Tour de France Femmes 2024 (August 12th-18th)

[Samu Cuenca]

Stage 7: Champagnole - Montée du Chinaillon (Le Grand-Bornand), 166 km

Start time: 10:50 CEST. There will be live pictures from 13:30-ish
Expected finish time: Around 15:40

When you think of stage finishes in or around Le Grand-Bornand, the Romme-Colombière combo followed by a descent probably comes to mind. That was where Pogačar produced his most majestic mountain exploit before 2024. If we look at the women's side of the sport, it was the scene of the epic showdown between Van Vleuten and Van der Breggen in the 2018 edition of La Course. I think it would have been perfect, if ASO had used the opportunity to pay tribute to something that actually happened in their own race, but I guess either the locals didn't want to pay for it, or they simply just preferred to have Alpe d'Huez as the only big and historic finish.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55DD6N7PKy4


Instead we'll get a finish at Chinaillon, which comes after the first 7 km of the ascent to Colombière from Le Grand-Bornand. However the riders will already have ridden 160 km before they get to the bottom of the final climb, so it'll be another long day in the saddle. This stage has around 3000m of accumulated elevation gain, but none of the 5 categorised climbs average more than 5.1 %, and they don't include a single km at over 7%. Still, I'm sure the riders will be able to feel it in their legs after the first 4 hours.

The start takes place in Champagnole, 70 km from yesterday's finish in Morteau. The men's Tour last visited the town in 2020, where Søren Kragh took his second stage win in that year's race. The first part of the stage is false flat, before a descent will lead the the peloton towards the first cat. 1 climb of the race: the Col de la Croix de la Serra (12 km, 5.1% avg). This mountain was the penultimate climb on the stage to Station des Rousses in the 2010 TdF, won by Sylvain Chavanel, but they rode it from the opposite direction that day. An exiting breakaway can possibly get a gap here, but if your name is Charlotte Kool, you'd probably like it to be climbed at a fairly relaxed pace.

The next 90 km include two categorised climbs and one intermediate sprint.

The stage will be decided in the last 16 km, which average 4.2 %. We'll see if any of the GC contenders will already attack on Col de Saint-Jean-de-Sixt or they'll rather wait for the final ascent to Chinaillon.

 

[awavey]

Is it just me or do the stages seem to be raced like a one day race with the GC competition being secondary?

yes, its not got the feel yet of a GT, like the whole thing is built around these last two stages so whats gone before is completely irrelevant.

 

[awavey]

It can only be Anna VDB. And I don't believe she's that conniving that she would hide that from Danny - and stupid enough to believe she'd get away with it - when it was literally ON TV BROADCAST AROUND THE WORLD.

So yes, I believe Danny is lying.

he was certainly bending the truth I felt, and of course none of them had spoken to each other and got the story straight, hence the gaping holes in all their answers.

I couldnt believe he also said he hadnt spoken to Demi, youd think the first thing youd do at the end of a stage like that is go find your rider to talk to them, not hang around the team bus giving interviews and just wait for them to turn up.

 

[Rob5091]

166 km ?! Jeezus, that's longer then the elite men do in the Alps.

 

[awavey]

I'm pretty sure SD Work-PROtime want to win the overall. It's just that other riders on the time want to do their own thing and the team is fine with it. SD Worx did strange things last year and finished 1-2 in GC. They do strange things in other races all the time and get away with it because they have the best riders.

The best way for The World to stick it to SD Worx is for a non-SD Worx rider win the overall this year and then Vollering win next year with her new team.

I think they dont do the simple things well, they over complicate how their riders ride basically (which comes back to the DS's) and almost because they are so strong in races sometimes believe they can engineer results regardless because if they muck it up they can just out power the others, but hence both the muck ups gifting wins this season, and so they dont work collectively or effectively as a team. and Id be incandesant as a sponsor with this situation as theyre making you look stupid by being associated with them, the goal is to win this race, why are we not doing that.

theres a great article in Rouleur about Lizzie Ds role at this race as well as in the team going forward, and she describes herself as Gaias bodyguard. her job is to ride with Gaia on her wheel to get to the mountain stages safely and out of trouble.

‘I’m not the rider I once was’ - Lizzie Deignan on her new role at Lidl-Trek, retirement and changing priorities

The British rider explains that she is happy to be in a domestique role at Lidl-Trek, something that has shifted alongside her life trajectory

www.rouleur.cc

who is Demis bodyguard at SDWorx ? ah theyll say shes so strong she doesnt need one can take care of herself, which she can but theyre missing the point, in the mens race, you see UAE riders and Visma riders swarming round their team leads to the point its often hard to spot them in a bunch, both are insanely strong, at least Pog could take care of himself, Vingo maybe less so.

but Demi seems to spend most of her time just riding by herself with team mates scattered around the bunch. (though I note this morning she posted a picture on Instagram stories entitled Teamwork (strong arm emoji) , probably of the one time they caught her with team mates riding for her.) that finish yesterday, I know the climb would have burned through a couple, but she came in alone again, Fisher Black was riding behind her, Marjerus the next teamie 8mins behind, even Kuskova with no team mates managed to finish closer than that

 

[Libertine Seguros]

yes, its not got the feel yet of a GT, like the whole thing is built around these last two stages so whats gone before is completely irrelevant.

