La Course 2018 **SPOILERS**

Lanterne_Rogue

Might as well have a separate thread for this and give it more respect than the organisers do...

The women will be racing a large part of the same course as the men, with the exception of two shortcuts to take out the Col de la Croix Fry and the Plateau des Glières:



That gives a profile that's much more backloaded with climbing than the Tour stage. It's also less likely to get ripped to pieces early on - not least as with just one stage to plan for, there's no point bringing anyone who would be autobus fodder. This perhaps explains why some teams have as few as four riders (at least according to the official start list):



I won't repeat the cheeses, wines etc, because apparently women are allowed the same ones as the men these days, and more importantly I have to get the kids to school.

More informed preview here: https://mytwospokesworth.com/2018/07/16/la-course-2018-preview/

Official website here: https://www.lacoursebyletourdefrance.com/en/news/

slim_boy_fat

Live on Eurosport 1 from 9.15am. I'm at work so will have to catch the highlights but will be really interesting to see how the tactics play out on such a hard day when it's only a single stage. Should be more exciting than the men I think.

larkim

Shame they didn't arrange this for the rest day in the Tour, would have got more coverage and interest surely? An inconvenience for the locality with the roads closed on consecutive days, but no different to hosting the Etape. Though with the Rosa only finishing two days ago I suppose Monday was out of the question really.

As it is, it will get lost in the narrative of the Tour today I'd have thought, especially if there is any carnage on the descent in the rain as forecast.

No_Ta_Doctor

A mountain one-dayer. What's not to like*?




*Apart from the piss-poor ASO publicity, the out of date website and the fact that a proper stage race would be better.

blazing_saddles

Some light reading for those awaiting the start.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/44831758

My advice is to steer clear of the comments section though.
Not exactly in line with the majority view around here.

narbs

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Some light reading for those awaiting the start.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/44831758

My advice is to steer clear of the comments section though.
Not exactly in line with the majority view around here.

'Get used to these BBC editorials as there is a feminist agenda. A leaked 'Secret' internal BBC survey which 75% of employees engaged in confirmed a staggering 11.6% of the BBC workforce is LBGT as confirmed by The BBC’s Director of Diversity Tunde Ogungbesan. Now I understand why we have these continual HYS's'

And that's one of the milder ones....

takethehighroad

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Some light reading for those awaiting the start.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/44831758

My advice is to steer clear of the comments section though.
Not exactly in line with the majority view around here.

Right up Vino's street then? #trollersgonatroll

davidof

narbs wrote:

And that's one of the milder ones....

If you don't want to live in an echo chamber the comments are perhaps useful as to why women's cycling doesn't get much traction, at least for UK audiences.

RAI were getting 3 million watching the Giro Rosa a couple of years ago although this years TV scheduling was totally chaotic (for the Tour de France as well).

Lanterne_Rogue

davidof wrote:

narbs wrote:

And that's one of the milder ones....

If you don't want to live in an echo chamber the comments are perhaps useful as to why women's cycling doesn't get much traction, at least for UK audiences.

I don't think that's necessarily correct though. The internet makes it quite easy for a vocal minority to appear more numerous than they actually are - milder voices are shouted out (because who wants to share space with those nobs?), and there's no indication that those people are even interested in cycling to start with. A lot of them click on anything to do with women's sport and spout the same bile.

No_Ta_Doctor

underlayunderlay wrote:

davidof wrote:

narbs wrote:

And that's one of the milder ones....

If you don't want to live in an echo chamber the comments are perhaps useful as to why women's cycling doesn't get much traction, at least for UK audiences.

I don't think that's necessarily correct though. The internet makes it quite easy for a vocal minority to appear more numerous than they actually are - milder voices are shouted out (because who wants to share space with those nobs?), and there's no indication that those people are even interested in cycling to start with. A lot of them click on anything to do with women's sport and spout the same bile.

A lot of them click on anything to do with women and spout the same bile.

narbs

davidof wrote:

narbs wrote:

And that's one of the milder ones....

If you don't want to live in an echo chamber the comments are perhaps useful as to why women's cycling doesn't get much traction, at least for UK audiences.

RAI were getting 3 million watching the Giro Rosa a couple of years ago although this years TV scheduling was totally chaotic (for the Tour de France as well).

I can't believe that the people who fill the BTL comment sections of any website are representative of much, thankfully.

blazing_saddles

Interesting.
Jonathan Edwards and Jo Rowsell having a bit of a debate about La Course.
Seems that Jo thinks it isn't best served having it alongside the men's race, which is counter to the thrust of that article.

