Women's Tour *spoiler*

Pross

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Mobility scooter lady made the sharpest move of the day.
Crazy.

Just watched now and saw that, somehow the commentators missed it at the time and only highlighted it at the end. Getting through the gap seemed more luck than judgement as she went right across the road and showed no intent to stop for break or bunch.

mm1

Bits of that wiggle video of Trott's crash shown on BBC breakfast this morning, together with Garmingeddon - last time I remember them showing a Giro crash was in 1987.

Interesting that on the wiggle video you hear someone saying "that's why we need race radios" - also reminds me of Stephen Spratt saying after he'd ridden the Milk Race that the UK was the most dangerous place he'd ever raced.

Pross

Don't see why the UK would be dangerous to race then parts of Belgium and The Netherlands with their penchant for narrow roads and street furniture. With a rolling closure UK roads should be pretty good (assuming the route planners don't go crazy). Some of the roads at the Eneco are like someone's private driveway.

Edit - this women's tour also has a very small field compared to men's pro races, when you see 200 riders trying to get around some of those roads in Flanders it looks truly hairy.

Paul 8v

Pross wrote:

Don't see why the UK would be dangerous to race then parts of Belgium and The Netherlands with their penchant for narrow roads and street furniture. With a rolling closure UK roads should be pretty good (assuming the route planners don't go crazy). Some of the roads at the Eneco are like someone's private driveway.

Edit - this women's tour also has a very small field compared to men's pro races, when you see 200 riders trying to get around some of those roads in Flanders it looks truly hairy.

Trott was in the news last week with a loadnof other riders complaining about the road surfaces and how they cause accidents and damage bikes.

Some of the roads in the area of yesterdays stage are very poor. They're OK solo or in a small bunch as you can dodge the cracks and holes but in a big bunch they are dangerous. I has a sidewall blow on one of my types the other night on a 4" deep hole. Wouldn't have been nice in a race like that.

Turfle

What's all this about Emma Trott retiring?

RichN95.

Turfle wrote:

What's all this about Emma Trott retiring?

She's retiring after this race. She says she's not really enjoying it and doesn't want to do it any more.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... our-122593

Turfle

“I’ve not said anything until now, but I’m retiring after this race, so today means a lot more to me.”

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... our-122593

stagehopper

Katie Colclough also retired at age 24 (same as Emma Trott) at end of last season. With so little reward must be hard to keep going.

frenchfighter

Results of stage 4
1 Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabo Liv women cycling team 2:13:09
2 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle Honda
3 Lucy Garner (GBr) Great Britain
4 Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica AIS
5 Elena Cecchini (Ita) Estado de Mexico Faren
6 Lauren Hall (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
7 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
8 Aude Biannic (Fra) Lointek
9 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Specialized Lululemon
10 Lizzie Armitstead (GBr) Boels Dolmans cycling team
11 Amy Pieters (Ned) Netherlands
12 Hannah Barnes (GBr) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
13 Rossella Ratto (Ita) Estado de Mexico Faren
14 Tiffany Cromwell (Aus) Specialized Lululemon 0:00:04
15 Peta Mullens (Aus) Wiggle Honda
16 Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (RSA) Hitec products
17 Chloe Hosking (Aus) Hitec products
18 Susanna Zorzi (Ita) Astana Bepink womens team
19 Jolanda Neff (Swi) Switzerland
20 Lucinda Brand (Ned) Rabo Liv women cycling team
21 Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned) Rabo Liv women cycling team
22 Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Boels Dolmans cycling team
23 Gracie Elvin (Aus) Orica AIS
24 Denise Ramsden (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
25 Linda Villumsen (NZl) Wiggle Honda
26 Elisa Longo Borghini (Ita) Hitec products

General classification after stage 4
1 Marianne Vos (Ned) Rabo Liv women cycling team 9:54:10
2 Emma Johansson (Swe) Orica AIS 0:00:19
3 Rossella Ratto (Ita) Estado de Mexico Faren 0:00:22
4 Lizzie Armitstead (GBr) Boels Dolmans cycling team 0:00:30
5 Giorgia Bronzini (Ita) Wiggle Honda 0:00:31
6 Susanna Zorzi (Ita) Astana Bepink womens team
7 Lucy Garner (GBr) Great Britain 0:00:37
8 Hannah Barnes (GBr) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
9 Elena Cecchini (Ita) Estado de Mexico Faren 0:00:41
10 Amy Pieters (Ned) Netherlands
11 Aude Biannic (Fra) Lointek
12 Leah Kirchmann (Can) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
13 Trixi Worrack (Ger) Specialized Lululemon
14 Lauren Hall (USA) Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies
15 Ellen Van Dijk (Ned) Boels Dolmans cycling team 0:00:42

RideOnTime

stagehopper wrote:

Katie Colclough also retired at age 24 (same as Emma Trott) at end of last season. With so little reward must be hard to keep going.

