L'Avenir Femmes 2024 U23s 21 to 24 August

[Armchair Cyclist]

So... do we discuss the women's race here?
Or in the generic U23 thread?

Shall we risk combining the races? De-combined per requests

Teams:

Austro-Luxembougian empire team has three riders from each.
WCC is rather more international than in the men's race: 1 each from Colombia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Afghanistan and Switzerland.

Top competitors (per PCS)
REIJNHOUT Rosita Ned
BUNEL Marion Fra
VINKE Nienke Ned
JANSEN Eline Ned
BÄCKSTEDT Zoe Gbr
NELSON Josie Gbr
BORGHESI Giada Ita
BEGO Julie Fra
RIEDMANN Linda Ger
OUDEMAN Maud Ned

4 stages: today the last 2km of men's route, tomorrow the last 70 odd, Friday and Saturday the same

21/08
Prologue | La Rosiere - La Rosiere (2.1 km)
Vertical meters 148 ProfileScore 25 PS final 25k 25

Yep: those are both profiles of the same stage.

22/08
Stage 1 | Bessans - Les Karellis (72.6 km)
Vertical meters 1394 ProfileScore 219 PS final 25k 189

23/08
Stage 2 | Villargrondan - Condove (119.3 km)
Vertical meters 2267 ProfileScore 96 PS final 25k 0

24/08
Stage 3 | Bobbio Pellice - Colle Delle Finestre (125.9 km)
Vertical meters 2649 ProfileScore 406 PS final 25k 384

Not much there for anyone other than climbers, although the 'sprint stages' in the men's race didn't really go that way.

Should be on ES/Disco+/Max
– Prologue Femmes (21/08) : 17:30
– Étape 1 Femmes (22/08) : 14:00
– Étape 2 Femmes (23/08) : 13:45
– Étape 3 Femmes (24/08) : 12:30
(I assume those times are CET) Other than today, that's 1:25 to 1:45 before the men's race broadcast times, so presumably about an hour on the road.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Oh, and there's a Vollering on the startlist.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Oh, and there's a Vollering on the startlist.

And a Kopecky as well.

I would like to see Bunel win this, but after she rode the Tour, which may or not have been caused by her team being desperate to secure a new co-sponsor, I'm not sure she will be one of the freshest riders here. The French team also has Bego and Rayer, but the latter hasn't performed well this year, to the dismay of everyone who picked her in my emerging riders game.

It looks like a pretty open field though. Ninke Vinke finished 7th last year, one place ahead of Bunel, and she has had a pretty good year so far, but I don't think that makes her the undisputed favourite. Solbjørk Minke sadly didn't get ready to race in time after her pre-Olympic crash, and I had also hoped to see Antonia Niedermaier race in her rainbow TT suit for possibly the last time, unless she wins it again in Zürich, which can't be ruled out.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Kopecky was one of the riders that wasn't on final startlist. That was also the case for WWT riders Zoe Bäckstedt, Linda Riedmann and Giada Borghesi.

 

[RedheadDane]

Okay, whose brilliant idea was it to have riders come down the climb while riders are coming up? And crossing the path of the racing riders!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Millie Couzens has set the fastest time so far with 5:56.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

5:43 for Isabella Holmgreen. Great start for her.

 

[RedheadDane]

Let me get this straight:
The riders on the combined Austria-Luxembourg team - or is it Austria-Portugal? Commentator seems to be confused - are just riding in the national team kit, rather than some combined team kit?
That's not gonna be confusing...

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Let me get this straight:
The riders on the combined Austria-Luxembourg team - or is it Austria-Portugal? Commentator seems to be confused - are just riding in the national team kit, rather than some combined team kit?
That's not gonna be confusing...

I don't know whether they actually ride together as one team, or they're rather 2 teams of 3.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Nienke Vinke attacks with Widar struggling off the back!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Second place for Vinke, but still 10.5 seconds slower than the tall Holmgren sister.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I didn't think anyone would beat Holmgren's time, but Lore De Schepper does it by almost 2 seconds and wins the stage.

 

[ManicJack]

Is this for real, are the u23 women gonna do Finestre?

Why wouldn't they?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

No reason. I'm just very surprised the u23 women get the full treatment before the World Tour women tackle a remotely comparable beast in the adult TdFF

They've clearly got a package deal for the men's and women's races here, but we'll see if that will also be the case for the Tour next year or later.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Bunel scoring a top 10 right off the back of beating the likes of Magnaldi, Labous, Lippert, Uttrup and Mavi García on the Alpe. Surely there's something long and hard enough here for Églantine Rayer to warm the diesel up, but she's had a really tough year.

 

[RedheadDane]

"So, Lore. How many jerseys do you want to have after the prologue?"
"Yes, please!"

(I know, How original of me. The same joke twice in a day.)

 

[Samu Cuenca]

"So, Lore. How many jerseys do you want to have after the prologue?"
"Yes, please!"

(I know, How original of me. The same joke twice in a day.)

Milan and De Schepper got more jerseys than you have jokes.

 

[RedheadDane]

Coverage is on!
Around 30 Ks to go.
Burlova alone out from with around 30 seconds to the peloton.

 

[RedheadDane]

10 Ks to go.
They are climbing.

 

[RedheadDane]

De Schepper, I. Holmgreen, and Bunel in the front.
3 Ks to go.
Bunel going solo.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Bunel really wants to go it alone, but she might be brought back like Widar yesterday.

 

[RedheadDane]

Bunel not getting Widared.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I declared the beginning of the new Bunel era a week too early, but it's here now.

They were still quite a lot of riders left in the front group when I tuned in, but the gaps became big in the end anyway. It's definitely not over yet, but Bunel probably also has the strongest team.

I was worried that the Hashimi sisters would become more of a publicity stunt rather than have an actual impact on the road, but Fariba looks to be developing nicely.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

De Schepper has had to abandon due to gastro issues
It opens up the fight for 3rd.

 

[RedheadDane]

Coverage has started.
Fewer than 50 Ks to go.
Rayer solo with over 4 minutes.