Lesser Known Road Racing for Women Thread

[Libertine Seguros]

Lippert shouldn't have taken any pulls after she was caught, and specially not after Dygert's attack.

She tried to react straight away which I think was fine (after all Dygert probably wants to drop them both so would likely have been able to be turned into an unwilling lead-out) but when she couldn't close the gap straight away she should have sat up rather than basically carrying Bredewold to 200m to go. But she may well have been under instruction not to jeopardise the podium as it's not like Movistar were likely to get anything from the sprint behind, they had Steels and Erić but they can't exactly be expected to be leant on in a bunch gallop from a group with Balsamo, Kool and Bujak in it.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

She tried to react straight away which I think was fine (after all Dygert probably wants to drop them both so would likely have been able to be turned into an unwilling lead-out) but when she couldn't close the gap straight away she should have sat up rather than basically carrying Bredewold to 200m to go. But she may well have been under instruction not to jeopardise the podium as it's not like Movistar were likely to get anything from the sprint behind, they had Steels and Erić but they can't exactly be expected to be leant on in a bunch gallop from a group with Balsamo, Kool and Bujak in it.

She was always most likely going to get third after she was caught, unless she made the other two work for it. Bredewold was the defending champion and shouldn't have been allowed another free ride to victory.

 

[awavey]

Hmm,that looked way easier than id imagined it (had no live pictures) from the description.

but wtf is going on with that crash!!! is that Kool who spears across everyone ?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1827364507695399330

View: https://x.com/eurosport/status/1827364507695399330

 

[Izzyeviel]

Doesn't look like Kools fault - when you go spearing off to the side - you've either hit a pothole or someones hit you.

 

[awavey]

Doesn't look like Kools fault - when you go spearing off to the side - you've either hit a pothole or someones hit you.

I know this is going to sound double dutch, but whilst I dont blame her for that crash, Im going to spend a bunch of time explaining why I think she was at fault for it

if it was a pothole, it was one no one else hit, if she got hit, she has awesome bike handling skills to control that without coming down in the bunch she was in, and the other rider didnt wobble at all either. All DSM have posted is they hope everyone in the crash was alright, which kind of confirms for me they feel responsible, and she was wholly responsible for her movement alone, as was her body langauge immeditely afterwards, wasnt one of wow saved that, sorry everyone I just took out doing that, it was that other riders fault over there or that big hole I just missed, it was oh erm, ok keep pedalling pretend that didnt happen sorry.

a couple of the other teams have posted vids of the finish with slightly different angles, still head on though and dont do the whole crash as they were concentrating on other stuff, andwe're missing the obvious overhead shot that would clear it up completely, but it looks like shes boxed in with no way to go forwards through the pack but with enough space still around her, so she chooses to go hard right instead to try to get round them.

Ive seen some suggest she dropped the big ring to get the cadence up to make a big power move and the chain went not happy with that, and thats why she veered across at such speed into the group on the far right, till the chain & gearing caught up with the effort she was putting in.

but this to my mind doesnt happen if Pfeiffer leads her out, this was her trying to ride a finish without a proper leadout which isnt her normal race finishing position.


edit update, so DSM are reporting it was a mechanical, but arent offering anymore explanation than that

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Still think most of those are going to need more time on stage 5 to hold Lilibeth back given the 28km CRI on the final day. Galarza and Herrera only gained around 20" (plus time bonuses) and in last year's Vuelta a Colombia TT, Galarza gave up three and a half minutes to Chacón - and that was in a hilly TT too. Herrera had some OK time trial results back in 2022 but not a lot to go on recently. Sanabria could be a threat against the clock on past evidence in this kind of field, though.

Nevermind, Lilibeth went full chaos mode, and won by over 2 minutes from Gontova and Ariana Gilabert. Galarza came in with the other previous GC leaders at about three and a half minutes' deficit. Peñuela and Sanabria lost four and a half. Gilabert had already lost a bunch of time so isn't GC-relevant, now Chacón has two minutes over Gontova, three and a half on Galarza, four on Herrera, and five on Sanabria and Soto. She should win comfortably, ordinarily she'd probably be the favourite to win the TT tomorrow too.

 

[andrew_s]

if it was a pothole, it was one no one else hit, if she got hit, she has awesome bike handling skills to control that without coming down in the bunch she was in, and the other rider didnt wobble at all either. All DSM have posted is they hope everyone in the crash was alright, which kind of confirms for me they feel responsible, and she was wholly responsible for her movement alone, as was her body langauge immeditely afterwards, wasnt one of wow saved that, sorry everyone I just took out doing that, it was that other riders fault over there or that big hole I just missed, it was oh erm, ok keep pedalling pretend that didnt happen sorry.

