UAE Tour 2025, February 6-9 (women's)

[SafeBet]

Letizia DNF. Hope she’s relatively okay. Better to get her checked immediately then riding with a concussion eventually.

She's in the ambulance, being checked for concussions.

 

[Didinho]

She's in the ambulance, being checked for concussions.

I was glad she was already walking and wanted to ride again. But better safe than sorry. Season is long. After every crash I hope her bad luck will be over.

 

[Didinho]

Big crash.
Looks like one of the Jayco riders hit something in the road, causing her to be catapulted forwards.

3 riders in front of her breaked a little but the 4th suddenly a bit harder and she couldn’t avoid riding into her. Touched the back wheel really hard while breaking.

 

[RedheadDane]

3 riders in front of her breaked a little but the 4th suddenly a bit harder and she couldn’t avoid riding into her. Touched the back wheel really hard while breaking.

I just noticed her back wheel suddenly going up.

 

[Didinho]

I just noticed her back wheel suddenly going up.

Yeah that’s the strange part. Maybe to hard on the front brake while touching her back wheel. Or they were swerving/braking for that bump indeed. Hate this part of cycling.

 

[awavey]

Was that ELB down ?

 

[RedheadDane]

Wiebes doing Wiebes things.
Kool second.

Unfortunately, there was a crash in the sprint. However, looked like only one rider went down.

 

[awavey]

Wiebes won btw, but I know I'm only watching on a tiny mobile screen but wow helicopter view not helping to pick out teams let alone riders

 

[Samu Cuenca]

One win closer to 100.

 

[Didinho]

Wiebes too strong.

Veenhoven surprisingly 3th. Thought it was Fidanza for the sprint. PFP doing the leadout for them.

Not used yet to the new shirts and/or riders switching teams.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Was that ELB down ?

I think it was Coles-Lyster, but I'm not sure.

 

[yaco]

Lots of purple and dark red in the peleton. Kool needs a better lead out to be competitive against Wiebes.

 

[theyoungest]

Wiebes too strong.

Veenhoven surprisingly 3th. Thought it was Fidanza for the sprint. PFP doing the leadout for them.

Not used yet to the new shirts and/or riders switching teams.

I think Veenhoven and Fidanza are on equal footing, they were presented as the sprinter duo for Visma women. And perhaps Veenhoven is a little bit faster on a sprint like this.

 

[Didinho]

I think Veenhoven and Fidanza are on equal footing, they were presented as the sprinter duo for Visma women. And perhaps Veenhoven is a little bit faster on a sprint like this.

She made up a lot of ground. Started way back. Strong effort indeed. Didn’t knew her.

 

[theyoungest]

She made up a lot of ground. Started way back. Strong effort indeed. Didn’t knew her.

She's young, 20 years old. She's one of those riders who could have used a U23 category, wasn't really good enough yet when she turned pro. A pure sprinter.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Mia Griffin getting fourth is a huge surprise, but there were also multiple sprinters that got boxed in.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Watching it again, it was an FD rider who went down, and I think it's Schrempf.

Yeah, Schrempf is the only one who's be given a readjusted time. Thank god no one else went down in that crash. We'll see if anyone will be feeling the effects of the big one tomorrow.

 

[awavey]

I think it was Coles-Lyster, but I'm not sure.

I'm not sure either just thought saw a flash of green/red amongst all the purple and couldn't work out where she had gone as she was on the front in the final kms.

 

[awavey]

Lots of purple and dark red in the peleton. Kool needs a better lead out to be competitive against Wiebes.

Crazy amount of purple/dark red, i couldn't pick out half the teams for toffee in that finish.

 

[Lequack]

Boring racing, but nice Dubai scenery. Sprint was an easy win for Wiebes. Should be an easy win for her for the two remaining sprint stages.

 

[Unchained]

Because I only was able to watch a few minutes of the race, what I thought I saw was UAE using new Colnago cockpit with V looking thing. Couldn't see the frame that they were using. I also don't see many female riders using the Cervelo cockpit- handlebar setup that has the similar V shape. I personally spend lots of time, 20-40% of many rides w my hands on the tops, and I have experienced extreme criticism for putting bar tape all over the flat part of the bars!!! I don't like grabbing or hands resting directly on the carbon. When I saw the Pogacar prototype roll out I immediately didn't like the handlebars and reduced grab area..

 

[Lequack]

Because I only was able to watch a few minutes of the race, what I thought I saw was UAE using new Colnago cockpit with V looking thing. Couldn't see the frame that they were using. I also don't see many female riders using the Cervelo cockpit- handlebar setup that has the similar V shape. I personally spend lots of time, 20-40% of many rides w my hands on the tops, and I have experienced extreme criticism for putting bar tape all over the flat part of the bars!!! I don't like grabbing or hands resting directly on the carbon. When I saw the Pogacar prototype roll out I immediately didn't like the handlebars and reduced grab area..

Sure looks weird

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Planned to watch a bit more women's cycling this season because I really enjoyed the races and especially how much Dutch women seemed to have mad beef with each other, turned on my first race and instantly there's a huge ass crash, cursed.

TBF big crashes in a race like this, where there's nothing to stretch the péloton out or break it up unless the weather intervenes, on dusty, sandy roads, and early in the season when riders are not up to form or back into their rhythm on the road yet (and it's off the back of a load of travelling for those that have already been doing a few days' racing this season), are pretty inevitable.

 

[Lequack]

THERE IS WIND!
We might have some action today. Peloton is already split with 90km to go

 

[Samu Cuenca]

What the wok is going on? How can the gap continue to grow? Why has Wiebes been pulling more than she's ever done on any stage before, if she isn't contesting the intermediate sprints to give herself a better shot at a theoretical GC?