It seems ASO have, so far, been petrified of the GC being set before the final weekend. I think that's been a product of running it directly backing off from the men's Tour in previous editions (obviously this year's a bit anomalous thanks to the Olympics being in Paris) and the weekend being the prime viewing days, so wanting to still have some action to sell, to the extent that they try to neuter everything until that weekend.

This year is especially anomalous because of the overseas start taking up literally half the race and being in a country renowned for its abject lack of mountains (meaning the characteristics of racing there are very different to those in the Tour de France, and as a result it doesn't feel as much like a women's Tour de France as the last two editions), and the fact the eight stages are compressed into seven days as well means that duration and endurance doesn't quite feel sufficient either. I know the Giro has reduced down to 8 days too, so all of the women's "GTs" are the same length, but it really doesn't feel long enough to sufficiently "Tour" a country of the size of these, but two of the three are still developing races, and the third has the history but has only recently been bought out and taken on in full by RCS, as opposed to them just leasing out certain permissions for trademarks and leaving it in the hands of privateers as they used to.

I feel that the aim in the short-to-medium term for women's GTs should be the Volta a Portugal format (11 stages with one rest day) and possibly on to 12 (which would bring it into line with many of the big amateur races from back in the day, e.g. the Milk Race, the Peace Race, the Coors Classic, the old version of the Tour de l'Avenir, which at least gives it the feel of being big enough). 12 would possibly be ideal for the Women's Tour de France because doing it in two blocks of 6 stages with a rest day would allow bigger transfers, but also that would result in running Tuesday to Sunday twice, bringing it into line with the men's Tour and maintaining consistency, with five straight weeks of cycling on every day Tuesday to Sunday (given Mondays tend to be the most commonly chosen rest day in the current GT format).

 

[awavey]

Well Vollering..there was a time when leaving athlete was automatically out of big tours and big races. Proper Netflix stuff coming next winter I guess.. Maybe things like this are the reason why no straight after finishline interviews, because it's not necessarily handbags at the dawn, but straight away, If you ask too quickly.

well maybe if her teammates cant put aside whatever differences they have or their own personal glory, maybe they should have, which seems dumb youd like to think they are professional enough to see the situation of her leaving wasnt necessarily one of Demis making and can work for her, I mean she comes across in the media as the consumate professional, she hasnt bawled anyone out publically, yet, ever, has always done the hard yards for others in the team, seems happy to celebrate their success, when if she were that selfish and self centred I dont think youd see that, so I dont understand why the team as a whole seem to treat her with such disdain.

And btw Demi is your best shot at winning this race on your team and you collecting the shared winners money pool, so its not like you dont have some stake in it.

 

[Didinho]

Was rooting for Mieke Dockx, one of the most lovely Belgian riders. Had a crash in the first stages, some really bad days behind the peloton and yesterday 2 hours by herself and just made the time cut. Didn't sleep very well this night and she had to abandon after 5km today.
Sad for her but she gave her all. Saw her crying and fighting every day. So proud.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I think they dont do the simple things well, they over complicate how their riders ride basically (which comes back to the DS's) and almost because they are so strong in races sometimes believe they can engineer results regardless because if they muck it up they can just out power the others, but hence both the muck ups gifting wins this season, and so they dont work collectively or effectively as a team. and Id be incandesant as a sponsor with this situation as theyre making you look stupid by being associated with them, the goal is to win this race, why are we not doing that.

theres a great article in Rouleur about Lizzie Ds role at this race as well as in the team going forward, and she describes herself as Gaias bodyguard. her job is to ride with Gaia on her wheel to get to the mountain stages safely and out of trouble.

‘I’m not the rider I once was’ - Lizzie Deignan on her new role at Lidl-Trek, retirement and changing priorities

The British rider explains that she is happy to be in a domestique role at Lidl-Trek, something that has shifted alongside her life trajectory

www.rouleur.cc

who is Demis bodyguard at SDWorx ? ah theyll say shes so strong she doesnt need one can take care of herself, which she can but theyre missing the point, in the mens race, you see UAE riders and Visma riders swarming round their team leads to the point its often hard to spot them in a bunch, both are insanely strong, at least Pog could take care of himself, Vingo maybe less so.

but Demi seems to spend most of her time just riding by herself with team mates scattered around the bunch. (though I note this morning she posted a picture on Instagram stories entitled Teamwork (strong arm emoji) , probably of the one time they caught her with team mates riding for her.) that finish yesterday, I know the climb would have burned through a couple, but she came in alone again, Fisher Black was riding behind her, Marjerus the next teamie 8mins behind, even Kuskova with no team mates managed to finish closer than that

Bredewold is Vollering's bodyguard. Majerus had done her job for the day, so it doesn't really matter how much time she lost.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Was rooting for Mieke Dockx, one of the most lovely Belgian riders. Had a crash in the first stages, some really bad days behind the peloton and yesterday 2 hours by herself and just made the time cut. Didn't sleep very well this night and she had to abandon after 5km today.
Sad for her but she gave her all. Saw her crying and fighting every day. So proud.

