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

[Devil's Elbow]

I don't think it makes sense to compare one-week races with three-week races.

If we're talking about the difficulty of winning multiple in the same year, obviously true. However, a one-week women's GT is definitely a bigger deal than any men's one-week race. Hence why monument + GT (or maybe monument + monument, but that doesn't make sense with Valverde's palmares and 2019 program) is as close a comparison in men's cycling as you're going to get to Van Vleuten's 2023 accomplishments.

 

[Izzyeviel]

I've enjoyed this race. Even the most boring stage was more interesting than the Giro. I give this one a 7/10. It missed a stage with gravel.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

I've also enjoyed the race, although in a way I'm glad it ends today as there are only so many times I can listen to Hannah Walker say "Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift" and unfortunately I hit that limit a while back.

Was hoping Kasia would hang on to 2nd but Kopecky had quite a race.

 

[awavey]

its such a shame instead of enjoying the presentations for the race, we're stuck in the cube with them waffling again.

 

[Wyndbrook]

I don't normally criticise GCN/Eurosort, just Kirby, but I find their 'disrespect' for podiums very annoying.

 

[Pantani_lives]

This was a good Tour, and good promotion for women's cycling. Vollering deserves the win because of her strong performance on the Tourmalet. Kopecky has proven that her limits are yet undiscovered. She should focus on climbing classics too. And Niewiadoma has her first win in four years: the KOM!

 

[awavey]

I've also enjoyed the race, although in a way I'm glad it ends today as there are only so many times I can listen to Hannah Walker say "Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift" and unfortunately I hit that limit a while back.

Was hoping Kasia would hang on to 2nd but Kopecky had quite a race.

bonus seconds, Kasia gained only 6 the whole race, and all of those were from yesterday, Kopecky picked up 24.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Than this Tour? Yes.
Than Van Vleuten winning the Vuelta and the Giro, beating Vollering in the former? Unless you consider women's cycling an irrelevance, absolutely not.

Than this race, yes.

 

[Unchained]

I think it's wrong for people to pressure Froome into transferring to women's racing.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Forget AVV retiring, Froome should take notes watching Vollering's performances, because I don't think he would win #5 in this race even if he peaked for it.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Forget AVV retiring, Froome should take notes watching Vollering's performances, because I don't think he would win #5 in this race even if he peaked for it.

Somehow I doubt Froome being able to drop Vollering on Tourmalet, lmao. Thats crazy.

 

[jaylew]

Annemiek was definitely off her game. That was one of the worst TTs she's ever ridden and by far her worst in the last 8-9 years.

Overall a fun race. Glad to see Kasia kept her podium.

 

[awavey]

Demi's time, from Strava, was 49.24, 12.1mph, so she took the QoM from Illi.

if Froomey gets picked for the Vuelta, maybe some could give us a time to check against

 

[Rackham]

Demi's time, from Strava, was 49.24, 12.1mph, so she took the QoM from Illi.

if Froomey gets picked for the Vuelta, maybe some could give us a time to check against

No Froome or IPT in the Vuelta because they were relegated from the world tour. No invite this year!

Annemiek was definitely off her game. That was one of the worst TTs she's ever ridden and by far her worst in the last 8-9 years.

Overall a fun race. Glad to see Kasia kept her podium.

VV went out like a boss. That's how a champion should go, i.e. beaten on the road by a younger rival before retiring for good. That way there's no regrets, no talk of "if only she'd continued".

I think that's how all champions should go, aka the Indurain way.

 

[awavey]

Annemiek was definitely off her game. That was one of the worst TTs she's ever ridden and by far her worst in the last 8-9 years.

Overall a fun race. Glad to see Kasia kept her podium.

shame the Giro Donne ITT was cancelled, as apart from nationals, I dont think shes ridden one for nearly a year.

La Vuelta was a team time trial, so difficult to judge individual performance, though I think if she hadnt won that race overall, we wouldnt be having the conversations that shes only off her game now.

 

[hfer07]

Congrats to Demi - She's the new Queen of Road cycling
Niewiadoma is the rising star

 

[Wyndbrook]

AVV has a post tour Crit tomorrow night, top billing so nailed on win.

 

[awavey]

No Froome or IPT in the Vuelta because they were relegated from the world tour. No invite this year!

not even an invite,I thought they were just on the list even if not WT currently, oh well, I bet theyre going up the other side anyway so not comparable.

 

[Didinho]

Congrats to Demi - She's the new Queen of Road cycling
Niewiadoma is the rising star

No longer the Demi God. She's complete now.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Somehow I doubt Froome being able to drop Vollering on Tourmalet, lmao. Thats crazy.

Current Froometto fodder Froome is probably not able to do that.

 

[Red Rick]

Current Froometto fodder Froome is probably not able to do that.

Not that strange.

Even Felix Gall barely beat the womens times in the Tour de Suisse ITT.

 

[KZD]

What a race from Vollering, total dominance in the two stages that really mattered and stablishing herself as the best female rider in the world.

Even with some tactical mistakes, this was a great race from SD Works, winning four stages with four different riders, by far the best team in the women's World Tour.

Kopecky, the surprise of this Tour, despite just a mountain stage, nobody predicted her to finish on the overall podium and taking green is also a great result.

Kasia did a great Tour, she didn't have a route well suited to her but still getting into the podium is very good. As for Van Vleuten, she fought a lot but ultimately age finally catch up to her. A legendary career comes to an end.

Hope that we see more mountains in the next editions and hopefully more stages too.

 

[JosefK]

What a race from Vollering, total dominance in the two stages that really mattered and stablishing herself as the best female rider in the world.

Even with some tactical mistakes, this was a great race from SD Works, winning four stages with four different riders, by far the best team in the women's World Tour.

Kopecky, the surprise of this Tour, despite just a mountain stage, nobody predicted her to finish on the overall podium and taking green is also a great result.

Kasia did a great Tour, she didn't have a route well suited to her but still getting into the podium is very good. As for Van Vleuten, she fought a lot but ultimately age finally catch up to her. A legendary career comes to an end.

Hope that we see more mountains in the next editions and hopefully more stages too.

Agreed that Kopecky was the big surprise. She has the engine, and her will is crazy strong.

 

[Izzyeviel]

Jury report

Nicolas Marche (FDJ-SUEZ Team leader) – Not respecting the distances during a time trial with the team leader's car. 200 Swiss Franc fine.

Joanne Kiesanowski ( Human Powered Health team leader ) – Failure to respect the distances during a time trial with the team leader's car. 200 Swiss Franc fine.

Nicolas Marche (Sports Director UAE ADQ) – Obstruction towards Marlen Reusser with team leader's car. 500 Swiss Franc fine.

Six bicycles were checked in the context of the fight against technological fraud. All bikes complied with UCI regulations

 

[jaylew]

shame the Giro Donne ITT was cancelled, as apart from nationals, I dont think shes ridden one for nearly a year.

La Vuelta was a team time trial, so difficult to judge individual performance, though I think if she hadnt won that race overall, we wouldnt be having the conversations that shes only off her game now.

I don't think the conversations are beginning just now. She'd been off her usual game most of the season but today's tt was a whole different level of that as she was beaten by a whole host of people she never loses to in a tt.

I think the Giro win (and to some degree the Vuelta win even though she wasn't the strongest there) made people forget. Seems like age just finally started to catch up with her a bit and while she managed to put it together for the Giro, keeping that level and dominating throughout an entire season wasn't going to happen anymore, especially if you look at the continuing improvement of the entire women's peloton and in particular, Vollering.