Lesser Known Road Racing for Women Thread

[Kaptain Kool]

Anyone know what's going on with the broadcast of the Simac Ladies Tour? For example, GCN didn't archive Stage 1 or Stage 4. Jose Been mentioned something about no images available for Stage 1... for both stages, I see brief reports on L1. Stages 2 and 3 had a lot of garbled audio from the host broadcaster, too.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Anyone know what's going on with the broadcast of the Simac Ladies Tour? For example, GCN didn't archive Stage 1 or Stage 4. Jose Been mentioned something about no images available for Stage 1... for both stages, I see brief reports on L1. Stages 2 and 3 had a lot of garbled audio from the host broadcaster, too.

I don't know why the situation is so bad. There were no problems last year.
And now Discovery/GCN/ES has decided not to show the last stages on their platforms.

 

[yaco]

The pictures/audio were fine on the Dutch stream including stage one and four - Is there a problem on the GCN end?

 

[Sciatic]

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.

Good call!

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Good little attack from Bredewold and Gasparinni at the end of the final stage of the Simac Ladies Tour.

Also interesting a couple of teams having riders who didn't finish the race fiielding those same riders in the GP Beerens today. It does seem to be a common occurance though this weekend as Stewart and Woods didn't finish the Vuelta but have since both started the Tour of Britain.

 

[yaco]

There should have been more riders attacking in the last 2km - DSM were happy to make sure that at least the first two bonus groups were taken out out of the equation, to ensure Wiebes victory.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Well deserved first pro win for Marjolein Van 't Geloof.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche began today, with Sheyla Gutierrez winning the first stage. With pretty much everyone and their grandmother doing the Vuelta Challenge, the start list is not great this year, but that also adds to the uncertainty of who'll actually win the race.

Paula Patiño and Ricarda Bauernfeind are probably the biggest favourites on paper, but I wouldn't put money on them just yet. Stages 6 and 7 will have some kind of live stream, but it didn't work awfully well for them on the last stage in 2021.

 

[yaco]

Ardeche would have been a suitable race for Gigante to get miles into her legs - She must be sick or ill AGAIN.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

DNA Pro Cycling have a couple of decent contenders in Diana Carolina Peñuela and Anet Barrera if they can capture any of their America Tour form in Europe. I also have half an eye on Aranza Villalón after her performances in Colombia last year, she's in her first year in Europe and has been OK but unspectacular, but usually in a weak team in a stronger field than this. I also might just like her champions' jersey, lol.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

DNA Pro Cycling have a couple of decent contenders in Diana Carolina Peñuela and Anet Barrera if they can capture any of their America Tour form in Europe. I also have half an eye on Aranza Villalón after her performances in Colombia last year, she's in her first year in Europe and has been OK but unspectacular, but usually in a weak team in a stronger field than this. I also might just like her champions' jersey, lol.

They will at least have a chance to finish in the top 10 in this field, but we'll have to see if they can get closer to the win than that. Nadine Gill also looked like someone who could be competitive here, but she lost 12 minutes today, so it will be all bout Claire Steels for Soplela.

Someone I would have loved to see in this race is Kim Cadzow, who had a breakthrough in the Ventoux Challenge, but she broke her collarbone in one of the small Belgian races and won't return to Europe again this year. She has hinted that she might have a bigger contract for 2023, but nothing has been announced yet.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Sheyla doubled up in the Ardêche, so it's a pretty good day for Movistar all told, with Mas being given a free place in the Vuelta, Serrano and Gutiérrez both winning. This time it was more or less a bunch sprint, although there was a crash in the run-in that took a few people out. Gill DNSed so there's one of Samu's outsider picks gone I'm afraid.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Sheyla doubled up in the Ardêche, so it's a pretty good day for Movistar all told, with Mas being given a free place in the Vuelta, Serrano and Gutiérrez both winning. This time it was more or less a bunch sprint, although there was a crash in the run-in that took a few people out. Gill DNSed so there's one of Samu's outsider picks gone I'm afraid.

Well Gill wasn't going to win anyway, but it might hurt Steels' chances that she isn't in the race anymore.

