Lesser Known Road Racing for Women Thread

[yaco]

Maybe it would have been harder for Wollaston if Bradbury had been able to start. I don't expect her to be able to win every year, but she said herself that she was feeling good all day, and she was the only "sprinter" that made it in there. It would have been different if the likes of Schweinberger or Barbieri had survived. I was a lot more surprised after Reijnhout's victory last year.

The bigger picture is there has only been one aggressive day of racing over the Aussie summer which was the Willunga Hill stage of the TDU

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The route for next week's Setmana Valenciana has been revealed, and it's not the most exciting one they've ever had. However as we've seen in the past, they've had problems producing pictures from their queen stages, so perhaps it isn't all bad. Still it will be up to the riders to create the action rather than the route forcing it.

Stage 1 is the classic Gandia finish with Altos Barxeta (2 km, 5%) and Baix (4.5 km, 5.9% followed by some false flat). Van Vleuten killed everyone on the parcours in 2021, but since then we've seen Balsamo win on it twice and Elise Uijen taking her so far only pro win.

Stage 2 is close to a repeat of stage 2 of the 2021 edition, with Altos les Coronetes (8.4 km, 4.5%) and Salt del Cavall (5.6 km, 4.3%). There are 55 km left from the top of the latter, so it wont be a surprise if the stage ends in a bunch sprint like it did when Sandra Alonso was victorious four years ago.

Stage 3 is the usual Valencia finish after L'Oronet (5.6 km, 4.8% + some false flat beforehand), which will probably also just end in a bunch sprint.

The final stage features Altos Maigmo (8 km, ca. 4%), Tibi (4.9 km, 6.5%) and El Collao/Benifallim (12 km, 4%), but there are almost 60 km to the finish afterwards.

 

[yaco]

Gotta say that in my opinion the yellow card system is not working. You had the case of the CajaRural rider looking back in the final of stage three causing a crash, and then in the first stage of UAE Women's Tour it was the Human Powered Health rider looking back who caused the massive crash. This is dangerous riding and neither got yellow card.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The route for next week's Setmana Valenciana has been revealed, and it's not the most exciting one they've ever had. However as we've seen in the past, they've had problems producing pictures from their queen stages, so perhaps it isn't all bad. Still it will be up to the riders to create the action rather than the route forcing it.

Stage 1 is the classic Gandia finish with Altos Barxeta (2 km, 5%) and Baix (4.5 km, 5.9% followed by some false flat). Van Vleuten killed everyone on the parcours in 2021, but since then we've seen Balsamo win on it twice and Elise Uijen taking her so far only pro win.

Stage 2 is close to a repeat of stage 2 of the 2021 edition, with Altos les Coronetes (8.4 km, 4.5%) and Salt del Cavall (5.6 km, 4.3%). There are 55 km left from the top of the latter, so it wont be a surprise if the stage ends in a bunch sprint like it did when Sandra Alonso was victorious four years ago.

Stage 3 is the usual Valencia finish after L'Oronet (5.6 km, 4.8% + some false flat beforehand), which will probably also just end in a bunch sprint.

The final stage features Altos Maigmo (8 km, ca. 4%), Tibi (4.9 km, 6.5%) and El Collao/Benifallim (12 km, 4%), but there are almost 60 km to the finish afterwards.

Not even a repecho to the Castillo de Santa Bárbara in Alicante? Yikes.

 

[Netserk]

Not even a repecho to the Castillo de Santa Bárbara in Alicante? Yikes.

Or they could have done the same as the men's race last year before Valencia and done Garbí from Estivella.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Or they could have done the same as the men's race last year before Valencia and done Garbí from Estivella.

Since they're not using it in the men's race nor the women's one-day race this year, I would have liked to see it here, too, but the organisers of this race haven't used it yet.

Since Reusser is riding this, I would also have welcomed an ITT, although if Vollering is also on the start list, that wouldn't be great for the rest of the field.

 

[yaco]

You don't need an ITT in a four stage race, especially when the parcours is far from mountainous.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

You don't need an ITT in a four stage race, especially when the parcours is far from mountainous.

I know you're not biggest fan of time trials, but I, on the other hand, find a route with four quite similar hilly/mid-mountaneous stages like this to be badly designed. You need something that guarantees some time gaps and will force riders to attack during the race. It should of course not be a particular long ITT, and getting the balance right can sometimes be hard in women's races, but let's say 4-8 km.

