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

Page 30 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
The buyer who happens across it because they're surfing the channel is a novice to the sport, though, so it doesn't matter whether this is something new and innovative or something which is par for the course as long as it is new to them. Cycling wasn't new when any of us started watching it, but we all got bit by the bug. Saying "the women have never had races with this much climbing before" if anything suggests that this is a one-off, so if you were excited or inspired by it, it isn't normally like this. Saying "the women have never had races with this much climbing before in such a high profile race" is more accurate and doesn't lose anything to the sell (because the Giro Rosa of a few years ago where they did have multi-col stages and the likes did not have anything like the audience reach or coverage that the TDFF has had).
He's just witnessed something unique, one of a kind, rare, unrepeatable... that's how he's supposed to feel and understand.

I just feel like they're selling the previous generations, and the race organisers with less clout than ASO, short in order to present an ASO-sanitised version of the history of the sport whitewashing their entire period of refusing to turn the cameras on at Flèche Wallonne and taking as many steps as they could to do as little as possible for women's cycling, only to then turn around and demand we congratulate them on how they're so much better than everybody else because they finally caught up with the pack. Their status and the branding may mean they may be able to run where others could only walk, but you'd think if they want to encourage people to watch more (and they should, since they have a stake in Unipublic, and they run several of the women's classics, and also need to sell hosting rights for future editions of this race), then directing them towards other events that may enable them to see more of what they saw here and drive the audience figures up might be advantageous.

Blythe's just a shill - and there's nothing inherently wrong with that as whoever pays the piper calls the tune - but he just isn't very good at doing the shilling without it being too transparent.
That are finesses.
Promotional upgrade.
 
I was at the race on Friday, near the Breitfirst (technically, the continuation of the Platzerwalsel). Here are some shots of an excellent day and location to watch the race...!

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Crusher of dreams, AVV:
AL9nZEU28J3wcL3TEZ7QAX3gEnXtqQjN_h3y7AfTAoHikgFVrtNJ0d_DDizFYeen1hL0mBn4ftSb3K9pT0TWq1ZNTLAS8RxEwKCebHCmFo2G8ZEhwnJj4R9MSrhJfMi6vkwKzeKS5Q6dRWT_Magf6TaNU8Bgkg=w1000-h667-no

Vollering. Notice the chainline...! This was a 10% stretch.
AL9nZEW0BRDgBXkhZJM2yCyQ4-LyPybzIK1TOfVhxA2wOoeZef69wktOKlDSY4kb5RRagFgC3izI1THeKDNjYrdyunEwpg6ePnXOSZrnx_53tpUmSwgXZuixnBmf9lRKz9u9qZ4pu3xjSOZOXSkLvbB0-iQz3g=w1000-h667-no

Longo Borghini. Again, that chainline...!
AL9nZEXeoB9wcBlbDFciQK8kIR-89reIM6sHYAS7cJufb4bCYpo-__wMacKGhpKI-jIVNRM0UQ0AnbGqgwgnnLTBK5CvJ3RP86XrJX8CLWrJl4gVGQ-N2vUrrspH0NOZh6FpVtsAbseQXXRCBbeDwTsOlWQOMQ=w1000-h666-no

Kasia Niewadoma is very catholic it seems (like most Polish). She even has a cross tattoo'd somewhere in the valley between two hills. I leave this for your imagination!
AL9nZEWrhQYMyXOkrEWdrzJbMVMn0AlZWRBP4mYqs8QoQkgVobgPYXhE9ZLXlf9YgNkWI-cY0wzLbnuFozD9S0KUiuUlekkEJpyrTTPaFcPhfQrshP3MOJGvYrID3NbbHrKC3NvSAFOLHv5WkzwARBGHyKCwUQ=w1000-h667-no

Second chase group after the first 3 riders.
AL9nZEUJqLjXb_-v6-ycYJNjfxtNp_lUixVTyVvNsNYC3rFihq5-8x7AZ7wKss9HEbTd3UgeuAEwEtZ_hkWtyfbmKLv6ZTBVhGSPdPTnKXwHGCLlaBa4d1TkwnCPqwYKNsT6GB8F9cbdeWBMXoeraYy4f5BGUQ=w1000-h667-no

