Ladies TDF as support race for TDF?

[Roninho]

Last week Leontien van Moorsel (the former olympic and world champion (female cycling)) mentioned during a tv-show that she would love to see a women's version of the TDF to be run on the final part of the TDF's stages earlier on the day. So the ladies start at like 10:00 and do the last x kilometers of the stage and finish a couple of hours earlier.

My initial response was, yeah sure, never going to happen, but she said this had allready been done before, and apparently this happened during multiple TDF's in the 80's (there is some limited info about it on the web, so it indeed actually happened)

Apart from that it's nice for the female cyclist to get some attention it also might be an interesting way to attract another audience to the TDF and cycling in general. And for the people on the mountains waiting all day long it's an nice break from waiting and waiting.

Having said that, anybody knows why they stopped doing it?

 

[jsem94]

We'd see Vos cracking the field every day haha

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

I love riding the cols filled with crowd on the hours before the race myself...

 

[Roninho]

I love riding the cols filled with crowd on the hours before the race myself...

I agree, like it as well.

But on many climbs you're not allowed to climb after like 1 pm anyway, and if the female tour was expected to finish a couple of hours before the real tdf they wouldn't start with the final climb before 1 pm anyway...

 

[Barrus]

Well there is the obvious fact that the giro donne overlaps with the mens tour de France

 

[Roninho]

Well there is the obvious fact that the giro donne overlaps with the mens tour de France

I understand that it would overlap in the current schedule. But if both options would be available then imo no way the teams and riders would prefer the giro donne over the public and media attention they would get by riding as a support race to the TDF. We are talking about 3 weeks with million's of fans in attendance and even if they don't get (live) tv coverage they will get way more attention in the newspapers compared to what the Giro Donne achieves. Marriane Vos got more media attention by visiting the TDF talkshow then she did when racing the giro donne.

The reason that they aren't a support race is not because the women don't want it, it is because somehow the aso doesn't want it.

 

[no crostis no party]

Several classics (Ronde for sure) run ladies races same day as men's. Women start in Oudenaarde, race to Ninove.

 

[TERMINATOR]

Last week Leontien van Moorsel (the former olympic and world champion (female cycling)) mentioned during a tv-show that she would love to see a women's version of the TDF to be run on the final part of the TDF's stages earlier on the day. So the ladies start at like 10:00 and do the last x kilometers of the stage and finish a couple of hours earlier.

My initial response was, yeah sure, never going to happen, but she said this had allready been done before, and apparently this happened during multiple TDF's in the 80's (there is some limited info about it on the web, so it indeed actually happened)

Apart from that it's nice for the female cyclist to get some attention it also might be an interesting way to attract another audience to the TDF and cycling in general. And for the people on the mountains waiting all day long it's an nice break from waiting and waiting.

Having said that, anybody knows why they stopped doing it?

This will never happen because running two races would nearly double organizers costs for hotel, police, marshals, and TV crews (ASO will never run a race without TV). They evidently don't feel a televised women's race will add to the sponsorship more than it will cost to run it.

Second a televised women's race will almost invariably lead to a decrease in the hours the men's race will be televised on all networks if dual coverage is in order.

Van Moorsel is a typical superficial cyclist who doesn't think before she talks. She talks about women's cycling with the insight of a 7 year old. You would think that somebody in the sport would know the inside scoop, but apparently not.

 

[Roninho]

This will never happen because running two races would nearly double organizers costs for hotel, police, marshals, and TV crews (ASO will never run a race without TV). They evidently don't feel a televised women's race will add to the sponsorship more than it will cost to run it.

I'm not so sure that costs will explode that massively. Most expenses have allready been made: police & organisational costs of managing 100.000+ people at the mountain have allready been made. Costs like the massive tv commentators locations, the vip/hospitality areas, etc. have allready been made. Costs like hotel costs and marshalls/jury will have to be made, but let's face it those aren't the costs (even a lowly rated men's race covers those costs). There are however substantial costs associated to having to do a live tv broadcast.

But all in all imo it isn't about those costs, but more about ASO probably not being capable of making a lot of money on it anyhow, and taking on a huge organizational effort every day. Basically it makes life much harder for them and it doesn't deliver much. Or do you guys view this differently?

Second a televised women's race will almost invariably lead to a decrease in the hours the men's race will be televised on all networks if dual coverage is in order.

I'm not really sure about that either. You don't want to have some female domestiques climbing the final mountain after 3:00 pm anyhow (with the whole caravane thing coming), so the top riders have to finish at 2:00-2:30 pm max. There arn't many stages in which the broadcast starts earlier then 2:00 anyhow, and for those that do start earlier you just make them finish earlier. Not easy, but doable imo.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Well, do it for the Dauphiné then.

