Paris-Roubaix Femmes 2023, one day monument, April 8 (women's)

[Valv.Piti]

Interesting how when the men’s races have questionable tactics that take the favourites out of contention or have lesser-know riders riding to get a good result but reducing their chance to win then it’s just a part of cycling, but when it happens in the women’s races it’s apparently because they’re dumb and weak. But when the favourites do get it right and win it suddenly turns into women’s cycling is boring and uncompetitive

No, thats not what I said. Horrible tactics like in Flanders is equally as bad a watch in men's cycling, I just think this stuff tend to happen more in women's cycling, thats all. And as a result of being overly passive/letting the ride slip away, I tend to enjoy the racing A LOT less.

 

[StryderHells]

No, thats not what I said. Horrible tactics like in Flanders is equally as bad a watch in men's cycling, I just think this stuff tend to happen more in women's cycling, thats all. And as a result of being overly passive/letting the ride slip away, I tend to enjoy the racing A LOT less.

Well I guess your missing out then, but we all have different tastes. I personally thought it was a great race and I love seeing riders outside of the favourites get a win.

 

[pmcg76]

You mean like letting two team mates ride up the road (one of them a favorite to win), and then never really riding to bring them back, or something stupid like that?

Except that's not what i said. I never said silly tactics don't happen in mens races, just that it seems to occur more frequently in women's races. P-R, Flanders, Binda alone this year all had chase groups mucking around behind when the rider/s in front were in easy catching distance. At Strade Bianche they let Faulkner ride off the front and only 2 caught her inside the last km. Sometimes it makes for more interesting racing as you wonder what is going on, and I already said that race yesterday was very entertaining.

 

[Orbit501]

Was unable to watch yesterday. Just finished watching the highlights show. Incredible cat and mouse at the end. Thought such a short gap would be closed, especially given the strength of group 2.
Brilliant win for Alison Jackson. What a way to win it!
Chapeau !

 

[SarahtheDane]

I'm saying Mads Pedersen

 

[RedheadDane]

I'm saying Mads Pedersen

He's definitely not gonna win the women's race. For two reasons:

1: He's a guy.
2: The race was yesterday, Alison Jackson won.

 

[Orbit501]

For those that watched the race in full yesterday. Did group 2 spend a lot of time looking at each other in the last 10km or so? Some seriously strong riders in that group.

Taking nothing away from the break riders that stayed away all day, and the brilliant win by Alison Jackson. PR is definitely the race where a winner can often come from the break, which is just one of the many reasons why this is possibly my all time favourite race of the season, with RVV coming a close second.

 

[SarahtheDane]

He's definitely not gonna win the women's race. For two reasons:

1: He's a guy.
2: The race was yesterday, Alison Jackson won.

Wrong thread, obviously! xD

 

[Netserk]

Interesting how when the men’s races have questionable tactics that take the favourites out of contention or have lesser-know riders riding to get a good result but reducing their chance to win then it’s just a part of cycling, but when it happens in the women’s races it’s apparently because they’re dumb and weak. But when the favourites do get it right and win it suddenly turns into women’s cycling is boring and uncompetitive

Some of that is undoubtedly true, but there really is a difference between the two pelotons. You don't see the OGRR disaster in the men's race.

 

[Red Rick]

Some of that is undoubtedly true, but there really is a difference between the two pelotons. You don't see the OGRR disaster in the men's race.

That's also in part due to races being shorter. A large effect of the length of monuments is that at some point breakaways just compeltely blow up and bleed time very quickly.

Also, because the men simply race faster than the women, the drafting component is also larger.

 

[RedheadDane]

Okay, can someone please explain why Talbot was wearing regular Cofidis kit? She's the RR champion of Oceania. She's got a kit:

 

[Izzyeviel]

Wiebes wasn't in her special jersey either

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Wiebes wasn't in her special jersey either

She was wearing the WWT leader's jersey.

Okay, can someone please explain why Talbot was wearing regular Cofidis kit? She's the RR champion of Oceania. She's got a kit:

I thought you were aware of the recent championships, considering your sexy Tomboy scored you some CQ points during it.

 

[Sciatic]

Was unable to watch yesterday. Just finished watching the highlights show. Incredible cat and mouse at the end. Thought such a short gap would be closed, especially given the strength of group 2.
Brilliant win for Alison Jackson. What a way to win it!
Chapeau !

