The Women's Road Racing Thread 2016

[Jonhard]

Re: Re:

Aviva Women's Tour route unveiled, and while there are still two stages in the East of England and still no stages in Scotland or Wales, it does look significantly more interesting from a parcours point of view, with the Chesterfield and Stoke on Trent stages having good potential for some tricky climbing terrain that ought to make bonus seconds less of a GC-settling factor.

Quite a nice design stage 3. A bit boring perhaps in that will be following A roads for a lot of the route. But the climbing is nicely spread out, with possibly the most punishing being out of Matlock, before a short, sharp descent into Chesterfield. Probably a better parcours than last year's men's TOB stage six, which was too front-loaded in theory, though it turned out to be a killer. In old money, about 7000ft of climbing in 70 miles, so the race could blow up here.

Stage four is flat, following the river valleys untill the final quarter which gets fairly lumpy. Certainly enough to make a difference.

And great news for me, as can easily cycle to watch both stages so I hope Vos is racing it.

If not, she may well be there working for ITV like last year.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

News is apparently a few days old, but I'm excited at least: the Emakumeen Bira (literal translation "Women's Race", the former companion piece to the Euskal Bizikleta which has outlived its male equivalent) has been moved in the calendar to go before La Flèche Wallonne (which the Basque climbs will no doubt be a very useful preparation for) and after de Ronde - in fact, the race is going to follow the lead of the Tour de Pologne, which is to say it's moving to go just after the men's Vuelta al País Vasco, which should hopefully maximise crossover potential as if marketed well they can capitalise on the audience, especially as there's the one-day race, the Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria (women's trophy) that precedes it, which uses the same climbs as the Klasika Primavera Amorebieta which goes immediately after the Vuelta al País Vasco as well as the Alto de Garai. There will be four stages, and highlights packages will be produced for the first three, and even more excitingly the last one will be televised live!

The move to April is risky (it had previously been a good Giro prep race but now is an excellent pre-Flèche opportunity with the World Tour being set up; I'm quite frustrated about the lack of races with any real sustained climbing being included in the World Tour, with a lot of races varying from flat to punchy but few truly mountainous races; I'd like to see more than just the Giro with that characteristic to aid the development of specialists in all areas, as right now there is very little reason to want to be a pure climber like Mara Abbott or Francesca Cauz as the number of races they can win compared to a durable sprinter or a puncheur is minuscule) but could really be a masterstroke if it comes off - ETB producing coverage would be just about perfect as it could also piggyback off the País Vasco coverage. There are rumours of bringing back the Elgeta MTT which has been missing from the last couple of editions too. There's a likelihood that they'll run the final stage quite early in the day to maximise potential audience by running before the important parts of Amstel Gold as well, which is good.

 

[Jonhard]

A provisional list of starters for het Nieuwsblad on Saturday is up:

http://www.procyclingstats.com/race.php?id=165080&c=3

It’s a massive field, 33 teams and 200+ riders, and a strong one too. Previous winners at the start include AVDB, Pieters and Emma J (both riding for Wiggle now) and Cromwell. There are plenty of other contenders, Armitstead and Brennauer among them. Too many to pick from.

While the men ride KBK on Sunday, the women’s peleton moves on to the Omloop van het Hageland – Tielt-Winge, east of Brussels.

http://www.procyclingstats.com/race.php?id=165082&c=3

Similar 200+ field to OHN, although the bigger teams make changes. Jolien D’hoore won last year but won’t start and neither will Armitstead, who’s won it twice. Another former winner, Emily Collins (2013 in Wiggle colours), will line up for Tibco.

My random predictions for the weekend are a podium for Orica (Gracie Elvin?) and a top ten for Parkhotel with van den Bos.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Leaders with a small gap over a chasing group of 26:
Anna van der Breggen, Emma Johansson, Amy Pieters, Lizzie Armitstead, Chantal Blaak, Megan Guarnier, Annemiek van Vleuten, Gracie Elvin, Lucinda Brand, Alexis Ryan. Rabo, Boels and Wiggle all well represented in there, but looks like the chasers are well organised and will make the junction soon.

