Tour de France Tour de France Femmes 2023 (July 23rd-30th)

[Hugh Januss]

She was dropped early on, but managed to close the gap with too much help from the team car, which was also thrown out of the race.

She totally did a Nibali, a multi kilometer sticky car door.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

It's not like I don't actually dislike the guy or haven't lost the plot a few times. But exaggeration and hyperbole are comic devices.

Don't worry. OK to be honest I think sometimes your attitude to kuss is a little bit dogmatic. I'm not really a fan of sep kuss but I can atleast see that he is an important part of a GT winning team. But he is a bit tactically stupid and his team staff is full of incompetents. Here's to more rabofail.

I also occasionally lose the plot. You're a good poster, articulate insightful, and bring a broader perspective to discussions. It's funny when you compare a top current rider to some random Portuguese mid 2000s guy to illustrate a point, as if we are all more familiar with candida Barbosa than Tom bonnen

 

[Hugh Januss]

Absolutely not. Kopecky will at least work for herself, even if she will only work for herself. Kuss for most of the last few years wouldn't work for anyone.

I get that you don't like Kuss for some reason, but that's just stupid.

 

[Izzyeviel]

Ewers: Broken collarbone

 

[rallybanana]

Jonas and Tadej paid a visit to the race today

https://twitter.com/x/status/1684905882956492800

View: https://twitter.com/JumboVismaWomen/status/1684905882956492800

 

[Valv.Piti]

It's not like I don't actually dislike the guy or haven't lost the plot a few times. But exaggeration and hyperbole are comic devices.

And you don't think a race such as this year's TdF, where he blew up the entire field in the Pyrenees along with Vingegaard, is enough proof that he in fact actually isn't out to get you (or any cycling fan), but rides as the leader/team car instructs him to? When Sepp rides for Vingegaard, and when he wants to blow the race up for whatever reason, thats usually some of the best cycling in the high mountains you'll see simply because Sepp is so incredibly good at just that.

However, when he rides for Roglic who very rarely wants to blow up the race - rather the opposite, quite frankly - he's used as a defensive weapon because thats how Roglic likes to race in the high mountains. So it seems to me you probably should direct your dislike to either Roglic or the teamcar, not Sepp, as he's basically just a pawn in a game of chess directed by others and doing his job brilliantly in the process. Its not quite peak US Postal Heras, but its pretty close.

 

[Andy262]

That chicane is a bit of a joke in a sprint stage, especially going over railways, who approved this?

So just watching the replay, watched the two leaders go over the tracks and said to my wife, that’s a dangerous chicane on a sprint stage, then crash.

if it’s immediately obvious to me, why isn’t it to the organisers?

to be fair it looked to me like the chicane took them out rather than the tracks…

And delighted for Emma Norsgaard. Deserving winner.

 

[Hugh Januss]

And you don't think a race such as this year's TdF, where he blew up the entire field in the Pyrenees along with Vingegaard, is enough proof that he in fact actually isn't out to get you (or any cycling fan), but rides as the leader/team car instructs him to? When Sepp rides for Vingegaard, and when he wants to blow the race up for whatever reason, thats usually some of the best cycling in the high mountains you'll see simply because Sepp is so incredibly good at just that.

However, when he rides for Roglic who very rarely wants to blow up the race - rather the opposite, quite frankly - he's used as a defensive weapon because thats how Roglic likes to race in the high mountains. So it seems to me you probably should direct your dislike to either Roglic or the teamcar, not Sepp, as he's basically just a pawn in a game of chess directed by others and doing his job brilliantly in the process. Its not quite peak US Postal Heras, but its pretty close.

Vingegaard uses Kuss like a hammer for Roglic he's more like "break glass in case of fire".

 

[Red Rick]

Vingegaard uses Kuss like a hammer for Roglic he's more like "break glass in case of fire".

Kuss was there for Monte Bondone and MTT reaction memes.

 

[awavey]

So today is the big day, Stage 7,Lannemezan to Tourmalet the stage profile which basically will decide the GC outcome, a fairly flat lead into the category 1 Col d’Aspin, and then the HC Col du Tourmalet

if the other stages were just the entree & phoney war, this is where things should get a bit more serious.

 

[ManicJack]

Sepp Kuss is going to be worthless on this stage.

