Vuelta Femenina 2024 ***Spoilers***
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Demi Vollering won the final stage, ahead of Evita Muzic (29”) and Riejanne Markus (33”). Vollering takes the GC from Markus (1’49”) and Longo Borghini (2’00”).
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Vollering was very dominant throughout and well deserved overall victory, but the organisers shouldn't have also gifted her the QOM prize. They did that by this morning suddenly upgrading the final climb from 1st category to Hors Catégorie.
That meant that the QOM points Vollering got today by winning the MTF stage were more than if the climb had stayed as a category 1, and thus gave her first place in the QOM. Without this sudden change, Muzic would have been QOM.
The climb earlier in the day was harder than the final climb, being longer, slightly steeper average gradient, and decidedly steeper short sections, but that stayed a category 1 climb.
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Part of the consideration when classifying a climb is where it comes in a stage, i.e. the later it is, the likely higher the rating.
But that aside, I completely agree; organisers changing ratings on the day of the stage is not how a professional race should be run.
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I know there are a variety of factors which influence categorisation. If being at the end of a stage were a big factor, the climb ending at La Laguna Negra could have also been upgraded.
I wondered if the reason for the late upgrade was either (a) yesterday's finish being the highest point of the tour – like the Cima Coppi brings more KOM points, or (b) to try and give the ski resort where the stage finished more prestige.
The resort is relatively small but I'm sure would welcome any promotion to increase its popularity. It now can be known as at the top of the only Hors Catégorie climb of the Vuelta Femenina.
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