Indeed they do meet them, and now we're heading into the closing stretches... Armitstead and van Vleuten making the pace on the Molenberg, trims the group... and now we have Ellen van Dijk away solo, and she will be difficult to chase down, especially as others will be wary about towing the likes of Armitstead to the line...

But chase her down they did between Paddestraat and Lippenhovestraat, and now we have Armitstead and Gracie Elvin kop van de wedstrijd with a group of 23 chasing the duo. They have 43" with 15km remaining.

And now, just inside of 10km to go, Lizzie has dropped her Australian breakmate and is looking to take this home solo. She has about 30" with a few kilometres remaining, Elvin has been swallowed up by the chasers.

And Armitstead takes it, first race in rainbows and first win. She held on by a few seconds, with Chantal Blaak beating Tiffany Cromwell in the sprint for 2nd so Boels get the 1-2. Most of the team apparently didn't even know until Chantal got back to the bus as they were too busy with Armitstead. Lizzie tells the press "that wasn't meant to be the plan. I was out there way too long," I wonder if Elvin hit the wall or had a problem or something as they had been working together and she was swallowed by the chasers very quickly.

 

[Jonhard]

One of the race car tweeters (Richie Steege) implied that Elvin was under orders - 'not allowed to escape the leaders' - which is open to interpretaion really. The CN article suggests Elvin wasn't pulling fairly, in Armitstead's view anyway, so she slowed up then attacked opportunistically. Elvin dropped straight through that group and lost another 30 odd seconds, so either legs or (if she was told to wait up) motivation lacking.

Impressive ride from Lizzie, and Boels.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Omloop van het Hageland will be live here shortly!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Coverage is pretty good actually, graphics are nice and pictures are good.

Gracie Elvin hasn't had enough of the weekend as she's in the attack again, she and Anouska Koster have a minute on the bunch, from which a counter-attack is attempting to be formed by the Alé-Cipollini and Liv-Plantur teams. With about 35km remaining all moves annulled, now we're getting repeated attempts to set up a new break being thwarted. I've spotted Lucinda Brand, Amanda Spratt and at least one TIBCO rider trying to get away. Boels controlling the bunch with Megan Guarnier visible second wheel. Bunch looks reduced to 40-50 or so with two laps remaining.

Vita Heine (Hitec) has got herself away solo, but her biggest gap was only about 15" away, looks like a few trying to bridge across to her, pulling the group back. Rabo seem to be responsible, but unable to see who from the distance shot. Heine nevertheless persisting and still has her few seconds; the group seem to be less keen on chasing her down now, and are looking at one another to see who wants to take responsibility.

Just over 20k remaining and Annemiek van Vleuten counterattacks, which quickly pulls back the Latvian/Norwegian. She's too dangerous to allow to go, however, and the group is quickly onto her. Back together through the narrow concrete road section. At the start of the final lap Megan Guarnier attacks, and Trixi Worrack sees an attack happening and thinks "this should be something I'm involved in", chasing on. Wiggle pull the duo back, then sit up and Annemiek tries again...she gets Lucinda Brand for company but it doesn't look like the group want to let those two go, and with good reason. At 12km remaining, the majority of the Cylance team has settled on the front of the bunch which suggests they may anticipate a sprint? It wouldn't be surprising, last year d'Hoore won this race of course. I assume that means Shelley Olds has made the selection as I can't really imagine they'd be trying to lead out Ratto or that Scandolara would rein in her instinct to attack.

