The Lesser Known Women's Road Racing Thread 2022

[yaco]

Does she even stay with them?
I don't know, maybe the others declined to come, but I think there are others I'd chose over her, even it it was supposed to be one from BikeExchange. Of course in the end it doesn't matter much, but all in all...

Apparently she is happy with the team. When you consider that Bike Exchange is allegedly bringing in a group of young riders, she'd have a better chance of being selected for the TDF, as opposed to the new UAE team. Let's wait and see.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

So, decent route for the women. It still looks silly that they are riding 8 days, while the men have three weeks, and their stages are a lot shorter in general, but all in all it's not bad, there are some mountains, some gravel and a longer than usual stage.
What I did find a bit disturbing about the presentation was that Urska Zigart was among the invited - she's neither French nor an extraordinary rider (yet?), in combination with the fact that Marion Rousse is the head for the women's Tour.

Surely as double defending champion Tadej got a +1?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Apparently she is happy with the team. When you consider that Bike Exchange is allegedly bringing in a group of young riders, she'd have a better chance of being selected for the TDF, as opposed to the new UAE team. Let's wait and see.

No one knows who's going to ride for the UAE team yet, but I can't really see Zigart staying with BEX, a least not for longer than 2022 if she extends her contract.

Also Zigart deserved to be there more than the riders from the smaller French teams, and that includes Pilote Fortin as well. Also when Bjerg was invited, why wasn't Emma Norsgaard present?
I guess Voss and Van Vleuten would have been there, too, if they had been able to make it.
Muzic looked to still be suffering a bit from her recent crash when she walked across the stage.

Pic of the day

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Make this a podium selfie from the finish of the race, plzkthx

 

[BlueRoads]

Surely as double defending champion Tadej got a +1?

That's what it looked a bit to me.

 

[BlueRoads]

No one knows who's going to ride for the UAE team yet, but I can't really see Zigart staying with BEX, a least not for longer than 2022 if she extends her contract.

Also Zigart deserved to be there more than the riders from the smaller French teams, and that includes Pilote Fortin as well. Also when Bjerg was invited, why wasn't Emma Norsgaard present?
I guess Voss and Van Vleuten would have been there, too, if they had been able to make it.
Muzic looked to still be suffering a bit from her recent crash when she walked across the stage.

Pic of the day

I just think that there was a pattern how the riders were chosen, and Zigart didn't fit in there very well, so either I'm underestimating her as a rider, or it was a bit of an hazard, or the fact that she's Pogacar's partner played a role, and I wouldn't like that, especially since I, as a complete outsider I have to admit, have a feeling that Rousse's career has certainly not suffered from being with first Gallopin, now Alaphilippe. Maybe I'm the one being sexist here, that could well be.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I just think that there was a pattern how the riders were chosen, and Zigart didn't fit in there very well, so either I'm underestimating her as a rider, or it was a bit of an hazard, or the fact that she's Pogacar's partner played a role, and I wouldn't like that, especially since I, as a complete outsider I have to admit, have a feeling that Rousse's career has certainly not suffered from being with first Gallopin, now Alaphilippe. Maybe I'm the one being sexist here, that could well be.

If it hadn't been for their own and their teams connection to Zwift, Ella Harris and Neve Bradbury shouldn't have been there.
And Pilote Fortin, who technically isn't riding for any team currently, didn't really make sense either.
Of course we don't who they actually invited. All the SD Worx riders apart from Moolman-Pasio and Shackley, who was doing the British NC, were riding at a team/sponsor event in Limburg yesterday.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Sofia Bertizzolo took her first pro win in La Classique Morbihan today. The recent winner of the elimination race at European track championships, Valentine Fortin, won the sprint for second over Consonni in the group behind.
The losing riders will have a chance of revenge in the GP de Plumelec-Morbihan tomorrow.

01	Sofia Bertizzolo		Liv Racing	3:01:21​	125​
02	Valentine Fortin		St Michel - Auber93	+ 09​	85​
03	Chiara Consonni		Valcar-Travel & Service	+ 09​	70​
04	Eugenia Bujak		Slovenia	+ 09​	60​
05	Nina Buijsman		Parkhotel Valkenburg	+ 09​	50​
06	Silvia Zanardi		BePink	+ 09​	40​
07	Lotte Kopecky		Liv Racing	+ 09​	35​
08	Lucie Jounier		Arkéa Pro Cycling Team	+ 09​	30​
09	Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig		FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope	+ 09​	25​
10	India Grangier		Stade Rochelais-Charente-Maritime	+ 09​	20​

 

[Izzyeviel]

Is Silvia zanardi any relation to Alex?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Is Silvia zanardi any relation to Alex?

I don't think so.

 

[RedheadDane]

Also when Bjerg was invited, why wasn't Emma Norsgaard present?

Especially considering that - going by their palmares - he would be her "+1". I was actually quite surprised to see that Bjerg was attending, considering that - from what I understand - they're getting married this weekend.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Consonni got her revenge today. Aude Biannic made a promising attack on the final lap, but was brpught back before FdJ made multiple attacks, but in the end CUL couldn't ride away from Valcar and Liv.

