Tour de France Femmes 2025 (July 26th- August 3rd)

[Libertine Seguros]

Ok, if that was the case She should have gone very hard like a TT at the bottom of Joux Plane

When Ghekiere went so hard at the base I thought that was a possibility, that she was going to go full Bahamontes, attacking super early not because she expected to take it home from 65km out or to risk 2nd place but so that she could either catch van der Breggen and use her as a pilot, or to allow herself sufficient leeway to still be in the front group at the bottom of the descent.

 

[Andy262]

Just cracked an Oh La La Saison from Weobley Microbrewery - the most appropriately titled beer I could find in my stash.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Just cracked an Oh La La Saison from Weobley Microbrewery - the most appropriately titled beer I could find in my stash.

It's even from Australia!!!

Wrong part, sadly, but still.

 

[Red Rick]

Ok, if that was the case She should have gone very hard like a TT at the bottom of Joux Plane

It seems she also doesn't have legs

 

[JR1012]

If you want to win you need to be a complete rider. No excuses for Gigante.

 

[Red Rick]

Gigante is doing the impossible.

She's making a G2 work together perfectly

 

[Samu Cuenca]

And Gigante is still far ahead of the next group so she won't get any help for a long time if ever.

 

[Divergence]

If you want to win you need to be a complete rider. No excuses for Gigante.

At least be serviceable. She is just inept on descends. It is not even the speed as somebody was writing earlier. On the first hairpin she took the worst possible line and with zero urgency. She lost her podium chance in one corner. Oh well...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Sarah Gigante lost 50s in like 6km descending.
She's afraid of the speed.

It's heartbreaking to watch. I hope she can get some of this time back on the next climb.

I wouldn't say heartbreaking, but if you're a big fan of hers specifically I get it. I'd say frustrating, because she's just too one-dimensional and it's costing her. As somebody who rooted for the likes of Iban Mayo and Igor Antón, it definitely is frustrating, but it comes with the territory.

But as JR1012 says, you have to be a complete rider. Just like in the men's races for most of their history (it is less so now), the great pure climbers should feel like they're in with a shot at victory... but not actually be able to win unless they are, like a José Manuel Fuente, a Lucien van Impe, a Lucho Herrera - a truly generational climbing talent. Gigante, at least for the moment, is not quite that, although she is reminding me ever more of Mara Abbott as I've mentioned a few times. Mara was that, but it was greatly assisted by the calendar at the time affording few opportunities for the kind of climbs of the length that she excelled on.

 

[yaco]

There has been no improvement in descending, since last years TDF, when in the last stage, she got dropped on the final descent before Alpe D'huez, which effectively dropped her from 5th to 7th. I doubt she will improve her descending.

Anyway, the biggest loser from this edition of the TDF is Ineos Grenadier. Despite failing to set up a women's team when they were in their pomp, they had PFP as their rider in mountainbiking. There was a perfect opportunity to set up a team around PFP.

 

[memyselfandI]

PFP slowly coming to the front of the group..goes like yesterday, whoopsie Daisy!

 

[TourOfSardinia]

At least be serviceable. She is just inept on descends. It is not even the speed as somebody was writing earlier. On the first hairpin she took the worst possible line and with zero urgency. She lost her podium chance in one corner. Oh well...

Slalom gigante?

 

[Escarabajo]

And to make matters worse, there is no one in the middle of the pursuit!

 

[RedheadDane]

Gigante is doing the impossible.

She's making a G2 work together perfectly

She's about to become G2!

 

[Andy262]

It's even from Australia!!!

Wrong part, sadly, but still.

Ha! I’ve been to Bent Spoke in Canberra!

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Van der Breggen with a beautiful Stage 19 Roglič imitation

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The danger is that now, unless Gigante starts to gain significant time on the MJ group, they could well be happy with the status quo up this climb - they aren't going to drop PFP, and Kasia and Demi get podium spots - and then they'll let Labous drag them through the valley and settle it out between themselves on the final ramps into Châtel.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

I'm not sure what this promises for Włodarczyk's future, but it's been one heck of a race from her.

 

[Red Rick]

The danger is that now, unless Gigante starts to gain significant time on the MJ group, they could well be happy with the status quo up this climb - they aren't going to drop PFP, and Kasia and Demi get podium spots - and then they'll let Labous drag them through the valley and settle it out between themselves on the final ramps into Châtel.

I think they go to the finish together unless PFP decides to take off.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Look at the hunched-over climbing style, Juliette Lipowitz

 

[Red Rick]

Gigante should drop AvdB now so that AvdB catches her on the descent.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm not sure what this promises for Włodarczyk's future, but it's been one heck of a race from her.

Maybe we get the good version of the Tour de Pologne back. The one they tried to run in 2016 or so only for it to clash with other races preventing Niewiadoma from showing up even though the race was basically designed for her to win.

With not one but two high profile Polish climbers from the central-southern part of the country, they could well be tempted to push something decent.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Van der Breggen doesn‘t „need to prove nobody to nothing“ and it shows.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Gigante should drop AvdB now so that AvdB catches her on the descent.

It doesn't look like VDB has much of interest in this stage anymore, but she could still catch her without even trying.

 

[AmRacer]

Do we know when GC action starts?