 

[RedheadDane]

Tommorow we have the Watersley Womens (surely, it should be "Women's") Challenge, and the accompanying junior race; Watersley Ladies Challenge.
Because, as we all know, seniors are Women, while juniors are Ladies.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Tommorow we have the Watersley Womens (surely, it should be "Women's") Challenge, and the accompanying junior race; Watersley Ladies Challenge.
Because, as we all know, seniors are Women, while juniors are Ladies.

The WWC is a U23 race.

 

[RedheadDane]

The WWC is a U23 race.

But aren't U23 riders classified as seniors? The talk is often about the move from juniors to seniors, even to people would logically be U23 riders for the first few years, at least I have never heard of anyone being 18, and then celebrating their 23rd birthday. Also, U23 riders can be pros, and quite frequently are - especially among the women.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

But aren't U23 riders classified as seniors? The talk is often about the move from juniors to seniors, even to people would logically be U23 riders for the first few years, at least I have never heard of anyone being 18, and then celebrating their 23rd birthday. Also, U23 riders can be pros, and quite frequently are - especially among the women.

Sure, but it raises the question about what they would have called it if it had been for elite riders of all ages. The Watersley Female Bonanza?

 

[RedheadDane]

Sure, but it raises the question about what they would have called it if it had been for elite riders of all ages. The Watersley Female Bonanza?

The three age groups: Ladies, Women, Females.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The three age groups: Ladies, Women, Females.

At least somewhere in the Netherlands.

Loes Adegeest took a well deserved first pro win on stage 3 in Ardèche, after what seems to have been a masterpiece by IBCT, who also had Megan Armitage in a lead group of four.

Bauernfeind is in pole position, but Emma Langley shouldn't be underestimated after her great work for Doebel-Hickok in the Tour des Pyrénées. Adegeest shouldn't be written off either, but I have no idea about her level on the sort of climbs that are coming up.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Bauernfeind idn't start today, because she's headng to Australia, but that just meant that Antonia Niedermaier had to the job instead. Seems like everyone is getting their maiden UCI win this month.

The new GC:

1		11​	NIEDERMAIER Antonia	CANYON//SRAM Generation	11:19:36​
2		1​	ADEGEEST Loes	IBCT	+ 37​
3		2​	BOILARD Simone	St Michel-Auber 93	+ 01:06​
4		2​	ZANARDI Silvia	BePink	+ 01:08​
5		2​	RICHIOUD Greta	Arkéa Pro Cycling Team	+ 01:11​
6		3​	PATIÑO Paula	Movistar Team	+ 01:11​
7		7​	ERIC Jelena	Movistar Team	+ 01:11​
8		8​	GUTIERREZ Sheyla	Movistar Team	+ 01:14​
9		6​	LANGLEY Emma	USA	+ 01:31​
10		6​	ARMITAGE Megan	IBCT	+ 05:12​

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Another solo win for Antonia Niedermaier today. It appears to be a good race to double up on stage victories this year.

I've also just realised I've been confusing Sheyla Gutierrez and Shayna Powless whenever I've seen Gutierrez name mentioned!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I've also just realised I've been confusing Sheyla Gutierrez and Shayna Powless whenever I've seen Gutierrez name mentioned!

At least they're both riding the race.

The field is not that strong, but it's still a good performance by Niedermaier. Zanardi sems to be slowly developing into the next Persico.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Zoe Bäckstedt completed the hattrick in the Watersley Challenge, and Clara Copponi won the sprint in the GP Fourmies.

Less than 35 km remain of today's stage in Ardèche. They interviewed Jeannie Longo earlier.
There are some riders ahead of the peloton, but I'm not sure who they are.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEWFZ8CT5SY&ab_channel=TcfiaOrganisation

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Adegeest took another victory.

I was looking at something and only returned to the stream on the finishing straight. The announcer said Adegeest's name, so I assumed she was the winner, but it was Zanardi.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

Adegeest gained a small amount of time back on Niedermaier in the finale of the final stage but it was far from enough to take the overall win, as Coralie Demay took a good solo victory.