Bottom line though must be that the ASO is a private company and they aren't in the habit of throwing profits at a scheme that wouldn't make a half decent pitch in The Dragons' Den.

Lanterne_Rogue

Now live with pictures, five riders off the front with 30 seconds advantage, counter attack trying to get across with two or three riders. 50km already complete. Looks like the first couple of climbs didn't blow the race to bits, but the peloton looks awfully strung out on the heli shots so the pace is up.

Lepisto, Kirchman, Thomas, Jasinka and Christian off the front. 40 seconds now.

blazing_saddles

Looks as if the race kicked off just as tv went to live pictures.

Lanterne_Rogue

Boels-Dolman (for van der Breggan) and Mitchelton-Scott (van Vleuten) not represented in the break, but not particularly bothered about chasing.

Yorkshire being unfairly contrasted in terms of length of climb...

davidof

underlayunderlay wrote:

I don't think that's necessarily correct though. The internet makes it quite easy for a vocal minority to appear more numerous than they actually are - milder voices are shouted out (because who wants to share space with those nobs?), and there's no indication that those people are even interested in cycling to start with. A lot of them click on anything to do with women's sport and spout the same bile.

I must admit I never look at the BBC website. There were a lot of comments under that article but I reread some and there are some fair points.

Lanterne_Rogue

Leaders now have just under two minutes, but it's stabilised there.

Lanterne_Rogue

Lead five down to four, Christian has dropped off.

All has the feeling of people marking time until the climb though.

above_the_cows

No tA Doctor wrote:

A mountain one-dayer. What's not to like*?




*Apart from the piss-poor ASO publicity, the out of date website and the fact that a proper stage race would be better.

That website is embarrassing! Our stage thread set-ups are better.

Lanterne_Rogue

TBF the official TdF site isn't much better - they're on the same platform.

Prevot has abandoned, apparently (she was one name in the mix, or so I'm told). The gap to the leaders rose as far as 2'30", but that seemed to provoke a reaction from the peloton, with other teams starting to look to help Boels-Dolmans.

bobmcstuff

See, this is decent TV coverage. WTOB organisers take note!

Unfortunately my 4g connection isn't quite up to it.

Vino'sGhost

davidof wrote:

underlayunderlay wrote:

I don't think that's necessarily correct though. The internet makes it quite easy for a vocal minority to appear more numerous than they actually are - milder voices are shouted out (because who wants to share space with those nobs?), and there's no indication that those people are even interested in cycling to start with. A lot of them click on anything to do with women's sport and spout the same bile.

I must admit I never look at the BBC website. There were a lot of comments under that article but I reread some and there are some fair points.

there are some fair points, its a mix for sure; its interesting the most vocally "liberal and enlightened" are the ones most unable to acknowledge alternative viewpoints, usually closing other views down using labels so they can self congratulate in their own little reinforcing echo chambers.

any way the chicks have started and baring any stops for cake or to take pictures of furry animals it should be a great race.

Lanterne_Rogue

We've hit the first cat 1 climb now; time gap collapsing (as has half the peloton). One rider dropped from the front of the race - Lapisto gone.

blazing_saddles

The race is falling into bits on the lower slops of the Romme.

Lanterne_Rogue

Down to something like 20 riders now, with two out front.

Lanterne_Rogue

Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig attacks from the main group and instantly takes quite a bit of time. Riders still in front of her to provide targets. No sign of panic behind.

hypster

"L" is in the lead! Is that an omen for the Tour? )

ddraver

I know I should be watching in Dutch for learning puroposes but does anyone know how I can make the Eurosport player app speak English?

Marijn is a star but...

Edit - Man that is somehow way more complicated than it needs to be!

Lanterne_Rogue

ddraver wrote:

I know I should be watching in Dutch for learning puroposes but does anyone know how I can make the Eurosport player app speak English?

Marijn is a star but...

Sorry, I'm on ITV4.

The main group is slowly but surely starting to shed riders as the length of the climb starts to tell. 2km to the top, Spratt now attacks from the group behind, creates a bit of a reaction. Mitchelton-Scott looking to animate things - Deignan suggests on commentary that it's a bit of nervousness about the race situation.

Lanterne_Rogue

Main group down to a dozen or so riders now, with a few behind who may be able to get back on. Van der Breggan not looking so good, although Deignan suggests she might just be chilling out there.

Vino'sGhost

big crowds for the womens race! theyre going to have to stop there till the other race comes through.

28.4 k to go colombierre next