The yellow jersey / Vos peloton
AL9nZEWZhjuapxidof4l-fVvaNcttk_LhCe8jMKNjUE6n0mnHTS0cdxcvhkzJ5Fyv0jTMvYXJc3aEDwNWYoqLsLEaKptdA-mSbTyokMQ869wp8P_-cq7Abt8c41uHe1R5R1dnBEawjmAI9OSlY4P6w4Ivx-rxw=w1000-h667-no

Clavicula cranks...(and I dig those wheels!)
AL9nZEWYN358s9Qu4aBYoK48xWYq2RlMHnRMuuIczWoHe_dLnMIqm1uF6xqBeoJ54WQJpLSY0XTS3ERIU1-mrmQNPACtzw8UBq9xgVPIcjG3LLbqRmW8ZxNhhKSIPEUCfWRQwLL2hkfvyvzAIxYvYX6Bd_ZtiQ=w1000-h666-no

Frain didn't look happy. She would finish OTL
AL9nZEWSXOe29Ccbq8DWiXyzOmNshIkITNAK5vIcB13fUYKwHFtuzopIRvZq4d_C10QkYxNQRB_TnucLIcYVHPIriO53Dx6Q3pbFuRgdKlxxRV5xLo4bjBrAjhKi63VehUOctC_EbivPEVIWJiafhGyAmQIq-A=w1000-h667-no

Voiture Balai. I've been in that situation once. Not a good memory!
AL9nZEU8Yek7GY5UY0x3uvO2dnxw90Hw-oy4wrepoI9MHZbHfBEyPxB1aM6YE7hOM6PE8w7tbhBcYQ68-F9vJCN98GrONjDiJjmbSSAZSbNM_F5iX4igX2AyTuoQQCC-rUzI14fRlv6MaEEHP2dj4PApdEQt7g=w1000-h667-no
 
I was at the race on Friday, near the Breitfirst (technically, the continuation of the Platzerwalsel). Here are some shots of an excellent day and location to watch the race...!

AL9nZEW4ZDj10E6a9HK0-Vq7uTFeqOR1SdKba0L1MbtPUL7G3nN8y1CtyQj32NKhsUxFDmAaxR8fxI2MdJBFLXESR0rzCfqM6-Fwaahe4mH-Kzpg1ST3gXtjtDZu7kKPXKArNwqk3P1-vk4boq8KOqy2e-V7ZA=w1000-h667-no

Crusher of dreams, AVV:
AL9nZEU28J3wcL3TEZ7QAX3gEnXtqQjN_h3y7AfTAoHikgFVrtNJ0d_DDizFYeen1hL0mBn4ftSb3K9pT0TWq1ZNTLAS8RxEwKCebHCmFo2G8ZEhwnJj4R9MSrhJfMi6vkwKzeKS5Q6dRWT_Magf6TaNU8Bgkg=w1000-h667-no

Vollering. Notice the chainline...! This was a 10% stretch.
AL9nZEW0BRDgBXkhZJM2yCyQ4-LyPybzIK1TOfVhxA2wOoeZef69wktOKlDSY4kb5RRagFgC3izI1THeKDNjYrdyunEwpg6ePnXOSZrnx_53tpUmSwgXZuixnBmf9lRKz9u9qZ4pu3xjSOZOXSkLvbB0-iQz3g=w1000-h667-no

Longo Borghini. Again, that chainline...!
AL9nZEXeoB9wcBlbDFciQK8kIR-89reIM6sHYAS7cJufb4bCYpo-__wMacKGhpKI-jIVNRM0UQ0AnbGqgwgnnLTBK5CvJ3RP86XrJX8CLWrJl4gVGQ-N2vUrrspH0NOZh6FpVtsAbseQXXRCBbeDwTsOlWQOMQ=w1000-h666-no

Kasia Niewadoma is very catholic it seems (like most Polish). She even has a cross tattoo'd somewhere in the valley between two hills. I leave this for your imagination!
AL9nZEWrhQYMyXOkrEWdrzJbMVMn0AlZWRBP4mYqs8QoQkgVobgPYXhE9ZLXlf9YgNkWI-cY0wzLbnuFozD9S0KUiuUlekkEJpyrTTPaFcPhfQrshP3MOJGvYrID3NbbHrKC3NvSAFOLHv5WkzwARBGHyKCwUQ=w1000-h667-no

