Lesser Known Road Racing for Women Thread

[Didinho]

Zanetti wins the uphill sprint on the little cobbles. Harder finish than yesterday.
Consonni boxed in the whole time, but stays in the lead.

 

[yaco]

Zanetti wins the uphill sprint on the little cobbles. Harder finish than yesterday.
Consonni boxed in the whole time.

That was a tough finish with the cobbles being difficult.

 

[Didinho]

Chiara with a textbook Merlier Nokere sprint. 2 second gap.

2 stages + GC.

 

[Cycling111]

The women's Tour of Poland was a race for sprinters?

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Chiara mastterclass

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Complete chaos in Romandie this morning with six WWT teams disqualified over a refusal to use the UCI-issued tracking technology.

It is beyond telling that, after all the uproar in the peloton over the lack of tracking following the death of Muriel Furrer, a big chunk of the very same peloton is now refusing to take part in a trial of tracking technology.

Link

 

[yaco]

Complete chaos in Romandie this morning with six WWT teams disqualified over a refusal to use the UCI-issued tracking technology.

It is beyond telling that, after all the uproar in the peloton over the lack of tracking following the death of Muriel Furrer, a big chunk of the very same peloton is now refusing to take part in a trial of tracking technology.

Link

Have to agree. Of course you need to cross the T's and dot the I's, but this use of tracking radar has been on the cards for a long time, so I doubt the teams had no idea how it would work. I'm trying to think of a reason why the teams/riders have objections. It's been a bad two weeks for the women's peleton.

 

[Netserk]

Complete chaos in Romandie this morning with six WWT teams disqualified over a refusal to use the UCI-issued tracking technology.

It is beyond telling that, after all the uproar in the peloton over the lack of tracking following the death of Muriel Furrer, a big chunk of the very same peloton is now refusing to take part in a trial of tracking technology.

Link

That's not at all how I read what is freely visible in the article:

The teams tried to find a compromise and suggested that the system be used by all riders, rather than the UCI attempting to push the teams into making one rider per team use the device. The teams also requested that any device used should be fitted by the UCI and not the team mechanics, which the UCI were trying to force through.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

That's not at all how I read what is freely visible in the article:

Where are the UCI supposed to produce 80 additional tracking devices and the people to fit them from with a few hours' notice?

 

[Netserk]

Where are the UCI supposed to produce 80 additional tracking devices and the people to fit them from with a few hours' notice?

I don't know the timeline, so I can't answer that. If the UCI has informed the teams early on and they only now object, obviously it's on them. However, if the UCI hasn't ensured a process that would allow all parties to iron out the details, that's on the UCI.

 

[Mina.S]

So Picnic and EF riders haven't started but AG riders have so far.

 

[yaco]

So Picnic and EF riders haven't started but AG riders have so far.

So the solidarity is breaking down.

 

[Mina.S]

So the solidarity is breaking down.

AG clearly decided to rebel from the group.

 

[Didinho]

Beautiful win for Blasi.

 

[yaco]

Great to see a surprise victory and one from a newcomer to the sport. Its much better than listening to the hypocritical bleatings from Vaughters.

 

[Mina.S]

Great to see a surprise victory and one from a newcomer to the sport. Its much better than listening to the hypocritical bleatings from Vaughters.

Very interested to see the results after tomorrows stage.

 

[JR1012]

Lidl Trek and Canyon thrown away a possible WT GC victory. 🤡

 

[proffate]

It sounds like the teams don't trust that the UCI is doing this in the name of safety. The devices could track other metrics (heart rate, power) and be fed into on-screen graphics at the race they own (worlds). Apparently there was a system where the teams had more control and sent GPS data to the UCI, but the UCI wanted to own the devices.

Do we all trust that the UCI has pure intentions here?

I would say that the UCI should be trialling this on lower level races (juniors, etc) if it's really for safety. It's also IMO a lot of effort for little safety benefit. There's one example ever of a rider who fell and was not attended to right away, who maybe passed away because of it. There are a zillion more examples of riders running into road furniture or barriers or flying into a ravine or hitting their face on a hard object.