On the hill a small group of 10 or so including Amialiusik, Ratto and Spratt gets a gap but there's no cohesion and so it doesn't look like it's going to get anywhere. Parkhotel Valkenburg (!) set up a train once the group reconvenes. Cylance still want control, but Liv-Plantur amassing behind them, and Julie Leth in the mix at the front of the train along with Amialiusik (!). Jasinska also making a nuisance of herself for those trying to control the run-in. Small gaps being opened by the Roeseberg... it's not a massive climb and these should come together again, but there are a few seconds here and there now. Rabobank and Canyon-SRAM the teams trying to do something but again, looks like few willing to work with those instigating the moves.

Cervélo-Bigla assume control over the concreted section which suggests to me Lotta Lepistö must be hunting somewhere nearby? Looks like we're going to get a sprint of the group, the ceasefire seems to have begun. Some Liv riders way over in the grass. Indeed Cervélo's plan is transparent, there's the Finnish cross on the left of shot. Final kilometre now and the pace really ramping up... sprint... Lepistö fading... won by Alé-Cipollini... would that be Marta? Yes!

So:
1 Marta Bastianelli (Alé-Cipollini)
2 Leah Kirchmann (Liv-Plantur)
3 Lotta Lepistö (Cervélo-Bigla)
4 Shelley Olds (Cylance)
5 Lucinda Brand (Rabo-Liv)

Certainly didn't look like an Alé jersey in fourth, but it's being reported as Tagliaferro. Looks like a Cylance jersey from the distance finish shot, which would suggest Olds.

Edit: and now corrected.

 

[Jonhard]

Thanks for the report, I couldn't watch today. Not a bad start to the year for Ale Cipollini.

Pleased to see Jip van den Bos 8th for Parkhotel, a good show after racing OHN yesterday.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Lol, if it can be called a report, it's a report in very scatterbrained fashion seeing as I was writing it while watching the race and editing just the one post so I wasn't thread spamming while talking to myself!

Hence why it has "edit: corrected" in there and what's actually correct above it. And me questioning whether I'm right, since from the finish shot and with no commentary it was only an educated guess that the sprinter for Alé here would be Marta, and I missed IDing a few riders in the move near the end, whereas those with distinctive jerseys or national champion sleeve bands and those with distinctive riding styles I could pick up.

 

[Jonhard]

I haven’t seen much reporting of het Hageland so it was good to have that vignette.

Le Samyn des Dames tomorrow. There is a website (http://www.lesamyn.be) but I suspect this startlist at cyclingfever is more accurate for now:

http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MjY5OTk=

Another big field, although a few big names will not race, presumably with an eye on the opening WWT race, Strade Bianchi on Saturday. The forecast for tomorrow suggests a bit of rain and fair bit of wind.

 

[lemon cheese cake]

The American stage race in the womens world tour, the Tour of California p/b sram have released the 18 teams for the race:

BePink (ITA)
Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team (NED)
Canyon/SRAM Racing (GER)
Colavita | Bianchi p/b Vittoria Women’s UCI Pro Team (USA)
Cylance Pro Cycling (USA)
Drops Cycling Team (GBR)
Hagens Berman | Supermint Pro Cycling Team (USA)
Hitec Products (NOR)
Podium Ambition Pro Cycling p/b Club La Santa (GBR)
Rabo-Liv Women Cycling Team (NED)
Rally Cycling (USA)
Team TIBCO-SVB (USA)
Twenty16 – Ridebiker (USA)
UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team (USA)
USA Cycling (USA)
Visit Dallas DNA Pro Cycling (USA)
Weber Shimano Ladies Power (ARG)
Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling (GBR)


Drops procycling were a surprise, as were Podium Ambition. However I suppose the latter did race least year under the name of Pearl Izumi Sports tours International.

 

[Jonhard]

It'll be an experience for Drops, which is the point of the team to be fair. I doubt they have a UCI point between them, whereas Podium Ambition have got Sharon Laws and Sarah Storey and might just contest a jersey. Not in their prime but capable and experienced.

The forecast for Le Samyn is looking increasingly nasty.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Four riders from Drops have CQ points for 2015. All of them have points solely from the national championships road races, with the most going to Tamiko Butler who won her nationals, although with these being the national championships for Antigua and Barbuda she was probably the best in the field by some way.

