Lesser Known Road Racing for Women Thread

[JR1012]

Kopecky's back to her winning ways in Ardèche. The field is obviously not as strong as in the bigger races, and the longer ITT will help her as well, but she will still have climb decently in order to win the GC.

Didn't expect her to win on that step finish. Stage 5 and 6 will tell if she is back in good climbing form which was missing most of the season.

 

[JR1012]

Stage two cancelled because there was a threat of a protest.

This is really getting out of hand. First at the Vuelta and now on a race which isn't even broadcasted.
😡

 

[yaco]

Stage two cancelled because there was a threat of a protest.

This is really getting out of hand. First at the Vuelta and now on a race which isn't even broadcasted.
😡

What is the subject of the protest? There is no IPT at this race.

 

[theyoungest]

What is the subject of the protest? There is no IPT at this race.

There are other things you can protest, and certainly in France, where a day without protest is a day wasted This one was by the "Bloquons tout" (block everything) movement, against government cuts.

 

[JR1012]

What is the subject of the protest? There is no IPT at this race.

Certainly the subject of the protest is totally different from the protest at the Vuelta.

But it is a protest.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

As I understand it, not roadside protests in the vicinity of the race at all, but shortage of police personnel because they are required for events elsewhere.

 

[JR1012]

PCS update: strike among local law enforcement.

 

[theyoungest]

As I understand it, not roadside protests in the vicinity of the race at all, but shortage of police personnel because they are required for events elsewhere.

These events likely being protests elsewhere, since today was a national day of "tout bloquer". 80,000 police officers were mobilised.

PCS update: strike among local law enforcement.

That's not very likely, I'd say.

 

[Izzyeviel]

Isn't this the race that always has problems?

 

[JR1012]

After crash, Kopecky DNF 😟

 

[Samu Cuenca]

After crash, Kopecky DNF 😟

At least she had already made the decision to not travel to Rwanda and there's still more than a month until the track WC in Chile.

 

[JR1012]

Bredewold takes stage 2 in a bunch sprint.
New leader Ciabocco.
Tomorrow 20km ITT.

 

[yaco]

A 20km ITT is unsuitable for this race when you consider that so far in the so-called hilly stages 30,40 or 50 riders are making the final.

 

[JR1012]

Lotte Kopecky update: first she crashed in a recovery ride, which resulted in 7 stitches in her knee and then she crashed today and felt pain in her back. Luckily nothing brocken. Right now even Track WC are in doubt.

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[theyoungest]

Bredewold also wins the TT, ahead of Maeva Squiban.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

No surprise there, but the gaps were still not that big. Squiban is, on paper, in the driver's seat ahead of the last two stages, but nothing is decided yet. The steep part of Côte du Baron on Sunday should be able to shake things up, if tomorrow's stage to Mont Lozère hasn't already done the trick.

 

[Didinho]

Lotte Kopecky update: first she crashed in a recovery ride, which resulted in 7 stitches in her knee and then she crashed today and felt pain in her back. Luckily nothing brocken. Right now even Track WC are in doubt.

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They did another checkup today in Belgium because the pain in the back: vertebral fracture.

Even looking worse for the track WC.

 

[theyoungest]

Another 1-2 for Visma today in Ardeche: Bunel wins the stage ahead of De Vries, who takes the lead in the general.

De Vries I think is an interesting rider, one of these late entrants into the cycling world with a medical degree, like Reusser and Chabbey. Until halfway through last season she was still an amateur.

 

[theyoungest]

Quite big news hidden in the Ardeche ticker today: apparently Marta Cavalli retires from cycling. What a sad story this has become.

Marta CAVALLI est non partante et met fin à sa carrière sur notre course. Un hommage sur sa très belle carrière lui sera rendu avant le départ.

 

[Didinho]

Vollering already in front in Stuttgart!

Her sister.

47km to go. There’s a stream on YouTube.

 

[Didinho]

UAE playing the attacking game and Swinkels now 30” ahead. Could be the winning move because her teammates are strong.

11km to go.

 

[Didinho]

Gasparrini was next after the last climb and just got enough room to hold of the sprinting Ferguson in 2nd.

Lippert should’ve worked for her instead of attacking.
Edit: she did in the last km’s.

 

[yaco]

Gasparrini was next after the last climb and just got enough room to hold of the sprinting Ferguson in 2nd.

Lippert should’ve worked for her instead of attacking.
Edit: she did in the last km’s.

Gasparrini tried to lose that race in the final without doing an early celebration. It's been a strange season in women's cycling.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

It sounds like things are coming down to the wire in Ardèche with Trinca Colonel having a 30 second lead over De Vries inside the last kilometers.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

And Trinca Colonel did it. Nice for her after the disappointments in the Giro and Tour.

Also quite a contrast the champion from two years ago who is now leaving the sport. I'm slightly more surprised to hear that she's retiring now that I would have been if it had already happened a year ago, but it's become more and more apparent that she won't even return to the level she showed in 2023, which wasn't close to what she had achieved in the years before. What's most important is that she's in a better place now and that she's been lucky enough to be able to make the decision herself and not have her accidents do it for her, although they're obviously still to blame.