I think it's also notable that the UCI seems empowered to make these decisions unilaterally with pretty severe punishment for dissent.

 

[Zoophonic]

This is very confusing. The teams were for the tracking devices but wanted the UCI to choose a rider to wear it and not left to themselves. Utterly bizarre. What difference does that make?

Heads need to be knocked together and quick. UCI have just vastly devalued their own race.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

This sounds like the worst possible outcome. I feel sorry for the TDR organisers.

Great win for Blasi though who keeps improving.

 

[Unchained]

This is very confusing. The teams were for the tracking devices but wanted the UCI to choose a rider to wear it and not left to themselves. Utterly bizarre. What difference does that make?

Heads need to be knocked together and quick. UCI have just vastly devalued their own race.

There were obvious mistakes made by multiple groups. UCI should have had more advanced notice of the implementation.
That said, as here on the forum it's part of a world mindset to think the worst of everyone, everything. Posts here point out one reason for the tracking device would be for individual rider location data. Not just in road bike racing, but other disciplines riders crash and are not obvious to others, they lay there undiscovered, sometimes for hours. In the worst cases, riders die because their location, status is unknown.
Overall, everyone involved should be embarrassed that they were unable to reach a compromise.
The real loser is the race community and local government and organization. They sacrifice in many ways to put on the race, convinced community ( arguing, legal action) that closing roads, using community resources like traffic fire, ambulance, police, extra hospital staff , parking, is all worth it .. When you watch a race on TV or in person just know that hundreds or even thousands of people don't want it, think it's a waste of time and money, huge hassle that they get nothing from except hassle, street closures, traffic, litter, noise, generally inconvenienced.. And when stuff like this happens the next event, whatever it is is harder to hold when public is opposed. Race will be described as a dud, bunch of bickering and controversy and not what was advertised. Many races die for less.

 

[Netserk]

This is very confusing. The teams were for the tracking devices but wanted the UCI to choose a rider to wear it and not left to themselves. Utterly bizarre. What difference does that make?

Maybe it's about legal liability.

 

[Unchained]

It sounds like the teams don't trust that the UCI is doing this in the name of safety. The devices could track other metrics (heart rate, power) and be fed into on-screen graphics at the race they own (worlds). Apparently there was a system where the teams had more control and sent GPS data to the UCI, but the UCI wanted to own the devices.

Do we all trust that the UCI has pure intentions here?

I would say that the UCI should be trialling this on lower level races (juniors, etc) if it's really for safety. It's also IMO a lot of effort for little safety benefit. There's one example ever of a rider who fell and was not attended to right away, who maybe passed away because of it. There are a zillion more examples of riders running into road furniture or barriers or flying into a ravine or hitting their face on a hard object.

I think it's also notable that the UCI seems empowered to make these decisions unilaterally with pretty severe punishment for dissent.

If you are a working mother and father and your daughter ( daughters!!!) Dream all day and all night, won't shut up about being a professional bicycle racer!! Talk about women in the professional peloton like family, like goddesses and you planned this, drove hours to see the race, got a hotel, took off work and the riders don't show up? Are you f-cking kidding me!!!? And if my dramatic example is only one little girl, that's enough to make what they did absolutely awful!!
Family goes above and beyond bringing family, a child to a professional sporting event and the athletes don't show up!!? You pay for Premier League, pro tennis or basketball, hockey and the players don't show up!!? Really? If the UCI is asking someone to put something... In ..their body..that's too much.. Otherwise do your F-ing job. Bike racing can't get out of it's own way.. If oil money wants to do something new, outside UCI stupidity.. Count me as a supporter.

 

[theyoungest]

Maybe it's about legal liability.

It is. The UCI want to enforce this plan, but make the teams liable if something goes wrong.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

The devices could track other metrics (heart rate, power) and be fed into on-screen graphics at the race they own (worlds).

Somehow, I doubt a device that is attached to the bike frame can measure heart rate.