (yikes), 2 flat stages than 3 interesting ones and than a final one that renders the 3 previous basically useless.
Make it an ITT, change the order of the stages and maybe add one more cat 2 on stage 6 or have less flat at the end and this would've been a very very good race design.

I like the spot on the calendar tho, perfectly placed to fill the void, only shame that the final stages overlap with the start of the Giro.

 

[RedheadDane]

The Vuelta Femenina will also mark the return of the wife of the moment:

I've been wondering; are we even allowed to talk about "Bjerg's beautiful wife"? We aren't allowed to discuss the looks of pros.

I like the spot on the calendar tho, perfectly placed to fill the void, only shame that the final stages overlap with the start of the Giro.

No problem. Just watch both races.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

It's not the worst route but they really need to work on the balancing of the women stage races and stop the backloading.
TTT (yikes), 2 flat stages than 3 interesting ones and than a final one that renders the 3 previous basically useless.
Make it an ITT, change the order of the stages and maybe add one more cat 2 on stage 6 or have less flat at the end and this would've been a very very good race design.

I like the spot on the calendar tho, perfectly placed to fill the void, only shame that the final stages overlap with the start of the Giro.

When you only have one weekend, and the race doesn't take place during a holiday, you kind of have to backload it a bit to avoid a 2021 Giro Donne situation where the race was decided on stage 2 (it will of course depend on the level of the field. If Vollering and Van Vleuten turn out to be fairly matched this time, then it wouldn't have been a problem to have had a big stage early on).

I'd probably prefer something like this:

1: Flat stage with a not too hard climb close to the finish, so that it wouldn't necessarily end in a complete bunch sprint
2: Some kind of slight uphill finish, which could be too hard for a pure sprinter
3/4: ITT
3/4: MTF (unipuerto)
5: Flat stage
6/7: Hilly stage/medium mountain
6/7: Mountain stage with a descent finish

One of them could also be a gravel stage.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I've been wondering; are we even allowed to talk about "Bjerg's beautiful wife"? We aren't allowed to discuss the looks of pros.

As long as we're not judging anyone, but merely referring back to Bjerg's words, without overdoing it, we might be okay-ish. I remember BR once called ECNB pretty, and her "ban" was self-inflicted.

 

[ice&fire]

They've avoided the opportunity of making a great stage 5, arriving at Riaza from Puerto de la Quesera as the boys did in the 2015 Vuelta.

 

[ice&fire]

Longo-Borghini out with stomach bug

Vuelta Femenina ticker: Longo Borghini out with bug, Annemiek van Vleuten 'growing into shape,' new TV deal for race

Follow all the headlines from La Vuelta Femenina, which starts May 1.

www.velonews.com

 

[Red Rick]

Womens stage race routes have a long way to go obviously, but it's very cool to see Lagos de Covadonga. I'd rather see them do Covadonga than Angliru I think

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Definitely. It's perhaps the Vuelta's most iconic mountaintop so it is the most important one to have.

A Fito - Covadonga mountain stage is actually a great level mountain stage for the women's péloton, the issue in the men's bunch now is that it's hard to connect Covadonga to hard enough climbs to incentivise action earlier (although last time around really worked well, with double Bedules), but with the way the women's calendar is with mountain races now, it's about perfect for the current stage of development of the calendar.

 

[theyoungest]

The first matchup between Vollering and Van Vleuten on the 'real' climbs. I'd be surprised to see Van Vleuten suddenly dropping Vollering, but you could already see in Liege that she got closer once the climbs got longer.

 

[awavey]

at least Zaaf dropped out the race, eventually, though unbelievably are somehow blocking riders who were on their team from riding for other teams in the race.

Even though Zaaf practically speaking dont have a team anymore, and havent paid anyone to race anyway.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

at least Zaaf dropped out the race, eventually, though unbelievably are somehow blocking riders who were on their team from riding for other teams in the race.

Even though Zaaf practically speaking dont have a team anymore, and havent paid anyone to race anyway.

It's just one giant clusterfrog of a shedshow, but at least it now seems they've only been able to block Drummond from racing because she's on a Spanish team. I hope the federation have received their payment from the Belatreche family upfront, cause they'll probably be disappointed otherwise.