Le Samyn des Dames looks like it was quite interesting, with Chantal Blaak outsprinting Emma Johansson to continue Boels' strong season start - they also had three riders in the five woman chase group, which consisted of Amy Pieters (who won the sprint for the podium), Floortje Mackaij and Boels' Demi de Jong, Nikki Harris (on strong early season form as you might expect from a cyclocrosser) and Christine Majerus. With Rabo absent and Hitec under-strength it does seem like it was a straight up battle between Boels-Dolmans and Wiggle, except for Floortje.

 

[Jonhard]

Another good show in nasty weather fom Floortje. And brilliant from Boels today, quite impressed to see Nikki Harris there after 100 kms.

Just looking at the Strade Bianche start list. Best foot forward for everyone... PFP and AVDB back for Rabo. Should be fun.

http://www.procyclingstats.com/race.php?id=163777&c=3

 

[Libertine Seguros]

So weird to see Nicole Brändli back riding part-time for Servetto-Footon.

Realistically Strade Bianche ought to be about the big power teams; that Rabo sextet (Brand, PFP, Gillow, Knetemann, Niewiadoma and Anna VDB) are all potential winners, while there are few worker ants to be found among Wiggle or Canyon's teams either. Boels aren't quite at full strength but with Guarnier and Armitstead as co-leaders and with people like Harris and Majerus in form they're going to obviously pose a huge threat. It'll be interesting to see some of the off-road specialists like Jolanda Neff here as well.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

So, Strade Bianche... I have been watching the Biathlon World Championships, so don't have the full details since we'll have to wait a while for the highlights to be uploaded. It seems coverage was not great in terms of keeping people abreast of what's going on and some negativity has ensued about the Women's World Tour's scope compared to the World Cup, but then it's the first event so hard to draw too many conclusions just yet.

It seems that the decisive move was three-strong, with World Champion Lizzie Armitstead, European U23 champion Katarzyna Niewiadoma and Swedish champion Emma Johansson away. This led to an interesting situation where the three strongest teams - Boels, Rabo and Wiggle - all had somebody in the move, so they were happy with it, except Rabobank were caught in two minds; Kasia is the weakest sprinter of the three and the least experienced too so did they chase it down, or did they sit up and back her? It seems that the latter was the choice, but it's also hard to tell whether the second group, which finished a number of seconds up on the bunch, and which also consisted of one rider apiece from those teams (Elisa Longo Borghini, Anna van der Breggen and Megan Guarnier) had got away too or was simply a product of the run-in, with strong climbers on other teams in Annemiek van Vleuten and Claudia Lichtenberg being the next home, so it will be interesting to see how that transpired.

Anyway, from the lead trio it looks like Johansson was dropped on the final rise into Siena, losing a fair few seconds in the process, while Armitstead was able to get away from Katie Unknown - the 3" gap could be Niewiadoma sitting up from a two-up as, frankly, Lizzie Armitstead will beat her in a head to head sprint 100% of the time, and would do it more if that was mathematically possible, or it could be a show of strength on that final climb from Lizzie; both are possible as she's a world class athlete who loves that kind of short and tricky ascent. Either way, one of my least favourite women's cyclists edges out one of my favourites, so not too pleased about that, but I seem to be taking results not going my way better than I sometimes do today.

1 Elizabeth Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) GBR 3'30'13
2 Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Rabo-Liv) POL +3"
3 Emma Johansson (Wiggle-High5) SWE +13"
4 Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle-High5) ITA +1'04"
5 Anna van der Breggen (Rabo-Liv) NED +1'07"
6 Megan Guarnier (Boels-Dolmans) USA +1'07"
7 Annemiek van Vleuten (Orica-AIS) NED +1'13"
8 Claudia Lichtenberg (Lotto-Belisol) GER +1'17"
9 Lauren Kitchen (Hitec Products-UCK) AUS +1'21"
10 Leah Kirchmann (Team Liv-Plantur) CAN +1'21"

Note nine different nationalities in the top 10 there! It was actually 11 in the top 12 as the next two were PFP and Jolanda Neff, two riders with great mountain bike experience of course, which helps in a race like this.