 

[yaco]

I know you're not biggest fan of time trials, but I, on the other hand, find a route with four quite similar hilly/mid-mountaneous stages like this to be badly designed. You need something that guarantees some time gaps and will force riders to attack during the race. It should of course not be a particular long ITT, and getting the balance right can sometimes be hard in women's races, but let's say 4-8 km.

It seems you are inventing an ITT for the sake of having an ITT. You would be better to have a TTT.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

It seems you are inventing an ITT for the sake of having an ITT. You would be better to have a TTT.

We have too few ITTs in women's cycling, so yeah I will always vote for one if possible.

 

[awavey]

I know you're not biggest fan of time trials, but I, on the other hand, find a route with four quite similar hilly/mid-mountaneous stages like this to be badly designed. You need something that guarantees some time gaps and will force riders to attack during the race. It should of course not be a particular long ITT, and getting the balance right can sometimes be hard in women's races, but let's say 4-8 km.

I think they should be 10km min, just because thats the default distance for most club TTs we have in Britain and its a decent enough distance to measure yourself against. I know that means you have to find 10km of road to do it, so maybe 8km at a push

but I just think anything less, and 4km especially, it just becomes a flat out power sprint circuit, where theres no technique or particular skill to it, theyll have done longer harder FTP sessions than a 4km TT, so very little risk of anyone getting it drastically wrong and blowing their legs too quickly.

unless its 4km at 20% climb all the way, then it might be more fun.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I think they should be 10km min, just because thats the default distance for most club TTs we have in Britain and its a decent enough distance to measure yourself against. I know that means you have to find 10km of road to do it, so maybe 8km at a push

but I just think anything less, and 4km especially, it just becomes a flat out power sprint circuit, where theres no technique or particular skill to it, theyll have done longer harder FTP sessions than a 4km TT, so very little risk of anyone getting it drastically wrong and blowing their legs too quickly.

unless its 4km at 20% climb all the way, then it might be more fun.

After the 6 km Rotterdam time trial last year, I'm hesitant to make it much longer in a race where Vollering is (allegedly) on the start list. I would normally agree otherwise.

 

[awavey]

After the 6 km Rotterdam time trial last year, I'm hesitant to make it much longer in a race where Vollering is (allegedly) on the start list. I would normally agree otherwise.

that Tour De Suisse mountain TT was fun though I know Demi still won it, but it wasnt a slam dunk ride for sure.

The Rotterdam TT, yeah I dont know it felt like alot of the riders just had an off day and Demi didnt, it should have been closer. I mean I remember Anna Henderson comes off the back of a silver medal in the Olympics TT, only made 10th, and I think was talking alot about fatigue in that race.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Zanetti wins in Valencia. Pikulik should be DQed for swerving all over the place.

 

[JR1012]

Chantal van den Broek - Blaak ends her carrer earlier because she is expecting her second child.

https://teamsdworxprotime.com/en/news/chantal-van-den-broek-blaak/

 

[yaco]

A stacked startlist for Valenciana. Interesting parcour although not that difficult makes it a wide open race.

 

[JR1012]

We will finally know if Van der Breggen can challenge the likes of Vollering, Kasia and other GC riders.

 

[Didinho]

Martina Fidanza won the Scratch against Lorena Wiebes. Just wanted to say she can be beaten.

 

[JR1012]

Anywhere to watch Valenciana?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Anywhere to watch Valenciana?

Yes, it will be broadcast live on YouTube once again:

View: https://www.youtube.com/live/_qdvVB3Vlus

 

[awavey]

We will finally know if Van der Breggen can challenge the likes of Vollering, Kasia and other GC riders.

so Anna is going in as their number 1 rider ? 🤯

I guess that's one way to start a comeback

 

[Samu Cuenca]

so Anna is going in as their number 1 rider ? 🤯

I guess that's one way to start a comeback

If they don't ride too hard on the climbs or things come back together afterwards, then Bredewold will have a chance of winning the race.

It will also be interesting to see Stigger and Häberlin ger their debuts.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Bredewold won the intermediate sprint ahead of Lippert and Vollering, so small advantage ofr her at this stage. They are approaching the top of Alto de Barx with 29 km remaining.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

FDJ set up that attack nicely, but Van der Breggen is keeping a closer eye on Vollering than last season.

 

[JR1012]

Wow.