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

[RedheadDane]

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.

How can they do that? They don't exist...

UCI revokes Zaaf Cycling Team's licence

'Zaaf Cycling Team does not currently meet the requirements for registration as a UCI Women’s Continental team' says the sport governing body

www.cyclingnews.com

 

[Samu Cuenca]

How can they do that? They don't exist...

UCI revokes Zaaf Cycling Team's licence

'Zaaf Cycling Team does not currently meet the requirements for registration as a UCI Women’s Continental team' says the sport governing body

www.cyclingnews.com

The Spanish federation still exists, and the Belatreche family (and Manel Lacambra) are still alive.

 

[RedheadDane]

The Spanish federation still exists, and the Belatreche family (and Manel Lacambra) are still alive.

So, Zaaf is basically a club team now? How can they demand another team not bring one of their riders to a race?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Well at least they didn't mistake her for Simon Yates.

 

[awavey]

So, Zaaf is basically a club team now? How can they demand another team not bring one of their riders to a race?

not sure, especially as Drummond was given UCI permission to join a new team, Debora Silvestri who also seems to be in the same bind & might have been offered a ride with LKF, but was still registerd by Zaaf till a few days ago.

but presumably much like the wages issue, the Spanish federation are just taking their sweet time dealing with it, rather than actually allowing Zaaf to prevent former riders riding for other teams, the federation simply have not got around to processing either the imminent demise of Zaaf or the riders moves to other Spanish teams properly yet, and consequently the riders are left in limbo till they do waiting for the federation to rubber stamp the paperwork.

 

[BR2]

Don't tell me you aren't all excited about the ttt. I am.

 

[ice&fire]

Don't tell me you aren't all excited about the ttt. I am.

I was excited to see it is in Torrevieja, the same town that hosted the opening TTT of the 2019 Vuelta. But then I didn't see any reference to the pink lagoon, the start at the salt works or the garden pool flood. I'm bummed.

 

[KZD]

Glad to see this race extended by 2 days, a step in the right direction.

Based on what we see in the Ardennes, Vollering should be the favourite but Van Vleuten should be closer on these longer climbs.

 

[Red Rick]

I don't think Vollering or AvV should be able to drop each other outside the MTFs, the other days are just too easy.

Very likely the Covadonga just decides the race

 

[Red Rick]

I see one team with road bikes, and another completely torn apart after 5 minutes.

 

[ice&fire]

I see one team with road bikes, and another completely torn apart after 5 minutes.

The team with road bikes has added TT handlebars, but very few riders actually use it. Lack of TT bikes is surely due to budget, but not using the TT handlebars shows their dedication to the discipline.

 

[RedheadDane]

So far, that was perfect tactic.

 

[Red Rick]

With the gaps between the big teams and small teams I hope the dropped riders from the weak teams won't get OTL'd today

 

[theyoungest]

A TTT win for Jumbo-Visma isn't that unusual... but for their women's team it's only the first win of the season. SD Worx looked smooth, maybe a little too smooth and just not fast enough.

 

[BR2]

The well-balanced teams did better than the ones with the big engines dragging the small climbers...

 

[BR2]

A TTT win for Jumbo-Visma isn't that unusual... but for their women's team it's only the first win of the season. SD Worx looked smooth, maybe a little too smooth and just not fast enough.

I think SD Worx were a bit undecided in their tactics. They tried to keep Fisher-Black with them as long as possible but dropped her in the end to not let the gap for Vollering get too big, at least that was my impression.

 

[F_Cance]

that's what surprised me. Even Realini looked more comfortable than NFB.

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

Wow, why was this so early? Thought I'd tune in now but already done, aren't Spanish races usually later?

 

[theyoungest]

Wow, why was this so early? Thought I'd tune in now but already done, aren't Spanish races usually later?

I think you could say that for the whole Vuelta Femenina. This is really an odd place on the calendar.

 

[Izzyeviel]

I think you could say that for the whole Vuelta Femenina. This is really an odd place on the calendar.

It's a bit odd yeah. But you've got six grand tours in 4 months, how would you organise it? I have no idea, but I do know from a fan perspective having one after the other like we had with the tour & tour avec zwift isn't the best proposition either. And with the Vuelta you have the world champs soon after... I do wonder if the women would be better not trying to copy the mens GT's and have one held outside of europe in winter.

A question for the peeps on the race design thread: can you come up with a challenging womens ten day grand tour in Australia in Janurary?

 

[Izzyeviel]

In other news, great to see Chole back! Looking at her insta its been quite a journey.

 

[RedheadDane]

It's a bit odd yeah. But you've got six grand tours in 4 months, how would you organise it?

The great thing is; it's more like 2x3 GTs. There's no problem with having overlaps between the women's races and the men's races.

 

[yaco]

Dygert powered Canyon into second - Disaster for Jayco when one of their two big engines crashed after 4kms and the team decided to wait and then changed their mind - This must have cost them 20 seconds.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I sadly didn't have time to watch the TTT today, but I assume Marty must have had an absolute blast. Chapeau to JV for pulling it off. I had feared some GC riders would have lost more time than they did, so the top 5 is definitely not settled yet.

I hope for a good and crash-free sprint tomorrow. The QOM is a bit weird, cause it is a lot of up and down, and the sprint isn't even placed at the highest peak.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I sadly didn't have time to watch the TTT today, but I assume Marty must have had an absolute blast. Chapeau to JV for pulling it off. I had feared some GC riders would have lost more time than they did, so the top 5 is definitely not settled yet.

I hope for a good and crash-free sprint tomorrow. The QOM is a bit weird, cause it is a lot of up and down, and the sprint isn't even placed at the highest peak.

She'd better lose the jersey before long or he will lose his voice by halfway through the race!