Second chase group after the first 3 riders.
AL9nZEUJqLjXb_-v6-ycYJNjfxtNp_lUixVTyVvNsNYC3rFihq5-8x7AZ7wKss9HEbTd3UgeuAEwEtZ_hkWtyfbmKLv6ZTBVhGSPdPTnKXwHGCLlaBa4d1TkwnCPqwYKNsT6GB8F9cbdeWBMXoeraYy4f5BGUQ=w1000-h667-no

The yellow jersey / Vos peloton
AL9nZEWZhjuapxidof4l-fVvaNcttk_LhCe8jMKNjUE6n0mnHTS0cdxcvhkzJ5Fyv0jTMvYXJc3aEDwNWYoqLsLEaKptdA-mSbTyokMQ869wp8P_-cq7Abt8c41uHe1R5R1dnBEawjmAI9OSlY4P6w4Ivx-rxw=w1000-h667-no

Clavicula cranks...(and I dig those wheels!)
AL9nZEWYN358s9Qu4aBYoK48xWYq2RlMHnRMuuIczWoHe_dLnMIqm1uF6xqBeoJ54WQJpLSY0XTS3ERIU1-mrmQNPACtzw8UBq9xgVPIcjG3LLbqRmW8ZxNhhKSIPEUCfWRQwLL2hkfvyvzAIxYvYX6Bd_ZtiQ=w1000-h666-no

Frain didn't look happy. She would finish OTL
AL9nZEWSXOe29Ccbq8DWiXyzOmNshIkITNAK5vIcB13fUYKwHFtuzopIRvZq4d_C10QkYxNQRB_TnucLIcYVHPIriO53Dx6Q3pbFuRgdKlxxRV5xLo4bjBrAjhKi63VehUOctC_EbivPEVIWJiafhGyAmQIq-A=w1000-h667-no

Voiture Balai. I've been in that situation once. Not a good memory!
AL9nZEU8Yek7GY5UY0x3uvO2dnxw90Hw-oy4wrepoI9MHZbHfBEyPxB1aM6YE7hOM6PE8w7tbhBcYQ68-F9vJCN98GrONjDiJjmbSSAZSbNM_F5iX4igX2AyTuoQQCC-rUzI14fRlv6MaEEHP2dj4PApdEQt7g=w1000-h667-no
Thanks for sharing those!!
 
What on earth is Orla on about regarding Niewiadoma? How is this a coming of age as a general classification rider, she's been a general classification rider for at least seven years?!

WHAT ON EARTH IS BLYTHE ON ABOUT REGARDING NEVER DOING THIS AMOUNT OF CLIMBING?

They've been up fricking Stelvio, Mortirolo, Zoncolan, Ventoux?!

Yes, multi-col stages have been lacking but this is the Vosges, not the high Alps!?
What is the greatest accumulation of vertical meters in a female race?

From what I've seen of routes, most are mono-climb (or "faux mono-climb" like La Course 2018). I'd think Innsbruck is the hardest profile when you keep distance in mind, but I'm more interested in pure mountain stages.
 
He's just witnessed something unique, one of a kind, rare, unrepeatable... that's how he's supposed to feel and understand.
If, after the European Championships final today, the pundits started yelling that no women's match had ever ended with a goal in the second half of extra time, it would have sold how dramatic it felt... but it would also have been pretty objectively false, no?
 
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What is the greatest accumulation of vertical meters in a female race?

From what I've seen of routes, most are mono-climb (or "faux mono-climb" like La Course 2018). I'd think Innsbruck is the hardest profile when you keep distance in mind, but I'm more interested in pure mountain stages.
The problem is that most of the toughest profiles date back from the 90s when Luperini was around or the likes of Joane Somarriba, before the advent of Unipuerto stages in the early 2000s that Edita Pucinskaite complained about. In recent years the tendency has definitely been toward Unipuerto, and getting hold of profiles from some of the smaller races can be tough especially going back 10-12 years unfortunately.

Something like this from the 2016 Giro comes to mind, climbs being 13km @ 4,2%, 9,8km @ 6,9%, 8,2km @ 7% and 8,3km @ 5,8%. This one from 2015 is along similar lines but slightly easier than yesterday's stage, climbs being 7,3km @ 6,5%, 6,5km @ 7,7% and 9km @ 7,2%. The 2010 Giro Donne had back to back stages with Stage 8 going over Malojapass (32km @ 4,7%), the easy side of Berninapass (18,4km @ 3,3%) and Forcola (2,5km @ 9%) with altitude up past 2300m, then they went over Passo d'Eira (6,6km @ 6,1%) and then up Stelvio from Bormio the next day.

