Lesser Known Road Racing for Women Thread

[RedheadDane]

Martin Fidanza won stage 1 in Toscana, her first UCI ever UCI win. She's also made some nice progress this season.

That doesn't look like someone who should have been allowed to ride.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

That doesn't look like someone who should have been allowed to ride.

Well you know I have a weakness for all the Martins

 

[RedheadDane]

So, Classic Lorient Agglomération or GP Plouay or whatever the heck the race is being called (I think it's the female pendant to the men's Bretagne Classic tomorrow) is today. I'm guessing that when the schedule on ES Player says they'll show the junior race from 10:45 to 15:00, what's actually meant is they'll start with the junior race, and then continue straight onto the WWT race. Junior women's races don't usually last almost five hours, do they? And it would be a bit weird to have the junior race broadcast, but not the WWT race.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

So, Classic Lorient Agglomération or GP Plouay or whatever the heck the race is being called (I think it's the female pendant to the men's Bretagne Classic tomorrow) is today. I'm guessing that when the schedule on ES Player says they'll show the junior race from 10:45 to 15:00, what's actually meant is they'll start with the junior race, and then continue straight onto the WWT race. Junior women's races don't usually last almost five hours, do they? And it would be a bit weird to have the junior race broadcast, but not the WWT race.

On my GCN schedule, it doesn't say anythting about the junior race, neither the men's or the women's, so I think they're only broadcasting the WWT race, but I could be wrong.

And you forgot to call it the Trophée CERATIZIT

 

[RedheadDane]

Yeah, that's definitely the WWT.
Also, once I logged in, the listing changed to "GP Plouay."

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Yeah, that's definitely the WWT.
Also, once I logged in, the listing changed to "GP Plouay."

The women's junior race also has a pretty weak field, since the best riders are doing Bizkaikoloreak (I doubt I have to specify where in the world that takes place).

 

[Samu Cuenca]

A decently strong group has an early lead. FDJ are on the back foot, while some riders are already dropped due to crashes and splits.

 

[RedheadDane]

Look, Samu! Your favourite female rider solo in the front!

 

[RedheadDane]

Strong group has almost two minutes with just around 20 Ks to go.

 

[Dk one]

Apart from Garcia (congrats, much deserved), and perhaps Brown and Labous, mostly a group of B and C options. Brown should maybe not have done that last attack, she has a decent sprint after a long, hard race.

 

[yaco]

This was a strangely ridden race - A few teams will be unhappy that they allowed that group of riders into the last break and had the wrong riders from the team in the break - And a group of nine allowed two riders to clip off in the last kilometre.

 

[Dk one]

This was a strangely ridden race - A few teams will be unhappy that they allowed that group of riders into the last break and had the wrong riders from the team in the break - And a group of nine allowed two riders to clip off in the last kilometre.

Yeah, it does not happen often in a wwt race that a number of teams are satisfied with their second or third option being in the winning break. Maybe there is an element of thank you to team mates from the likes of ELB, CUL, Balsamo, Faulkner, Persico etc. after. their results this season. Not sure Garcia would have won had she battled against the names I mentioned.

 

[RedheadDane]

SURPRISE!

Wiebes won a sprint.



Okay, it wasn't a surprise.

 

[yaco]

The bigger surprise was a group of 19 breaking away from the peleton in the last 25kms. And with Wiebes and other GC contenders in the front group, you can expect DSM and other teams to shut down the race in the next three stages and bank on the stage 5 ITT - Unless there are crosswinds then only stage four and six ( excluding ITT ) could affect the GC.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Today's stage led to another Wiebes win, but also to a great and unexpected result for Afghan cycling.

 

[RedheadDane]

TBF, Russian riders have been given permision to fast-track a change of nationality. But changing to Afghan would be an interesting choice.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

TBF, Russian riders have been given permision to fast-track a change of nationality. But changing to Afghan would be an interesting choice.

Perhaps the organisers have used the opportunity to show their support for the Afghan cyclists that the UCI has failed to help.

 

[yaco]

That was a strange stage - I realised that Baker missed the split in stage one but why was she in the break, when you consider she is fast, so could possibly podium in a sprint behind Wiebes and she will do well in the ITT to get a good GC result.

 

[yaco]

It's disappointing that SD Worx have convinced Blaanka Vas to skip the under 23's World's in Wollongong - The present set up with the under 23 race is far from suitable, but at the same time, teams and national federations have hardly supported the concept after calling on the UCI to organise the race.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

She didn't bother with the MTB Worlds either - and after getting a medal in 2020.

 

[RedheadDane]

Are DSM just showing off now? "Oh, I've got enough wins, let's ride for my leadout-lady today!"

1	KOOL Charlotte	Team DSM	50	50	10″	3:16:44
2	WIEBES Lorena	Team DSM	40	30	6″	,,
3	BAKER Georgia	Team BikeExchange - Jayco	30	18	4″	,,

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Are DSM just showing off now? "Oh, I've got enough wins, let's ride for my leadout-lady today!"

Selflessness from Lorena Wiebes? That would be the biggest shock result in women's cycling since Kiesenhofer.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Marty will be in his element today.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Riejanne Markus breaks the DSM dominance, but since she missed the split on stage 1 it will probably be too hard for her to win the race. Wiebes lost 50 seconds to Van Dijk on the ITT in the Baloise Ladies Tour, so I doubt Markus can take more than a minute on her tomorrow.

 

[yaco]

Tomorrow is a matter of who can perform a good ITT - Cordon-Ragot must be a chance - Van Den Bllal-Brock seems to be in only average form - It's wide open.