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

[Samu Cuenca]

Thankfully they didn't make a mistake and give NFB the jerseys that fit Van Dijk and Markus. I doubt she'll be holding on to green until the end of the race though.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Team Picnic highlighted some of their riders have never ridden TTT before, I just don't think riders train for it anymore because it's so rarely used now in stage races or at WCs so they're complete novices in many respects at it. Whilst Trek have a couple of specialist TT riders in the mix so yep that's the result

In recent years, you've been just as likely to face a TTT in a major women's race as an ITT.

 

[Netserk]

 

[awavey]

In recent years, you've been just as likely to face a TTT in a major women's race as an ITT.

I'm struggling to remember when the last one was, is it literally the Vuelta last year ?

We've had more ITTs than TTTs lately for sure.

 

[awavey]

And by specialists I mean they had 3 national ITT champions 😃

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View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJO3aRjK5_w/

 

[Libertine Seguros]

No: this is a rule that is a restriction on race organisers, not teams.

I was meaning more that Unipublic would go soft on enforcing the rule vis-à-vis Cofidis for that reason, not that they would be exempt from it.

 

[andrew_s]

And by specialists I mean they had 3 national ITT champions 😃

Not to mention Ellen van Dijk:
3 x World TT champion, plus 3 x World TTT champion

 

[Netserk]

Movistar with the galaxy brain strategy:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1919046753875046439

View: https://x.com/laflammerouge16/status/1919046753875046439

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Movistar with the galaxy brain strategy:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1919046753875046439

View: https://x.com/laflammerouge16/status/1919046753875046439

In those situations, would it really be so hard to just push the start times by one minute?

 

[Didinho]

In those situations, would it really be so hard to just push the start times by one minute?

Or just push Movistar to the end. Let them wait now.

 

[Sciatic]

Movistar with the galaxy brain strategy:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1919046753875046439

View: https://x.com/laflammerouge16/status/1919046753875046439

So did Visma wait for that rider before starting? Or did they start with that rider missing?

 

[Netserk]

So did Visma wait for that rider before starting? Or did they start with that rider missing?

They all started as soon as possible. 5 were ready from the go, one only a little delayed and I think the last rider never got contact with the rest.

 

[Sciatic]

They all started as soon as possible. 5 were ready from the go, one only a little delayed and I think the last rider never got contact with the rest.

Thanks. They must have been soooooo frustrated.

 

[Dk one]

Uno X start also looked to be impacted though not as much as Visma’s.

 

[awavey]

Not to mention Ellen van Dijk:
3 x World TT champion, plus 3 x World TTT champion

Sorry I should have said current 😃 Lizzie D is of course a former world TTT champion as well

 

[Cycling111]

Movistar with the galaxy brain strategy:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1919046753875046439

View: https://x.com/laflammerouge16/status/1919046753875046439

Who would be the female Valverde?

 

[Netserk]

Thanks. They must have been soooooo frustrated.

Video (at the very end you can see the 7th rider):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1918991728507273321

View: https://x.com/MatMitchell30/status/1918991728507273321

 

[Netserk]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1919048799864926447

View: https://x.com/kelvindekker/status/1919048799864926447


DS of Movistar: "When our riders arrived, the jury was still busy with the team before us, who came onto the podium 10-20 seconds before the start. Our last rider came onto the podium 5 seconds before the start. After that, it only got worse. We weren’t on time (15 minutes), but we still had to stand there waiting…"

 

[ice&fire]

Unipublic having a Vuelta Grand Depart disaster in Barcelona again?

 

[Netserk]

Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women files complaint after procedural…

Team Visma | Lease a Bike was disadvantaged during the opening stage of La Vuelta Femenina due to errors in the UCI's team time trial start procedure. The…

www.teamvismaleaseabike.com

Although the riders arrived well in time for the mandatory bike check prior to the team time trial, delays occurred due to another team arriving late. In addition, the check was initially carried out by only one official, further extending the wait time. A second inspector was deployed later, but by then, Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women was no longer able to benefit from the extra capacity. As a result, some riders received their bikes back so late that they could not reach the start on time.

 

[theyoungest]

Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women files complaint after procedural…

Team Visma | Lease a Bike was disadvantaged during the opening stage of La Vuelta Femenina due to errors in the UCI's team time trial start procedure. The…

www.teamvismaleaseabike.com

This is just amateur hour. Unbelievable. And the most unbelievable thing is that they just allow the time differences to stand... when some teams were literally prevented by the UCI from getting a good result.

 

[Gratemans]

Jfc, both the race organisation and the UCI are just an embarassment to the sport. If sh* hits the fan like that, you just delay the start. It's friggin unbelievable to me they didn't do that.
And the current time differences still stand?! I mean wtf? So Visma (rightfully) lodged a formal complaint, but there's no way to fix it now. My god what a joke.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Who would be the female Valverde?

Latter-day Uttrup, or peak level Cavalli, skillset-wise.

I mean, hell, being on Movistar and all, Liane Lippert doesn't fit too badly given skillset and her propensity to cost herself good GC positions with a single bad day here and there, but she's far too aggressive as a racer tactically to match up to the Green Bullet.

Realistically SD Worx are the comparison DS-wise; in terms of peerless sprinting punchy finishes and being an elite climber who can also sprint atop the climbs, it'd be Vollering, but SD Worx - and Vollering both on and off the team - are OP enough that they can get more than enough wins in the biggest races despite themselves.

 

[Sciatic]

Video (at the very end you can see the 7th rider):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1918991728507273321

View: https://x.com/MatMitchell30/status/1918991728507273321

Crazy