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I wouldn’t even look at it from a distance POV. 117km of PR will take the women less that 3 hours, where the men’s race will take them double that or more. There’s no reason women can’t be riding 4-5hr classics.I can see why they don't want to have the same distance as the men's race, because it would take longer for the women to ride it, and it would also create either too much of adifference and/or a more boring race, but less than half of the men's distance is also joke. But finally having a women's edition and being able to watch it live, are the main things here. Is it meant to finish before or after the men's race next year?
Most of the WWT one-day races this year have taken between three and half and four hours to complete for the winner. La Course only took 2:50, and depending on the weather, P-R should also finish in less than 3:30.
If we look at the WC RR it took almost 40 years from its debut in 1958 before it broke the 100 km barrier for the first time, and then another 20 years to get to 150. Today the maximum length for a WC or a WWT one-day race is 160 km (the WC was 157.7 and De Panne 158.8). Trefeo Binda was longer than 140 km for the first time this year, and Strade Bianche is also about an hour longer than it was in the first edition in 2015. So things have changed/are changing, but they shouldn't happen to rapidly either. But it is of course a classic case of the chicken or the egg; should we wait until the level is high enough to require longer races, or will the level automatically get there anyway if we make the changes today?
But it's obviously also a question of money, especially when it comes to TV coverage where there still isn't a lot to be made from women's races.
Does the women’s winner get her name on a shower? I hope so.
They should. From this year on put both names on the plaque!Does the women’s winner get her name on a shower? I hope so.
It will probably be less severe a difference than in the men's bunch owing to less specialisation and more genuine all-rounders, but then again the least suited men's riders don't do Roubaix (but might be seen on a Tour cobbled stage). I'm sure the difference between, say, Ellen van Dijk and Eider Merino when it comes to capability dealing with the cobbles would be clear, and a lot will come down to bike handling as well as power on the flats, so some cyclocross or mountainbike experience may be beneficial. Let's remember that flat cobbled stages are included in events like the BeNe Tour and the women do handle flat cobbles in the Ronde and Omloop so it's not like they'll be complete novices even if the nature of the Roubaix cobbles are different from those much more commonly-used, better-aligned and better-maintained Belgian roads like the Haaghoek and Paddestraat.Sadly, many (most) female pro cyclists (and in athletics as well) have been shamed and even punished for not getting down to their dictated/expected weight. So please be clear I’m not bringing this up casually.
Over the years reading predictions and projections for successful P-R performances, the question gets raised whether rider tso-and-so is “too light” for the Roubaix pave, since the stones and the gaps make it more severe—and bounces a light rider around and makes it hard to produce the same amount of power as a heavier rider.
Does this apply for the women riding on Sat as well? Or are they ALL too light for it to make much of a difference between individuals?
Such a shame Grace Brown had to miss the Worlds due to surgery. Will no doubt miss out here as well.
I admit I don't watch loads of women's races, but when I do watch, Grace Brown is one of the most exiting riders in the peloton for me. Would love to see how she would have gone in this.
I shall certainly be watching this race in full.
Edit: Just reading we're only going to get 90 minutes of coverage! Really? WTF is that all about!?
BEX is travelling badly they can only field 5 riders out of a team of 13 - Between riders disappearing, injuries, riders unsuited to the cobbles and riders placed on gardening leave they are down to their bare bones.
No, they just went round to BlueRoads' house.Disappearing?! Did they send out a search-team?
Looking forward to this. Is there a reason why Demi Vollering isn't riding?
Sarah Roy will give a good account of herselfBEX is travelling badly they can only field 5 riders out of a team of 13 - Between riders disappearing, injuries, riders unsuited to the cobbles and riders placed on gardening leave they are down to their bare bones.
It is a problem of their own making. They chose the route, they could easily have made the race longer and included more cobble before Arenberg.“ 'We can’t just launch the whole of the women’s peloton onto the Trouée d’Arenberg as a first cobbled section' says ASO”
Why no Trouée d’Arenberg at Paris-Roubaix Femmes?
'We can’t just launch the whole of the women’s peloton onto the Trouée d’Arenberg as a first cobbled section' says ASOwww.cyclingnews.com
I mean, nobody said it HAD to be first, and you’d prefer if it was in the race somehow, but it’s not the worst point ever made.
Honestly, I think it's just underlying sexism.What's even the problem with Arenberg as the first sector? It's not like the mens peloton is super greatly reduced when they hit it?
Why?It's no issue missing the Arenberg in the first edition - My guess is if the Arenberg was the first sector then you would have 15 riders left.
The argument would be that it's one of the places where you can truly swing the race in your favour, especially with cobbles of that condition being relatively new to the female peloton as a collective.Why?
Not everything needs to be sexism. Also then why organise a female edition at all?Honestly, I think it's just underlying sexism.