Lesser Known Road Racing for Women Thread

[Samu Cuenca]

Van Dijk did her own lead out and almost won Van der Poel style, but Bjørndal Ottestad was able to overtake her before the line.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I've only just realised they've cut the climbs from today's stage in Extremadura. Why can't we have nice things in this race?

 

[Didinho]

Imogen Wolff wins stage 3.

 

[theyoungest]

I've only just realised they've cut the climbs from today's stage in Extremadura. Why can't we have nice things in this race?

It certainly wasn't extrema dura anymore with this course. But I'm happy for Wolff, she's a fun rider to watch who races with full determination.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

If you like a good (sort of) rhyme, Trofeo Oro in Euro could be your favourite race. If it ends in a sprint, then Linda Zanetti is the favourite on paper after her great start to the season. However, we've seen before that the Fortezza climb is hard enough to split the field. The start list is not officially finalised (Ruth Edwards separated her shoulder yesterday, so I feel quite sure she isn't riding, for instance), but it seems Longo Borghini is not defending last year's victory, so I'm hoping Persico will be allowed to go all in for herself today.

Ricarda Bauernfeind will be riding her first race in 10 months, but it will probably take her a bit longer to return to her best.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WqBXx_ajvQ

 

[RedheadDane]

Unfortunately, the organisers don't seem to understand that the graphics are supposed to tell us how many Ks there are left.
Not which moto is filming... that's completely irrelevant information.

 

[Mayomaniac]

So is Natalia Frolova the wife of the Sputnik Igor Frolov? Would explain her dominance in Vietnam.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I was wrong about Edwards. She is riding and even attempting to win. Actually she isn't, cause that is Yurani Blanco.

 

[RedheadDane]

Anyone got any idea how long they've got left?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Anyone got any idea how long they've got left?

14 when they reach the top. But now we can't see anything

 

[RedheadDane]

14 when they reach the top.

Thanks.
Not sure why the organisers think we care about which moto is producing the images...

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Ok, so we have Puck, Silvia and Włodarczyk in front after the climb.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

3 km to go. And it's actually Swinkels and not Persico. Wishful thinking on my part.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Swinkels wins, but Puck forgot to pay attention.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

So is Natalia Frolova the wife of the Sputnik Igor Frolov? Would explain her dominance in Vietnam.

Had immediate same thought.

 

[yaco]

Had immediate same thought.

The fields in these Asian races are awful. For example they contain some mature aged Aussie rider's who have no pedigree in the sport.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Had immediate same thought.

I asked him and she's actually his wife.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The fields in these Asian races are awful. For example they contain some mature aged Aussie rider's who have no pedigree in the sport.

It's more that Frolov went over to do the HTV Cup and the Thai hillclimb races the last couple of years, and this woman who had previously never really raced outside of Russia other than a couple of those random Turkish races and a half-season stint in Italy several years ago, has now popped up racing in Vietnam and has Frolova as a married surname (previously Studenikina), so it seemed highly likely.

Agreed however that while Frolov's hilarious watt bombs are well known, we aren't going to learn anything of any great value regarding his partner's performance levels from this kind of race.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The route for the Vuelta has been presented this evening. It will start with an 8 km TTT in Barcelona and the two main GC stages will be MTFs at Lagunas de Neila (they will be using Picón Blanco in Vuelta a Burgos) and Alto de Cotobello. Although the latter isn't a complete remake of the legendary 2010 stage, it still makes me very happy to see it being included here.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It has been a long while for Cotobello definitely!

Also pleased to see them going back to one of the better sides of Lagunas de Neila, since they've used the more gradual road from Quintanar in recent years in the Vuelta a Burgos, rather than the side from the north or from the Alto del Collado.

I know they're basically cloning this:

But I personally long for a bit of a retro version with the north side after a partial descent, this was my favourite version, remembering an annual entertaining final stage in Burgos with wins by the likes of Iban Mayo, Mauricio Soler, Juanjo Cobo, Ezequiel Mosquera, Samuel Sánchez, and a remarkable maiden career win by Mikel Landa in 2011:

 

[Didinho]

Gillespie down on the cobbles in GP Oetingen. And abandon.

Zoë Backstedt made her way back to the peloton and immediately crashed on the wet corner.

 

[Didinho]

Kool down in the last 5km. No chance to win now.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

A wild De Wilde wins!

 

[Didinho]

Julie De Wilde wins the reduced sprint. Alpecin really strong, well deserved.
Consonni was dropped on the last climb and came back just in time but legs were empty, 3 or 4.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Julie De Wilde wins the reduced sprint. Alpecin really strong, well deserved.
Consonni was dropped on the last climb and came back just in time but legs were empty, 3 or 4.

Alpecin?

Consonni's bike throw won her third.