The live ticker also said that Fauve Bastiaenssen had abandoned, but I don't know if that was just a mix up with Dockx, or if they really both are out of the race.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Kool has also been reported as having abandoned.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Kool has also been reported as having abandoned.

Well she's achieved what she came for and after losing the green jersey yesterday, it didn't really much sense to continue when she's most likely going to be OTL tomorrow anyway.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I had hoped an interesting group would go away on Croix de la Serra, but it took a little longer. The break is not as strong as I would have liked though, and there are no real GC threats in it.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I had hoped an interesting group would go away on Croix de la Serra, but it took a little longer. The break is not as strong as I would have liked though, and there are no real GC threats in it.

Well, Ghekiere is a pretty decent climber and only 3 minutes back (15th on Norefjell, 12th at Lagunas de Neila, 20th to Alassio, 25th on Tourmalet, 22nd at La Molina, 20th to Blockhaus), but yea, wouldn't consider her to be any real danger on Alpe d'Huez unless they completely stop chasing and gift the break a lot of rope. Even allowing for the bonus of the maillot jaune giving her more to protect, on the Unipuerto stages she was around 3 minutes off the winners but on the big high-profile climbs in the bigger races, like Tourmalet and Blockhaus, she was losing >10 minutes.

 

[Izzyeviel]

When did Kasia &Taylor get married?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Well, Ghekiere is a pretty decent climber and only 3 minutes back (15th on Norefjell, 12th at Lagunas de Neila, 20th to Alassio, 25th on Tourmalet, 22nd at La Molina, 20th to Blockhaus), but yea, wouldn't consider her to be any real danger on Alpe d'Huez unless they completely stop chasing and gift the break a lot of rope. Even allowing for the bonus of the maillot jaune giving her more to protect, on the Unipuerto stages she was around 3 minutes off the winners but on the big high-profile climbs in the bigger races, like Tourmalet and Blockhaus, she was losing >10 minutes.

I think she has used too much energy on getting QOM points to be able to hold on tomorrow. However if the peloton keeps its current pace, then she might end up being in a pretty good position at the end of the day.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

When did Kasia &Taylor get married?

I don't know the exact date, but possibly a couple of months ago.

 

[Peyroteo94]

How can anyone think this is a mountain stage? What a joke. Tomorrow will be different

 

[Libertine Seguros]

When did Kasia &Taylor get married?

4/20

 

[Valv.Piti]

How can anyone think this is a mountain stage? What a joke. Tomorrow will be different

Its medium mountains if anything

SD Worx is actually trying to control the break, and holy ***, Lorena Wiebes is at the front.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Its medium mountains if anything

SD Worx is actually trying to control the break, and holy ***, Lorena Wiebes is at the front.

They've obviously had a chewing out, either that or they underestimated what the blow-back would be from their antics a couple of days ago and are hyper-correcting.

 

[Valv.Piti]

They've obviously had a chewing out, either that or they underestimated what the blow-back would be from their antics a couple of days ago and are hyper-correcting.

That, and probably also the fact that Wiebes know there's nothing left for her in this race, so after crashing Demi out of the jersey, refusing to wait and then lying about it, trying to restore just a bit of goodwill. I won't give her any though.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

4/20

I didn't know our enquiries got marks now. That's pretty harsh scoring for a reasonably well phrased question. I would have given at least 70%

 

[Libertine Seguros]

As tempo-grind as it comes here and agree with Red Rick, they basically wanted to have a mountain stage but not reveal who the strongest climber is so that there could be suspense tomorrow (you could just have made the TT longer!), so they're delivering something akin to Montevergine di Mercogliano, but more so. In ordinary circumstances (and especially with the queen stage tomorrow) you'd expect this to be domestiques ripping tempo and attrition to be sorting out the main bunch. Let's see how Ghekiere gets on with her attempt to solo in here, she's a good enough climber that she could do it if she hasn't expended too much - she usually comes in at around 3 mins down in the Unipuerto MTFs like Norefjell; she has a bit less than that, but you would expect most of the GC riders to be saving a few of the bullets in their gun for tomorrow.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Who is even in charge of the route? I think the route has been reasonably good for what its worth apart from this stage with some pretty hard and unpredictable stages when they got out of NL