I'm not convinced to be honest that either of these stages in terms of straight profiles are harder than stage 8 of this year's Giro either, I mean that was stingy with its mountains points but looking at the profile you have 11,5km @ 6,7%, 10,3km @ 5,9% and 6,3km @ 10,2% plus a bunch of uncategorised climbing - and the preceding stage with Bordala at 15km @ 7% and Lago di Cei at 9,5km @ 7,3% too. I think that as a doublette matches up pretty well with this weekend's stages to be honest, and they came direct off the back of a Passo Maniva Unipuerto MTF stage too.

The Tour de l'Ardêche has had a few real tough stages too. This one from 2020 definitely springs to mind, also this one from 2016, there's also a not-quite-Unipuerto one to Mont Ventoux that year which is nevertheless probably as tough as stage 8 in terms of cumulative climbing, but easier than stage 7, and this one from 2015.

Edit: Catherine Marsal has also mentioned that the Pierre Bordry era races used to finish with a final stage at Alpe d'Huez in the early 90s, no idea about the rest of the profiles though sadly.
 
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Drama is all that matters.
...the truth is stretchy.
But hyperbole that is that objectively false reflects poorly on the pundit. If a pundit actually was to say after the game that no women's match had ever been settled in extra time before, then unless they put in a qualifier restricting the data set that made it true, they would be absolutely pilloried for making such an asinine and objectively false comment. After all, it's why Andrew Messick's "California is the fourth Grand Tour" schtick - and Bavarianrider being reduced to talking about the quality of the tarmac in defence of the race - produced so much ridicule. Don't say "they've never done anything like this before", when many of these riders have competed in equally difficult stages less than a month ago. You can easily say "they've never done anything like this on this type of platform before" or "on this kind of stage before", and while I may balk at the shade being thrown on the Giro, the fact of the matter is that the Tour, with full ASO backing, is a superior platform to the Giro, with RCS providing minimal backing.

As Red Rick pointed out, the problem seemed to be very much a case of the presentation post-race seeming to be "mission accomplished. The women have had their Tour de France", when this was a nice and promising platform to build on.
 
But hyperbole that is that objectively false reflects poorly on the pundit. If a pundit actually was to say after the game that no women's match had ever been settled in extra time before, then unless they put in a qualifier restricting the data set that made it true, they would be absolutely pilloried for making such an asinine and objectively false comment. After all, it's why Andrew Messick's "California is the fourth Grand Tour" schtick - and Bavarianrider being reduced to talking about the quality of the tarmac in defence of the race - produced so much ridicule. Don't say "they've never done anything like this before", when many of these riders have competed in equally difficult stages less than a month ago. You can easily say "they've never done anything like this on this type of platform before" or "on this kind of stage before", and while I may balk at the shade being thrown on the Giro, the fact of the matter is that the Tour, with full ASO backing, is a superior platform to the Giro, with RCS providing minimal backing.

As Red Rick pointed out, the problem seemed to be very much a case of the presentation post-race seeming to be "mission accomplished. The women have had their Tour de France", when this was a nice and promising platform to build on.

Yes this is more like the beginning than the end. Portraying it as anything else is the commentators being disingenuous. Quit frankly I never paid any attention to womens cycling before this. I find most womens sports a pretty bad entertainment product. This wasn’t great but it’s got potential and they need to use the event to further the sport, not sit on their laurels.
 
Ellen van Dijk went from the finish straight to the AD podcast. Main takeaways were

  • She didn't know what to expect before, but was very excited in the end by the reception and the people watching on the road. Said the Giro Donne was nothing like that
  • She said the first 6 stages weren't very hard and that it could've been harder, also she said she wouldn't mind if it were 2 weeks next year
  • She ofcourse would've wanted to have a time trial innit.
  • She was told to pull today when Van Vleuten had her mechanicals, didn't really wanna do it, so she took a few half pulls and that was that.

Very fun person to interview I think
 
Annemiek is an incredible Championne!