 

[Franklin]

Van Moorsel is a typical superficial cyclist who doesn't think before she talks. She talks about women's cycling with the insight of a 7 year old. You would think that somebody in the sport would know the inside scoop, but apparently not.

I'm sorry but what a male chauvinist view did you express there....

Why shouldn't she be allowed to promote the idea of a return of a ladies TdF? I think it's flat out ridiculous there isn't one. Now maybe her idea might have some practical issues, but that can be sorted out. The idea itself is fine.

 

[Damiano Machiavelli]

Second a televised women's race will almost invariably lead to a decrease in the hours the men's race will be televised on all networks if dual coverage is in order.

This could actually be a good thing. The first part of races is rarely worth watching. If that time could be filled with the end of the women's race then it would make the entire broadcast more watchable.

 

[Thomsena]

No, just no.

I'd rather watch the kids version which is actually already being raced before the real peloton arrives at the finish line.

 

[theyoungest]

Having said that, anybody knows why they stopped doing it?

I think the last one was in 2009? (albeit not on the same course or the same date as the man's Tour)

BTW, Leontien van Moorsel won the Tour Feminin twice, once doing track stands with Jeannie Longo on the final climb of the race.

No, just no.

I'd rather watch the kids version which is actually already being raced before the real peloton arrives at the finish line.

What other than sexism makes you more interested in the kids race than the woman's race?

 

[Anonymous]

not enough hotel rooms unless all the women were prepared to double up with the men.

The amount of vehicles needed would be insane

and the gap would need to be bigger than two hours to allow for the caravan that preceeds the tour.

never going to happen.

And for womens cycling i would prefer it didnt happen, they should be able to get the attention in their own right and not be a "support act"

 

[Thomsena]

What other than sexism makes you more interested in the kids race than the woman's race?

Read some books about sexism before accusing me of something I'm not. I don't watch womens football either of the same reason - the level is simply not high enough for me to feel anything exiting about it. And that goes - of course - also with the kids' race. But at least you could see if there's a potential pro in there. None of them are going to happen and I would appreciate that.

 

[Anonymous]

oh please, lets not go down the road of women arent professionals, and women cyclists are actually just wrestling porn stars again. It was bad enough last time.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?p=248872#post248872

remember warmfuzzies :/

 

[Thomsena]

Don't know about that discussion but I'm entitled to answer his accusation and write what I like to watch and not to watch aren't I? But stop it here before it's getting dull.

 

[Roninho]

not enough hotel rooms unless all the women were prepared to double up with the men.

The amount of vehicles needed would be insane

Thanks for your reply. Just some questions. Why would the amount of vehicles being needed be insane?

and the gap would need to be bigger than two hours to allow for the caravan that preceeds the tour.

The men don't start their final climb before 4:30 pm. Minus 2 hours for the caravan makes it 2:30 pm for the latest female to finish the climb. Maximum time that the slowest female is allowed to lose is an hour, so the winner will finish at 1:30 pm. Longest climbing time of the final climb will be like 1h30, so that makes them start the final climb at around 12:00. That seems doable.

Or am i missing something?

never going to happen.

Well actually, they allready did. in 1984 and 1985 they ran together (well a few hours early) with the men. After that they had a tour de feminin, in which they ran their own tdf at a different date.

 

[Roninho]

No, just no.

I'd rather watch the kids version which is actually already being raced before the real peloton arrives at the finish line.

Well that's not really a race, just a couple of kids going up the mountain (they are racing, but it's like 15 kids). Having said that the idea of having a race for juniors would also be interesting.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I think the last one was in 2009? (albeit not on the same course or the same date as the man's Tour)

BTW, Leontien van Moorsel won the Tour Feminin twice, once doing track stands with Jeannie Longo on the final climb of the race.


What other than sexism makes you more interested in the kids race than the woman's race?

We've had the Grande Boucle Féminine, which used to run up to 2 weeks before the UCI decided women couldn't race that long, and gradually dwindled, until in 2009 it was just four days, often with some major mountains (2008 was in the Alps with an MTF at Sestrières, 2009 in the Pyrenées with a stage beginning in Irun). This was in June.

Then we also had the Route de France, which was a one-week race alternating between North-South and East-West routes. This was less mountainous but more consistent than the Grande Boucle. The final edition was last year, which didn't have any secondary jerseys at all. This was in August.

Finally, we had the Tour de l'Aude, which at 9-10 days was the only other full-length Stage Race on the women's calendar, before its untimely demise last year. This was in May.