Tour de France Tour de France Femmes 2022 (July 24th-31st)

[Samu Cuenca]

(This thread is a work in progress. I'll add stage previews later on)

On Sunday, a few hours before the men finish their Tour de France on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, 144 riders from 28 countries will begin their 10-day journey through France in the first official Tour de France for women since 1989.

But fortunately, there have been other French stage races in the intervening period, although they have all struggled with issues like finding willing host cities, long transfers, poor accommodation and/or lack of coverage (not that those weren’t issues in the ASO race, too). And ASO has also been keeping a close eye on them to make sure their rights weren’t infringed, after they discontinued their rebranded Tour de la C.E.E. Féminin after 1993.

After introducing La Course in 2014, ASO has now finally turned it into a stage race (although La Course isn’t officially killed off yet). While the original ASO version (1984-89) was held alongside the men’s race and using some of the same finish lines, the new race will, at least for its first edition, be prolonging the French cycling party by another 8 stages, covering a total of 1034 kilometres.

The question is now, who will get to follow in the footsteps of riders like Millie Robinson, Marianne Martin, Maria Canins, Jeannie Longo, Catherine Marsal, Leontien van Moorsel, Fabiana Luperine, Edita Pučinskaitė, Joane Somarriba, Nicole Cooke, Emma Pooley, Amber Neben, Evelyn Stevens, Linda Villumsen, Judith Arndt, Claudia Lichtenberg and Susanne Ljungskoog (all winners of races which at some points have been seen the major French stage races)?

This list also includes heavy favourite Annemiek van Vleuten as well as Kasia Niewadoma and Elisa Longo Borghini, who are all former winners of the defunct La Route de France.

Race favourites
Annemiek van Vleuten
: Demi Vollering and Marta Cavalli
Kasia Niewiadoma, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, Elisa Longo Borghini, Mavi García and Juliette Labous
For instance Paulina Roojakkers, Kristen Faulkner, Évita Muzic, Amanda Spratt and Veronica Ewers

Startlist: https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=15687&y=2022&k=8

 

[Samu Cuenca]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1550763477261754368

View: https://twitter.com/teamsdworx/status/1550763477261754368

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

Stage one takes place before the Tour de France finishes in ceremoniously fashion on the famed Champs Elysees. One QOM to be had, around the Arc de Triomphe, so really just to have a QOM on the first stage. Will Wiebes not lose, we will find out tomorrow.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Stage one takes place before the Tour de France finishes in ceremoniously fashion on the famed Champs Elysees. One QOM to be had, around the Arc de Triomphe, so really just to have a QOM on the first stage. Will Wiebes not lose, we will find out tomorrow.

A return to the La Course routes from 2014, 15 and 16, that saw Vos, Van der Breggen (in a rain and crash fest) and Hosking win.
The finish was also used in the original ASO race as well as in the Grande Boucle Féminine.

Hopefully there won't be too many crashes this time. It would be a shame to DNF on day one.

 

[yaco]

I have question marks about Vollering being able to compete with AVV - I wonder about Vollering's climbing ability on the longer climbs on stage seven - I know that she was third in the 2021 Giro in 2021 , however that course was not as challenging as the 2022 edition.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Profile of tomorrow's brutal QOM.

 

[pmcg76]

Hard to see beyond AVV, unless she over extended herself at Giro Donne, unless other teams especially SD worx and FDJ can trap her by playing the team game and sacrificing riders. They both have the depth to do so.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I have question marks about Vollering being able to compete with AVV - I wonder about Vollering's climbing ability on the longer climbs on stage seven - I know that she was third in the 2021 Giro in 2021 , however that course was not as challenging as the 2022 edition.

I think IJzeren 'miek is the obvious favourite, but Demi does have some good results on longer climbs, such as this from the Vuelta a Burgos where she rode on the front almost the whole climb to stretch it out for Anna, but even then Annemiek was the only rider she couldn't drop. She won the same stage this year, but the field was weaker then.

 

[BR2]

Woo, wow, I was looking for this thread and it was pretty low down the line.
Time to stick it, I think.

I am only a half-eye follower of women's cycling, but hey, this is kinda big

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

Woo, wow, I was looking for this thread and it was pretty low down the line.
Time to stick it, I think.

I am only a half-eye follower of women's cycling, but hey, this is kinda big

Yes, but somebody has been forgetting to unsticky things, as Stage 19 is still up here. Unless he lost his sticky stuff.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

It's time to get sticky with it, @Red Rick

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Front row for the champions.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Im in love with Marion Rousse ever since I watched the Tour of Flanders 2020 extended 1 hour highlight package/coverage that they post every year. That Alaf crash was such a heartbreak for her.

Is she in the role of Christian Prudhomme during this race?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Im in love with Marion Rousse ever since I watched the Tour of Flanders 2020 extended 1 hour highlight package/coverage that they post every year. That Alaf crash was such a heartbreak for her.

Is she in the role of Christian Prudhomme during this race?

Yes, she's the race director.

 

[yaco]

I can't see how anyone but an in-form AVV can win the KOM with the back-loaded route - Especially, seeing that AVV will go early on the climbs in stage seven.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

There are a lot of Cofidis and Arkea fans out there. Or maybe they're just Danes.

Vos wins the first intermediate sprint ahead of Wiebes

 

[RedheadDane]

There are a lot of Cofidis and Arkea fans out there. Or maybe they're just Danes.

I think I have found where the Danish Party is at.

Vos wins the first intermediate sprint ahead of Wiebes

You mean "Lorena Wibs", right?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I think I have found where the Danish Party is at.

It's in the ".", right?

You mean "Lorena Wibs", right?

It depends on who you ask. Both Michael Stærke and Trine Schmidt seems to think that's her name today.

 

[RedheadDane]

It depends on who you ask. Both Michael Stærke and Trine Schmidt seems to think that's her name.

He seemed to have figured it out after the bonus sprint.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Speaking of Wiebes, she's allegedly leaving DSM for SD Worx due to a clause in her contract, that allows her to accept other offers, if DSM won't/can't match them.

Quelle surprise!

 

[F_Cance]

please no. SD Worx dominance is not good for the sport

 

[RedheadDane]

LoL. That "climb" is so silly, maybe they should create a special "Cat.5" category for it, and say the winner gets 0.5 points.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Femke Markus wins the QOM and celebrates like Magnus Cort.
I haven't studied the rules, but I like that there are 2 points to the winner of a cat. 4.

 

[RedheadDane]

That didn't look good for Castrique...

 

[Jumbo Visma Fan :)]

Hard crash with Majerus and Castrique.