2023 Tour de France Femmes, 23rd-30th July ***Spoilers***

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  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,095
    Good to see a long stage, maybe they should ride more?

    Just chatting with my cycling enthusiast French colleagues (all men) and no-one keen on this race though and no-one watching. They don't find the racing interesting or of a high standard.
    BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
    Instagramme
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,325
    Lanterne_Rogue said:

    mididoctors said:

    Lanterne_Rogue said:

    Uijen abandons. Google Translate assures me it's because she's "overtired", which just makes her sound like a toddler throwing a fit.

    Not hugely surprising given she rolled in something like twenty minutes down yesterday.

    It's ridiculous some of the riders have to have a second job. It must be impossible for some to get to the level of fitness required to stage race

    Yeah, I think the nature of this race tends to really show up the resulting disparity in performance. Might be interesting to look at the gaps to the stragglers compared to the men though - I'm not sure how they actually stack up against each other, and it might always be closer than I think.
    Okay, so I bothered to graph it out:



    You can argue about what this actually means (the women's stages are shorter, so proportionally they're losing more time), but perhaps we're a bit too ready to say that males riders are saving their effort, whereas women are inevitably being dropped?

    What also struck me is the number of women in the bottom few places who abandon the next day, which seems to have happened less in the male peloton. It's tempting to imagine that in any other race they'd have climbed off the day before and the apparent spread across the GC would be smaller? Again, something that plays into all sorts of discussions.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,382
    davidof said:

    Good to see a long stage, maybe they should ride more?

    Just chatting with my cycling enthusiast French colleagues (all men) and no-one keen on this race though and no-one watching. They don't find the racing interesting or of a high standard.

    How do they know it's not interesting if they aren't watching it?
  • No_Ta_Doctor
    No_Ta_Doctor Posts: 14,535
    edited July 2023
    Wiebes a DNS with stomach issues
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,791
    davidof said:

    Good to see a long stage, maybe they should ride more?

    Just chatting with my cycling enthusiast French colleagues (all men) and no-one keen on this race though and no-one watching. They don't find the racing interesting or of a high standard.

    Decent crowds at the finish last 2 days ( weather big factor)
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,791
    I wonder what the interest is like in the Netherlands
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • davidof
    davidof Posts: 3,095
    edited July 2023
    r0bh said:



    How do they know it's not interesting if they aren't watching it?

    A good point, I get the impression they've dipped in, and dipped out again. I'm wondering a bit about who the audience is for this tour, there seem to be a lot of people at the finish lines though.

    Checking France TV Sport's online coverage I would say it pulls in around a fifth the audience of the men's event. I will be interested to see what the TV audience figures are. The men's event in France got record viewing figures this year with daily audiences of up to 4.2 million and around 19 million having watched some coverage.

    I'd be interested in the Dutch figures for both events if anyone sees them at the end of the race.
    BASI Nordic Ski Instructor
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  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,704
    mididoctors said:

    I wonder what the interest is like in the Netherlands

    I would imagine that it’s greater than anywhere else for obvious reasons.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,325
    edited July 2023
    Early reports are a break hovering between 30-40 seconds (now down to 23). Don't want to say I called it in the LR thread, but...

    (I'm never right - allow me this one!)
    Lanterne_Rogue said:



    Today saw the favourites try the novel experiment of actually letting the break go away properly for once, and I fully anticipate a failure of the scientific method when everyone refuses to repeat it to get more data. Expect nobody to be given more than thirty seconds for the foreseeable.

    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,791
    edited July 2023
    🔴stage 5

    Big group
    ...tight leash
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,791
    edited July 2023
    Qom in the break ...2nd on green in the break
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,704
    Don’t cry for Evita, but she’s the third abandon of the day.

    The weather is a lot more typical of July in the Rodez/Albi region. Often the hottest spot in France.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,791
    Balsamo off the back at 4 mins
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,791
    Yesterday's break is today's groupetto
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,325
    blazing_saddles said:

    Don’t cry for Evita, but she’s the third abandon of the day.

    The weather is a lot more typical of July in the Rodez/Albi region. Often the hottest spot in France.

    New York, London, Paris, Munich, everybody talk about popped Muzic.
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,158
    davidof said:

    r0bh said:



    How do they know it's not interesting if they aren't watching it?

    A good point, I get the impression they've dipped in, and dipped out again. I'm wondering a bit about who the audience is for this tour, there seem to be a lot of people at the finish lines though.

    Checking France TV Sport's online coverage I would say it pulls in around a fifth the audience of the men's event. I will be interested to see what the TV audience figures are. The men's event in France got record viewing figures this year with daily audiences of up to 4.2 million and around 19 million having watched some coverage.

    I'd be interested in the Dutch figures for both events if anyone sees them at the end of the race.
    I've had it on the laptop monitor as I work from home but I won't arrange my weekend, e.g. when I go out for a run, around it like I do for the bigger men's races
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,158
    That was ridiculous drafting by Vollering and the SD Worx car, really dangerous.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,158
    blazing_saddles said:

    Don’t cry for Evita, but she’s the third abandon of the day.

    Goodnight And Thank You
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,704
    Vollering could well get a time penalty for that drafting of her team car.
    Taking the pee pee they were.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,158
    edited July 2023
    Yeah, there's no point complaining about motos etc. if your car is going to go rally driving through the convoy with a rider on its bumper. I like Vollering but that deserves a time penalty.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,791
    Riders jumping across on the climb
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,158
    This was supposed to be a nailed on sprint stage according to The Breakaway yesterday.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,704
    One km of this climb has decimated the peloton
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Lanterne_Rogue
    Lanterne_Rogue Posts: 4,325
    Just gone back to check out the drafting - it wasn't subtle, was it? I thought they interfered with at least one rider coming back through (or possibly dropping back) to boot, which I presume isn't going to decrease the fine any?
    Twitter: @canocola @thedreadships
  • stage_hunter
    stage_hunter Posts: 308
    Pross said:

    Yeah, there's no point complaining about motos etc. if your car is going to go rally driving through the convoy with a rider on its bumper. I like Vollering but that deserves a time penalty.

    At least. Whoever was the DS probably needs ejecting from the whole race.

    Iris Slappendal was saying that Vollering wasnt even supposed to be going through the convoy on the LHS. If she’s right, the penalty might be significant. DQ?

    If there was no grass verge there, there could have been a very serious accident.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,791
    Tactical confusion
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,791
    Yesterday's stage still in the legs ... Bunch falling to pieces
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,791
    That vollering episode was not professional....
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,791
    Side Moto drags cyclists ....
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,791
    Pross said:

    This was supposed to be a nailed on sprint stage according to The Breakaway yesterday.


    Fatigue is high after yesterday .
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm

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