Vuelta a España La Vuelta Femenina 2025 (May 4-10)

[awavey]

Delaying the start would cause too many knock on problems.
If they can't check all the bikes in time, they should skip the remaining bikes and check them after the finish.

In theory that could be worse, there have been instances I recall where a tt bike that had been checked previously was ok in other races, nothing had changed, suddenly was failing the check and the rider had to swap bikes at the last minute

Because if they rode a bike they found to fail the check, theyd get DSQd from the race.

So you can imagine them doing that check post stage, finding a bike that fails a measurement, dsq'ing a rider and the team rightly saying but we could have swapped the bike had we known that prior to the start.


It's just bad organisation by the race organisers, they could have held the start for a few minutes. Or just recognised the issue was growing and dealt with it before it caused the problems, not after.

 

[Didinho]

Short distance today. A shame we can’t see the uphill start.

Not many sprinters here.
Wollaston maybe the fastest? With Gillespie, Vos, Van der Duin, Paternoster & Baker, Bredewold, Zanetti,… Without the 4 best sprinters anyone could win here.

 

[yaco]

I am interested in what Liv Alula will do. My preference is they sprint with Paternoster as she has better instincts thanBaker in positioning.

 

[Statze2]

Is there any official Statement of the UCI regarding the Protest of Visma?

 

[Didinho]

Are there seconds to win for GC at the intermediate sprint? I assume yes. And the normal amount at the finish. Could have a new leader if the winner was in the first teams yesterday.

They’re already over the climb. All the breakaway attempts have been caught.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Are there seconds to win for GC at the intermediate sprint? I assume yes. And the normal amount at the finish. Could have a new leader if the winner was in the first teams yesterday.

They’re already over the climb. All the breakaway attempts have been caught.

I believe it's 6-4-2 at the intermediate sprint and 10-6-4 at the finish.

Ane Santesteban will wear the QOM jersey tomorrow, just like her teammate Cristina Tonetti did on the first stages of the Tour last year.

Cecchini has a gap now, but one rider should be quite easy to keep under control.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

We have live pictures now. Cecchini is pretty much caught with 23 km to the intermediate sprint..

 

[Didinho]

Curious to see who will participate in the intermediate sprint.

Don’t think we’ll see another break today.

 

[yaco]

This will be relaxed stage, though the descent in the final, especially if wet, could cause carnage.

 

[Didinho]

Not so relaxed with the rain. Hope no more crashes. Intermediate sprint incoming.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Not so relaxed with the rain. Hope no more crashes. Intermediate sprint incoming.

I doubt we've seen the last crash.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Easy win for Vos ahead of Gerritse and Borghesi, I think, but I'm not sure at all.
Edit: It seems it was actually Kerbaol. Some nice seconds for her.

Now LLLLT has attacked.

 

[yaco]

Suspect the rain could cause splits in the final, especially as the peleton is strung out.

 

[Didinho]

Gerritse virtual leader with the 4” bonus.

Teams going harder in the downhill to fight for the front positions. You can do it also slower. No need for this.

 

[Sciatic]

Gerritse virtual leader with the 4” bonus.

Teams going harder in the downhill to fight for the front positions. You can do it also slower. No need for this.

How technical is the long descent that begins with about 15 km to go?

 

[Didinho]

How technical is the long descent that begins with about 15 km to go?

No idea. But they heard me. A lot more cautious.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

How technical is the long descent that begins with about 15 km to go?

It averages around 5.5% (10% max.) and includes two hairpin turns. The roads look drier now, but it may still create some havoc.

 

[Sciatic]

It averages around 5.5% (10% max.) and includes two hairpin turns. The roads look drier now, but it may still create some havoc.

And indeed it is

 

[Didinho]

Letizia Savoldelli calm down please.

Maybe not so bad if she gets to the bottom with a smaller group.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

No one seems to have been hurt in those crashes, but Bradbury and Van der Breggen were both held back in the roundabout before the descent, and I'm not sure if either of them has made it back yet.

 

[Netserk]

Better to have it all in one line than going slow with a dense pack.

 

[yaco]

Letizia Savoldelli calm down please.

Maybe not so bad if she gets to the bottom with a smaller group.

Not good from paternoster. She under no circumstances wants to drop her GC riders.

 

[Sciatic]

Any of the sprinters caught behind in that split?

 

[Didinho]

Any of the sprinters caught behind in that split?

I don’t see Gillespie immediately.

 

[Netserk]

The 2nd group is nearly back. A few group(s?) further back.