Much better finale than the men’s race!!

 

[Wyndbrook]

Well I certainly know which of this weekends Roubaix podiums was the most enjoyable to watch.

 

[awavey]

Jackson in several of her interviews mentioned that just 4 were riding at the end. Including herself, of course, and you also have Lach and Ragusa. Who's the 4th? Borras?

Im not sure Id have put Ragusa in the riding at the end group,she sat at the back for at least the last 5km, not taking any turns and only moving up to 4th wheel when they got into the velodrome.

Id have said it was Jackson, Lach, Marion Borras & probably Truyen, who at least took a turn or two on the front in those last kms, even if it was only brief, and she had refused to take a turn earlier that Borras had certainly complained about.

but the other 3 riders in that group Ragusa, Duval and Markus, werent riding at the end, and fair enough I can understand Duval & Markus arent going to try to keep their more illustrious team mates in group 2 out of the mix, but Ragusa was just riding for herself.

 

[awavey]

For those that watched the race in full yesterday. Did group 2 spend a lot of time looking at each other in the last 10km or so? Some seriously strong riders in that group.

Taking nothing away from the break riders that stayed away all day, and the brilliant win by Alison Jackson. PR is definitely the race where a winner can often come from the break, which is just one of the many reasons why this is possibly my all time favourite race of the season, with RVV coming a close second.

well I felt they did, others may and are free to disagree of course

but at 10k to go group 2 are strung out in a line full chase mode, almost catching group 1 before sector 2, and I can understand why you wouldnt want to bridge in those cobbles.

but they exit sector 2 and are suddenly spread across the road 4 wide, and it becomes like watching riders attempt a breakaway at the start of the stage, and the group just wont let a chase line form again till very nearly the end when it was all over for their chances anyway.

Alice Towers for Canyon SRAM has said
"There wasn’t great cooperation in the front group as many teams, including us, wanted it to come back. Towards the end, it was messy, with a lot of attacks "

Lucinda Brand for Trek Segafredo has said
"Lots of sprinters sitting on in our group, which doesn’t motivate us to chase."

"We quickly got in a group after the crash and I tried to motivate them to work together and chase. I felt that not everybody was not putting everything in there, which you see because the group behind came back. "

so two of the riders in that 2nd group are saying it got messy & teams werent working together for fear of bringing other teams sprinters into play

it also seems from SDWorx interviews theyd switched to Markus in the finale, so Kopecky was acting as a decoy for the other teams to focus on.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

well I felt they did, others may and are free to disagree of course

but at 10k to go group 2 are strung out in a line full chase mode, almost catching group 1 before sector 2, and I can understand why you wouldnt want to bridge in those cobbles.

but they exit sector 2 and are suddenly spread across the road 4 wide, and it becomes like watching riders attempt a breakaway at the start of the stage, and the group just wont let a chase line form again till very nearly the end when it was all over for their chances anyway.

Alice Towers for Canyon SRAM has said
"There wasn’t great cooperation in the front group as many teams, including us, wanted it to come back. Towards the end, it was messy, with a lot of attacks "

Lucinda Brand for Trek Segafredo has said
"Lots of sprinters sitting on in our group, which doesn’t motivate us to chase."

"We quickly got in a group after the crash and I tried to motivate them to work together and chase. I felt that not everybody was not putting everything in there, which you see because the group behind came back. "

so two of the riders in that 2nd group are saying it got messy & teams werent working together for fear of bringing other teams sprinters into play

it also seems from SDWorx interviews theyd switched to Markus in the finale, so Kopecky was acting as a decoy for the other teams to focus on.

Yeah, Trek didn't want to fully commit anymore, because they didn't stand a chance in the sprint, while Kopecky rode for Markus, Brown for Duval, and Schweinberger for Truyen. That would of course not have happened if they had caught the break earlier, which they (most likely) would have done if it hadn't been for the crash. DSM and Canyon SRAM did a lot of work, because they had Hengeveld and Towers coming back from the breakaway, but that wasn't enough.

UAE were unlucky that Tomasi crashed on Carrefour de l'Arbre, cause she could either have disrupted the front group/had a chance of winning herself or have dropped back to work for their leaders. But then they also should have made Bastianelli pull before she did.