Has to be a small elite...

mroli

Armitstead punctured again today shortly before the final having sprinted on a flat yesterday.

RonB

She's out due to ill health. Statement from the team -

"Lizzie Armitstead had to decide to leave the Women's Tour of Britain. The British champion of the Boels-Dolmans Cycling Team -fourth in the general classification - has stomach problems and is therefore unable to start in the final stage. "I ran out of luck in this race a few times, but it was still a pleasure to race in Britain. I think the Women's Tour of Britain was very well organised and I enjoyed the enthusiastic crowds."

frenchfighter

Hmm. I wonder how that affects her season jersey. I wonder how bad it is and whether she should continue - after all these stages are very short and this season jersey is a good one.

frenchfighter

Looks like she pulled out of her last race early as well.

RonB

Don't think this race is part of the UCI Road World Cup, though in future years perhaps it should be. Next races are as follows …

18.05 Tour of Chongming Island World Cup (CHN)
03.08 Sparkassen Giro (GER)
22.08 Open de Suède Vargarda TTT (SWE)
24.08 Open de Suède Vargarda (SWE)
30.08 GP de Plouay-Bretagne (FRA)

frenchfighter

Ok thanks.

knedlicky

RonB wrote:

She's out due to ill health. Statement from the team -
"Lizzie Armitstead had to decide to leave the Women's Tour of Britain. "

Garner and Barnes are curently both at the same time in the GC, so might provide interest today, as they try to get the 'Best British' jersey.

Paul 8v

Managed to catch the end of today's stage. I rode the last 20km of the route (Up to 500m to go) Very technical run in the last couple of K's with some very narrow bits and cobbled sections on the corners, they did well not to come a cropper on them (One part was only just wide enough for 1 car) No surprises for who won the stage and took the overall.

Big crowds in Bury today, much bigger than Clacton (Although it was in the week) seems like people are starting to get very enthusiastic about cycling as the crowds at the British events are getting bigger and bigger. Great to see a higher profile Women's race too.

Sad to see Armitstead pull out. Good result for Ratto with 3rd overall.

mikenetic

I think it's been a fantastic event. Went to the stage on Saturday for the depart and the finish.

Crowds were excellent & the media coverage has been substantial. Hopefully it will be the start of a virtuous circle of increased sponsor interest and a consequently bigger event.

frenchfighter

frenchfighter

The mobility scooter move:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyYIWI6XZBo

frenchfighter

Surprised there were so many sprints. Looking at the photos there are so many attacks...from Vos, Armitstead and Pooley as well.

mroli

I think Armitstead has said she's not bothered about the Women's WC - she is focusing on the World Champs....

Paul 8v

frenchfighter wrote:

The mobility scooter move:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyYIWI6XZBo

Nutter!

Turfle

Who knew there were so many ways to say "lululemon". Incredible!

hommelbier

RichN95 wrote:

PuttyKnees wrote:

Why are the stages so short?

Money mostly. Stages only have to be as long as they need to be. Longer isn't necessarily better.

Plus, during longer stages in men's races there is often need for 'natural breaks' on the roadside.

Overall it's been good watching the highlights each evening.

greasedscotsman

frenchfighter wrote:

Surprised there were so many sprints. Looking at the photos there are so many attacks...from Vos, Armitstead and Pooley as well.

Is this the Pooley photo? Can't get onto emails at the moment.

Sjaak

yup. 71 Pooley

blazing_saddles

mikenetic wrote:

I think it's been a fantastic event. Went to the stage on Saturday for the depart and the finish.

Crowds were excellent & the media coverage has been substantial. Hopefully it will be the start of a virtuous circle of increased sponsor interest and a consequently bigger event.

I agree with all of this.
The only thing lacking was variety.
Variety of parcour, variety of racing and variety
of winners.
Hopefully, the former can be addressed in future editions.

greasedscotsman

Sjaak wrote:

yup. 71 Pooley

Sorry, it's a question for Frenchie, I know it's Pooley.