1	CONSONNI Chiara	Valcar - Travel & Service	125	80	2:46:44
2	KOOL Charlotte	NXTG Racing	85	56	,,
3	ZANARDI Silvia	Bepink	70	32	,,
4	KOPECKY Lotte	Liv Racing	60	24	,,
5	GASPARRINI Eleonora Camilla	Valcar - Travel & Service	50	20	,,
6	JOUNIER Lucie	Arkéa Pro Cycling Team	40	16	,,
7	SQUIBAN Maeva	Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime Women Cycling	35	12	,,
8	BUYSMAN Nina	Parkhotel Valkenburg	30	8	,,
9	GRANGIER India	Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime Women Cycling	25	7	,,
10	ERIĆ Jelena	Movistar Team	20	6	,,

 

[RedheadDane]

Just to be clear; the Women Elite race in the Chrono Des Nations is a UCI race, right? FirstCycling messed up...

 

[Tinnekeisabella]

Especially considering that - going by their palmares - he would be her "+1". I was actually quite surprised to see that Bjerg was attending, considering that - from what I understand - they're getting married this weekend.

I love Bjerg, but not all invited cyclist could bring a +1

 

[Tinnekeisabella]

I just think that there was a pattern how the riders were chosen, and Zigart didn't fit in there very well, so either I'm underestimating her as a rider, or it was a bit of an hazard, or the fact that she's Pogacar's partner played a role, and I wouldn't like that, especially since I, as a complete outsider I have to admit, have a feeling that Rousse's career has certainly not suffered from being with first Gallopin, now Alaphilippe. Maybe I'm the one being sexist here, that could well be.

I think she was invited as a +1 and the organisation put her right behind Tadej as it just looks good for the pictures and such. Definetely with the recent engagement and all.

I met Urska at the worlds and she is completely humble and grounded and determined to do her thing. Looking at the pictures, she clearly did not feel all that comfortable being put in that spot.

She is not looking to use Tadej for fame, she prefers to remain as private as possible, just doing a few obligatory interviews.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Just to be clear; the Women Elite race in the Chrono Des Nations is a UCI race, right? FirstCycling messed up...

It doesn't seem to be listed on the UCI website, where I can only see the ME, MU23, MJ and WJ races.

 

[BlueRoads]

I think she was invited as a +1 and the organisation put her right behind Tadej as it just looks good for the pictures and such. Definetely with the recent engagement and all.

I met Urska at the worlds and she is completely humble and grounded and determined to do her thing. Looking at the pictures, she clearly did not feel all that comfortable being put in that spot.

She is not looking to use Tadej for fame, she prefers to remain as private as possible, just doing a few obligatory interviews.

I didn't want to put any blame on her and I don't see her as fame-seeking or anything at all; she seems nice, has been with Tadej for ages the way I understand it, and indeed she looked far from comfortable, but if she was indeed a +1 and not simply as a racer herself I would put some blame on the organizers since I think women's cycling deserves better.

 

[yaco]

You must lead a miserable life if you worry about who is invited to the TDF presentation - I'm happy that the women are now part of the TDF presentation.

 

[BlueRoads]

You must lead a miserable life if you worry about who is invited to the TDF presentation - I'm happy that the women are now part of the TDF presentation.

Thanks for the pleasantries, yaco.

 

[RedheadDane]

I love Bjerg, but not all invited cyclist could bring a +1

Definitely weird to have the +1 go on his own.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Kiesenhofer has found some form again and managed to beat Mieke Kröger with a half a second, before Reusser crossed the line 52 seconds faster to take the win in Chrono des Nations, which was also her last race for Alé BTC Ljubljana.

01	Marlen Reusser		Alé BTC Ljubljana	33:36​
02	Anna Kiesenhofer		Austria	+ 52​
03	Mieke Kröger		Team Coop-Hitec Products	+ 52​
04	Marion Borras		UC Pontcharra	+ 1:11​
05	Dana Rozlapa		Keukens Redant	+ 1:14​
06	Ann-Sophie Duyck		Belgium	+ 1:42​
07	Vittoria Bussi		Open Cycling Team	+ 2:04​
08	Federica Piergiovanni		Valcar-Travel & Service	+ 2:22​
09	Coralie Demay		Stade Rochelais-Charente-Maritime	+ 2:24​
10	Marie Le Net		FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope	+ 2:24​

 

[thiscocks]

Is there a thread on the Tour de France Femmes?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Is there a thread on the Tour de France Femmes?

At least not yet. We have discussed it a little bit in both this thread and in the TdF rumours thread during the presentation.

 

[thiscocks]

Looks like a good route. There are certain 'activists' claiming there should be longer stages and more stages if only to compare with the mens route more favourably. I personally think 12 stages would be about right with one rest day...

 

[RedheadDane]

I very much like the idea of having it be "opposite" of the men's TdF; in the sense that while the men's TdF starts in various cities - sometimes abroad - and always ends in Paris, then the TdF Femmes is going to - from what I understand - always start in Paris, and finish in various cities.