 

[TMP402]

Is coverage going to be available later? Major fail if not.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re:

Is coverage going to be available later? Major fail if not.

RAI showing abridged highlights as we speak. More detailed ones to follow later. Will hunt for video online once uploaded.

Edit: just finished. So it looks like the trio were well away and were able to play games. Niewiadoma attacked at the base of the last climb in the city knowing it was her only chance at victory, and that dropped Johansson; Lizzie stayed with her, and then at the last 50-75m of the climb as Kasia started to fade, she countered and got a few bike lengths into the run-in which she held to the finish. The group behind were not away from a group, in fact going into the final kilometre Małgorzata Jasińska was stuck in a chasse-patate, so those gaps were produced by the final climb on its own.

 

[StephenC2020]

Very impressive ride from Pauline Ferrand-Prevaut to get 11th after being out with injury and missing the whole cross season. Great to have her back racing!

 

[BigMac]

Damn Libertine, Lizzie ahead of Niewiadoma and Emma, how can you cope with that?

Looking forward to watch it later.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Highlights from RAI here

In frustrating RAI fashion they missed the actual forming of the key move, but you get to see the run-in. Bigmac, yes, it's a result that's in some ways gutting but in some ways good. As is known, I don't like Lizzie, but there can be no denying that she's in stupendous form right now, and there's nothing the other two could do really. Kasia tried everything she could, and launched the main attack on the final steep climb, the only place she could potentially hold the cards, but she had to go early to not be caught again, which meant that she didn't have enough to sustain the attack pace all the way up the climb and so when she couldn't drop Lizzie, who was just too strong, she opened the door for Lizzie to pass her when she faded; Emma J clearly didn't quite have the legs in the finale and took fewer turns than the other two in the run-in as well; I get the feeling she's not quite there yet form-wise, so it was a good showing for her even if it's always frustrating to see that she will wind up adding to her seemingly infinite collection of podiums-but-not-wins (over 150 of these at last count). At last she has a team with enough strength in depth to offer her the backup against the superteams, as all too often in the past she's got outnumbered at the last, but it may have come too late with retirement on the cards after this season.

Also, looking at how strong she was in the final climb against the field they had there - Anna VDB, Guarnier, Annemiek, Lichtenberg, PFP - Elisa Longo Borghini will be kicking herself that she missed that key move; certainly however it would have been strange for Wiggle to help the chase with somebody as strong as Emma Johansson up the road.

Stephen - PFP is doing a very limited road calendar this year as she's targeting doing both the RR and the MTB at the Olympics. As a result she's only doing a handful of selected hilly road races (and these may be limited to one-day races and short stage races, so potentially no Giro) to enable her to split time most effectively between the two disciplines; in recent years she's done a full road season with occasional breaks to do MTB, this year she's upping the amount of MTB over previous years.

 

[jmdirt]

Those are some fast rainbow stripes!

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

It kills me to see top road riders missing important races so as to compete at minor cycling disciplines. But I suppose given the terrible money in women's road cycling it makes more sense then it does for the men.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

At the same time, Pauline is kind of the reigning World Champion in mountain bike. She may feel more confident of an Olympic medal in that than the road race, although I think the road race parcours is a good one for her. The field is different and the range of outcomes larger, however.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

At the same time, Pauline is kind of the reigning World Champion in mountain bike. She may feel more confident of an Olympic medal in that than the road race, although I think the road race parcours is a good one for her. The field is different and the range of outcomes larger, however.

It also kills me to see professional cyclists distort their seasons by prioritising Olympic medals, shiny baubles for athletes in sports nobody cares about. Though again, I accept that it unfortunately makes more sense on the women's side of the sport.