It was a touch of wheels.
Back wheel in front takes your front wheel to the side, you start to go down, and then your front wheel drops behind the wheel in front, leaving you with your bike leaning over and suddenly restored steering. Getting the bike back underneath you involves the sudden change of direction, and would be an automatic "don't crash" reaction.

 

[awavey]

It was a touch of wheels.
Back wheel in front takes your front wheel to the side, you start to go down, and then your front wheel drops behind the wheel in front, leaving you with your bike leaning over and suddenly restored steering. Getting the bike back underneath you involves the sudden change of direction, and would be an automatic "don't crash" reaction.

as I said DSM are reporting it as a mechanical, a touch of wheels isnt a mechancial afaik ?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

as I said DSM are reporting it as a mechanical, a touch of wheels isnt a mechancial afaik ?

A mechanical can be caused by a touch of wheels, but perhaps Kool/DSM don't want to play the blame game.

 

[awavey]

I'm not blaming her, just stating it was her fault

Anyway Tour De Romandie announced top 7 from TdFF are taking part.

Whilst Demi today swapped the Alps for Alpine F1 at the Dutch GP, wonder if she parked her bike in the bike park.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Nadia Gontova put in a monster TT - equalling the time of but losing on the thousandths to Daniela Campos - but despite her best efforts it wasn't enough to conquer the GC thanks to the gap built up by Chacón yesterday. Lilibeth paid for her lengthy mountain solo, losing 1'50 in the TT, but not losing enough to concede her GC victory. Really remarkable however to see two riders on the same time at the win, and then three level at +1'17, Villamizar, Sanabria and Herrera, with Peñuela just a second behind. Probably the worst TT Chacón has done in quite some time, but when you've just put minutes into the field on the main mountain stage, you can afford a bit of a drop on the TT. Gontova ends up only 20" or so back from Chacón however, is the Venezuelan's reign of terror under threat in the near future? Or, given she's 24 years old and doesn't have a doping positive in her past, does Gontova move up to the next level next season? She's probably merited it.

Anyway, I said it would happen, and I wasn't wrong (for once).

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Nadia Gontova put in a monster TT - equalling the time of but losing on the thousandths to Daniela Campos - but despite her best efforts it wasn't enough to conquer the GC thanks to the gap built up by Chacón yesterday. Lilibeth paid for her lengthy mountain solo, losing 1'50 in the TT, but not losing enough to concede her GC victory. Really remarkable however to see two riders on the same time at the win, and then three level at +1'17, Villamizar, Sanabria and Herrera, with Peñuela just a second behind. Probably the worst TT Chacón has done in quite some time, but when you've just put minutes into the field on the main mountain stage, you can afford a bit of a drop on the TT. Gontova ends up only 20" or so back from Chacón however, is the Venezuelan's reign of terror under threat in the near future? Or, given she's 24 years old and doesn't have a doping positive in her past, does Gontova move up to the next level next season? She's probably merited it.

I didn't see the stage, as I was occupied with the Vuelta and also hadn't realised they finished earlier today, so I don't know if Chacón had a mechanical or crash. I was surprised to see she had lost that much, but given it's her first UCI race of the year, she might have lacked a little bit of TT training/rhythm.

Gontova is a former high school swimmer and university rower who's come into the sport a little later in life, and someone with a similar back story became a double Olympic champion this year

I doubt Gontova has the same amount of talent, but she has now proved that last year's results weren't complete flukes. With DNA closing down after this season, the likes of EF and HPH, or Cynisca, but I don't know what their future looks like, should be poaching her.

 

[awavey]

Rouleur piece on AvdBs comeback (read to the end) https://www.rouleur.cc/blogs/the-ro...on-coming-back-to-the-women-s-peloton-in-2025

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Rouleur piece on AvdBs comeback (read to the end) https://www.rouleur.cc/blogs/the-ro...on-coming-back-to-the-women-s-peloton-in-2025

I'm sure they wouldn't be afraid of complaining about their boss to their boss, and those who are leaving probably don't care that much.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Rouleur piece on AvdBs comeback (read to the end) https://www.rouleur.cc/blogs/the-ro...on-coming-back-to-the-women-s-peloton-in-2025

The Dutch rider certainly has a unique insight into what is required from those at the top of the sport in modern cycling through her work as a sports director. She has helped the likes of Niamh Fisher-Black, Lorena Wiebes and Vollering to the biggest wins of their careers, and knows exactly what it has taken them to get there, from race tactics, to nutrition, to power numbers and more.

"helped"

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Margot Vanpachtenbeke won the duel against Rasa Leleivytė in Toscana. Paula Blasi and Romina Hinojosa continued to show great signs after Avenir. I had noticed Blasi, a former runner, earlier this season, but I hadn't paid much attention to Hinojosa, despite some half descent results in North and South America last year.