Many women's races have a meh course, like that's all they can handle. So I'm super happy that we had the Markstein stage and this one again today that is not as hard but has public recognition. La Planche, plain, super, or deluxe, people know it. And I venture to guess that a finish there made many casual cycling fans tune in if they could, or at the very least watch the highlights. That's a win.

There's still plenty of work to sell the race, cover the race, and not fall into the "Marianne Vos is Lady Merckx" trap. She's Marianne Vos and she's fantastic.

Now if we look at the big picture, to me, Annemiek is the greatest rider since Van Moorsel, who was the greatest since Longo (and beat Jeannie on several occasions), the same Longo who won an ITT three weeks ago at age 63.

Women don't rule the planet, but they should.
 
Really nice race overall if heavily backloaded in terms of significant stages.

Great to see the ladies given a proper 3 true cols stage to get their teeth into as a refreshing change from the very samey courses offered up usually which is why Puncheurs are so prevalent in the womens peloton.

AVV was exceptional and would love to see some comparisons to the pro mens climbing performances on those climbs.

Urska Zigart showed she can be notable for more than just being the future Mrs Pogacar when given courses for a pure climber although if she wants to get results she needs to drastically improve her descending skills as it was like watching Pinot during his period when he lost all confidence downhill.
 
What on earth is Orla on about regarding Niewiadoma? How is this a coming of age as a general classification rider, she's been a general classification rider for at least seven years?!

WHAT ON EARTH IS BLYTHE ON ABOUT REGARDING NEVER DOING THIS AMOUNT OF CLIMBING?

They've been up fricking Stelvio, Mortirolo, Zoncolan, Ventoux?!

Yes, multi-col stages have been lacking but this is the Vosges, not the high Alps!?


Blythe's right though. If you look at the Women's World Tour, outside of the Tour they have gone over 1000m only five times. Three of those were in the Giro. He said there are not many of those efforts on the calendar, so no-one's training for them.

I am sure you point to races in 2010 or 2016 etc, but cyclists don't tend to train for races that happened several years ago.
 
Blythe's right though. If you look at the Women's World Tour, outside of the Tour they have gone over 1000m only five times. Three of those were in the Giro. He said there are not many of those efforts on the calendar, so no-one's training for them.

I am sure you point to races in 2010 or 2016 etc, but cyclists don't tend to train for races that happened several years ago.
The part I took exception was when he said that they've never done stages like this before. Which is hyperbolic nonsense as discussed - there were two stages that can compete with these stages in the Giro this year alone.

The part that you referred to which came later on in the discussion is more or less fine, and the fact that there are not enough multi-col stages on the women's calendar to improve the level or allow specialist climbers (think the likes of Eider Merino, Gaia Realini, Ane Santesteban, Erica Magnaldi, Clara Koppenburg, and now seemingly Urška Žigart) to come to the fore is something I've argued myself for years. If the men's calendar was built almost entirely out of sprints and races which only included climbs that were in the range of Philippe Gilbert, guys like Roglič might still be valuable, but teams wouldn't be ploughing so much resources into signing and developing the likes of Miguel Ángel López and Nairo Quintana, and so those guys wouldn't stand out so much on the few race days they got that suited them.

Things are moving in the right direction, I'm just not sure ASO doesn't want to present this as the end destination so that we can congratulate them for being the final piece in the puzzle - after they spent a decade avoiding taking any responsibility and waiting for others to do the leg work to bring women's cycling to a level where they could jump in and present a women's Tour. I just hope the momentum doesn't slow now and this is seen as a good springboard, because there's so many options out there. “The world is divided into people who do things and people who get the credit. Try, if you can, to belong to the former. There’s far less competition.” - Dwight Morrow
 
I just hope the momentum doesn't slow now and this is seen as a good springboard, because there's so many options out there. “The world is divided into people who do things and people who get the credit. Try, if you can, to belong to the former. There’s far less competition.” - Dwight Morrow
Well that depends entirely on the marketability of the race. If it earns revenues for sponsors and shareholders it shall thrive, if not die.
 
There's hyperbole in the men's coverage, too. How many times per broadcast does a GCN commentator state that today's racing is completely different than any time in history? At least 5 times per hour. And according to Rob Hatch, the 2020 Giro (men) had 17 Rides of the Century. It's creating excitement for some, prompting the mute button for others. Such is life.
 