 

[awavey]

So just watching the replay, watched the two leaders go over the tracks and said to my wife, that’s a dangerous chicane on a sprint stage, then crash.

if it’s immediately obvious to me, why isn’t it to the organisers?

to be fair it looked to me like the chicane took them out rather than the tracks…

And delighted for Emma Norsgaard. Deserving winner.

its the angle & space the chicane theyd created presented for sure that caused the crash with such a big group, but it had to be set that way to be able to get across the tracks at a right angle. so it becomes chicken and egg given the crossover they picked.

theyve basically gone oh these tracks are going to be a hazard we need to set the course up like this to avoid the track creating a problem, but then the solution in itself creates a bigger hazard with a group bigger than 2 riders

but I dont think theres any need to cross the tram tracks there, if theyd continued down Bd de L'Europe on the left side of the tram tracks, they come to a roundabout, where the tram tracks turn 90 degrees to the left through the exit on the roundabout as the course then goes straight on and takes Bd Henri Ziegler.

its not a perfect right angle to the tracks but its pretty close and looks rideable as theres enough space for a big bunch, two lanes width through entry and exit, and you arent going to get trapped in the tracks, especially if theyd used any of the normal protection for crossing tracks weve seen used before, though of course if the track is exposed it can be slippy.

obviously the better choice is dont pick a finish point within the last 3km that involves crossing tram tracks at all, but even given the route they picked, they didnt use the topology they had to make the route the safest it could be.

 

[meat puppet]

Easy with the allegations about Finns and overt unhappiness, Libertine. Objectively, we are the happiest of 'em all, six years in a row now. No need to smile about that, or anything else, and Henttala knows it too.

Moreover, the current government, nicknamed the cabinet of horrors by the Suddeutsche Zeitung, has only served for a couple months yet. No way has unhappiness peaked yet.

As for the stage, let me first say that although choosing the Aspin-Tourmalet combo can be legitimately criticised from a seasoned fan perspective, I think there is value to the women peloton getting to race on the sport's iconic climbs. Especially to more casual viewers.

My hope may be in vain given the challenge ahead, but I still wish there is some early action. Either a strong break and/or the big guns utilising satellite riders. The way Rodriguez has been riding, she could be very useful if AVV cannot outright ride DV off her wheel, or if the shoe is in the other foot, and it is DV that does the attacking.

As Vingegaard put it, don't think this race will be decided by seconds. My bet would still be an AVV solo win, but I am rooting for any other outcome really.

 

[Red Rick]

Why the hell does this start at a Champs Elysees start time? Do they intend to get take drinks on Tourmalet?

 

[RedheadDane]

Why the hell does this start at a Champs Elysees start time? Do they intend to get take drinks on Tourmalet?

Because, unfortunately if people "have to choose" they're more likely to pick San Sebastian?

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Why the hell does this start at a Champs Elysees start time? Do they intend to get take drinks on Tourmalet?

Maybe because of San Sebastian, to not have a conflict?

 

[Wyndbrook]

Maybe because of San Sebastian, to not have a conflict?

To hell with some poky little race that happens every year.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Easy with the allegations about Finns and overt unhappiness, Libertine. Objectively, we are the happiest of 'em all, six years in a row now. No need to smile about that, or anything else, and Henttala knows it too.

It's more about the joking about Finns and outward displays of emotion, not to suggest all Finns are miserable. I'm very fond of Finland.

 

[meat puppet]

It's more about the joking about Finns and outward displays of emotion, not to suggest all Finns are miserable. I'm very fond of Finland.

I know. The joke is funny because it is true enough.

 

[RedheadDane]

To hell with some poky little race that happens every year.

I really hope they're planning on having this race every year too.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

ELB is out due to a skin infection. She hasn't had the best of luck this month

Let's hope we get an exciting final like on Covadonga in the Vuelta, and that it'll still be close in GC before the ITT tomorrow.

 

[RedheadDane]

There’s a secret hypnosis chamber at the Tour de France Femmes for one team’s marginal gains

FDJ-Suez have a high-tech recovery protocol which they hope will deliver results on the road

www.cyclingweekly.com

 

[Samu Cuenca]

There’s a secret hypnosis chamber at the Tour de France Femmes for one team’s marginal gains

FDJ-Suez have a high-tech recovery protocol which they hope will deliver results on the road

www.cyclingweekly.com

To paraphrase Richard Ashcroft of The Verve: The hypnosis chamber doesn't work, it just makes things worse.

 

[saunaking]

Why the hell does this start at a Champs Elysees start time? Do they intend to get take drinks on Tourmalet?

Maybe because of San Sebastian, to not have a conflict?

or Froome in queen stage of czech tour?

 

[Tim Cahill]

Balsamo DNS citing the Italian tradition of sprinters withdrawing before big mountain days, truly wonderful to see people respecting cyclings history in this way.

Suffered a pretty bad crash a couple of months ago, fatigue I believe.