Sofie van Rooijen won her 4th victory in 2024 in GP Beerens, and Cédrine Kerbaol set the fastest time in Moulin Rouge, sorry, «Roland bouge !». However Roland's hopes of getting easy UCI points failed, because there were too few starters.

 

[Didinho]

Cat Ferguson making her debut for Movistar this weekend in France.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Thalita de Jong won the first stage in Ardeche yesterday, where many of the pre-race favourites ended up in the decisive break. Monica Trinca Cololel got dropped before the finish, but I don't know if that was due to a crash/mechanical or because she isn't the best descender. It's also worth noting that it's Zoe Bäckstedt first race in 3 months.

Regarding De Jong, she's had a great and very consistent season from the very start in February. Last year her best GC/one-day race result was 19th (though to be fair she would have finished 5th in the Baloise Tour if she hadn't crashed on day 3), and in 2024 the worst results has so far been 18th. And even if she probably was the most ninja-like rider in the 10 of the Tour, that's still a very good performance for someone whose career hasn't exactly been smooth sailing.

 

[yaco]

On another matter, I feel that the Vuelta should be raced in September to give a better balance to the season.

I am surprised that there are not more WT teams at Ardeche, as it's an excellent race for developing riders, especially climber types.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

On another matter, I feel that the Vuelta should be raced in September to give a better balance to the season.

I am surprised that there are not more WT teams at Ardeche, as it's an excellent race for developing riders, especially climber types.

It does make sense to have the Spanish races in short succession, but it also means you're seeing a lot of the same riders for almost 3 weeks straight, which isn't always that exciting, if the outcome of the next races seems pre-determined after the first. We know that the different Giro organisers have been fighting to get new races dates over the years, so we'll see if RCS will be successful in their attempt in the future, although I don't think a spot in September is what they're seeking.

Regarding Ardèche, it probably doesn't help that Romandie is this weekend with GP Fourmies on Sunday. Since the race sadly isn't televised, it won't give the sponsors much promotion either, so I can understand if teams are saving their riders and staff for other (and shorter) races. However it is, as you say, a race with a challenging route, which many riders could benefit from riding before making their GT-ish debut.

 

[awavey]

Tour de Romandie SDWorx pick both Kopecky & Vollering, one final huurrah?

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View: https://www.instagram.com/p/C_iSFMdIQv1/

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The Romandie route is as usual two up and down stages with an MTF in-between. While the climb to Vercorin is harder than the one to Torgon from last year, the queen stage is basically unipuerto unlike what we saw in the first two editions. I hope they shake it up a bit in the future and have a stage with three proper climbs, or one with two where the penultimate is the hardest, or have one mountain with a descent finish afterwards (something they could easily have done this year, since they ride right past the start of the other possible ascent). It also doesn't feel like a real Tour de Romandie without at least one time trial.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Bit speaking of time trial, we do have a slightly uphill one in Ardèche today. De Jong has increased her gap and it's not impossible for her to take more time here. Time will tell if it will be enough to hold on to the lead on Mont Lozère tomorrow. Clara Emond sadly crashed out of the race, thus continuing her run of unfortunate DNFs in stage races this year.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm not sure what's weirder: that SD Worx think people will believe them when they announce that the team is going out there to support Vollering; that they think that including Lotte Kopecky of all people in the team is a better way to support Vollering than the squad they had at the Tour de France Femmes; or that given Kopecky may go together with Vollering like toothpaste and orange juice but is at least closer in style and terrain adaptability to Demi than Lorena Wiebes, they might actually be correct.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Realini attempted to escape on one of the cat.3 climbs only to be countered by Vollering upping the tempo and grinding her way over, putting some decent climbers including Professor Kiesenhofer and Sarah Gigante in trouble, although all seems to have resided and normalcy prevailed now, although Gigante seems to have had to work for a fair way to get herself back on.

There's a strong climbing field here, albeit with a few notable absences like Niewiadoma and Longo Borghini. Nevertheless, there's Vollering obviously, Fisher-Black, Realini, Uttrup, Muzic, Labous, García, Rooijakkers, Magnaldi, Bego, Moolman-Pasio, Chabbey, Bradbury, Lippert, Steels, Rayer, Žigart, Kerbaol, Gigante, Aalerud, Stiasny, Nosková and Kiesenhofer, and it's probably all within remit of Kopecky if she has form as well. I mean, if Blockhaus is in her remit this should be, right?

With the race falling at an odd time post-Tour-and-OIympics and pre-Worlds people's form is somewhat unpredictable so it could be wide open... or it could be a Demistomp as SD Worx try to repair some damaged PR in the wake of the absolute calamity that was the Tour.