The route and race this year was ok. It wasn't as good as some commentators and journalists have expressed, but I guess the overselling part is always a part of a true Tour de France experience. But the attention the riders got, the growing crowds and television viewers and the whole atmosphere surrounding the race were great. We'll see what happens next year, when it's no longer a sort of first. They were also quite lucky with the weather this year.

The race was backloaded, but it kind of needed to be. Last year's Giro Donne proved that if one rider/team is much better than the others, then the racing won't be that interesting if it's already decided after the first few stages. Although with Van Vleuten's illnes, it could have been different in this case, but you can't really rely on something like that happening again.

I wasn't a fan of the first stage. I would rather have had a copy of the men's stage, although it obviously made it nicer for the crowds. that they got to see them on 12 laps instead of 8 or less. Still there's just always a higher risk of crashes on Champs-Élysées, that I don't see it as an ideal starting point.

Stage 3 was the best of the whole race. We didn't know the winner before the last few hundred meters, even though most of us probably thought we did. Cille's win was both great for her, the fans and for the race, and we also got to see a lot of attacks before the final plus some questionable tactics that we could discuss afterwards.

The gravel stage would have been better, if they had taken out one or both of the last two sections. That would possibly also have meant, that the pace hadn't gone out when the sections ended, because the riders were just happy to have made through them in Marianne Vos' words.

The long stage 5 was a gimmick, and it doesn't really need to be repeated. ASO should rather add 10 km to LBL.

Stage 6 turned out to be too easy, though it's also likely that it would have been ridden differently, had it not been for the very hard day that followed. But had it not been for the crash, Lorena Wiebes would possibly have won 3 stages, and that is a bit too much for my liking, when we've seen that plenty of times before. And she would possibly have won stage 2 as well, had it not been for that sneaky Trek attack.

Stage 6 should also have ended in a win from the breakaway, but hopefully we'll generally get to see some better cooperation in larger breaks during women's races in the future.

Stage 7 went as predicted. Van Vleuten attacked early and gave it her all, and you gotta applaud that. The same goes for Vollering, who died trying., and to some extent Longo Borghini, too. Hopefully Frenh television and ASO can strike a del to show mroe than two/two and half hourse next year, if they put in a similar stage.

Stage 8 was alright. We saw more GC action than during the men's stage (including some coming of age performances + Van Vleuten showing Vingegaard and García how to properly deal with multiple bike changes).


For next year, I wouldn't mind an ITT, just like Van Vleuten, Van Dijk and Reusser. Trine Schmidt has been dreaming of a TTT all week on Danish ES, but I rather not see that.

I would also like to see a mix between stage 2 of this year's Vuelta Challenge and the final stage of the 2020 Giro Rosa, where you have very little flat and multiple climbs of varying lengths, but without very steep gradients. And I would like that stage to have a descent finish. Some of the other stages could have descents in the finals as well.

They tried gravel this year, so perhaps some cobbles could be seen next. It shouldn't be too difficult of course, but just hard enough to drop Wiebes :p or at least make her work for it.

Van Vleuten is dreaming of Alpe d'Huez, and that would at least be an actually iconic MTF, where female riders have also won in the past. That should probably be a unipuerto stage.

Some riders want more stages, so there'll be some easier days. I understand the argument, but it's also a strength of women's cycling that there's usually more full-on racing, so having more boring stages isn't on my wish-list (AVV doesn't want more stages yet either).

And I still don't want the race to start or finish outside of France. I can perhaps accept Monaco.
 
It was fantastic that the icons of the sport won stages and the GC. However, we need more diversity in stage winners - Ideally, I'd have a 13 stage race which has two rest days - So you start at the Champs and end two Sundays later - This will allow you to create more variety in the parcours - I'd aim for 3 sprint stages, 3 high mountain stages, 2 punchy stages and five transitional stages - The transitional stages ideally should be aimed at giving breakaway riders the chance to win a stage - The way the women's peleton ride probably means that 2 of these transitional stages will end up large group finishes - The history of the Giro Donne usually has 2 or three breakaways victories in a stage race - I wouldn't go for an ITT because it would have little influence on the podium finishers in GC - You may argue that you are denying the ITTer's their chance at glory BUT as Reusser showed this style of rider can still win a stage in another way.
 

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