Double stage race days will not be a brand new idea to elite races in biking, that includes in males’s Excursions de France again within the 90s but additionally seen as lately because the Baloise Girls Tour this previous July. Nevertheless, the second day of motion on the Tour de France Femmes proved extra of a logistical headache, with many riders and groups not favouring the uncommon day as workers labored additional time to make sure issues ran easily.
For stage winner Demi Vollering, there was time to take not one, however two energy naps. For FDJ-Suez, it led them to e-book one other lodge in Rotterdam so their riders may bathe and funky down correctly forward of the time trial.
The 22 groups arrived in Dordrecht for the beginning of stage 2 round 8:00 a.m. native time, realizing they’d need to be swift with their actions each throughout the crew presentation and official commitments after which exit again in the direction of Rotterdam to make sure they made it in time earlier than the 67.9km race ran it’s course.
With the time trial beginning in slightly below 4 hours time after the street stage, it’s truthful to say that some riders have been left questioning why the choice to host two races in sooner or later was taken.
“It’s not my favorite factor. Primarily it causes plenty of stress for the workers and the riders. I don’t know why they do it, however I’m positive there’s a purpose,” mentioned Lidl-Trek’s Lizzie Deignan to Cyclingnews on the end of stage 2.
“It’s rather a lot to ask. I imply, we’re one of many greatest groups, we now have plenty of workers so we will deal with it however I’m positive for a number of the smaller groups it’s an actual headache.”
Deignan went on to confess that, “There’s rather a lot at stake isn’t there? There’s sponsors, there’s public, there’s much more than simply my opinion as a rider”.
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The Paris Olympic Video games was the primary purpose, after all, forcing the Tour de France Femmes to maneuver from its late July spot to mid-August. But additionally, the double stage day allowed organisers to begin the race on Monday, to keep away from clashing with the Closing Ceremony of the Video games, and nonetheless end with the grand Alpe d’Huez finale on a Sunday. All of the whereas this saved the race at eight levels, to not scale back it in measurement from the primary two editions.
FDJ-Suez shared a extra essential view on having two races in sooner or later, with Staff Supervisor Stephen Delcourt stating that it was, “plenty of logistics” and “plenty of stress”, particularly for workers.
“We aren’t completely happy a couple of day like this, two levels on the identical day, it’s actually exhausting for the riders and the workers with the logistics. For instance, after the end line, we’ll haven’t any bus and we booked one other lodge as a result of it’s near inconceivable to go to the lodge and are available again and it’s essential to recuperate,” Delcourt advised Cyclingnews and Escape Collective in Dordrecht forward of stage 2.
His head mechanic Lucas Fouquet, who labored tirelessly to clean the street bikes from the morning whereas making certain all of the TT bikes have been set for the afternoon along with his two colleagues, had comparable complaints.
“A busy day yeah. It’s good for spectators, it is good for the cities. However as a workers member, I do not suppose it’s a good suggestion, and I believe most of the groups suppose the identical factor about this,” he mentioned.
Condensed relaxation and restoration
For one of many smaller groups Roland, nonetheless, they really had no qualms, with rider Maggie Coles-Lyster stating that issues had run fairly easily for them all through the day.
After recovering from a stage 1 crash, Coles-Lyster completed a powerful eighth within the stage 2 dash, earlier than rolling down the beginning ramp first for the time trial with simply a few hours to relaxation and restoration. However as a observe rider simply again from the Paris Olympics, a number of races in sooner or later have been no stress.
“It’s gone fairly easily, they’ve acquired it fairly dialled in,” she mentioned of her crew to Cyclingnews. “It’s not been too sophisticated, so no complaints. Perhaps logistically behind the scenes for the workers, it’s been extra sophisticated however from my standpoint as a rider, it’s been fairly easy.
“It’s sort of good, get it completed early and I can simply hang around, have a pleasant bathe, possibly get a pleasant espresso whereas I anticipate the others and simply begin the restoration course of now.”
Two hours and 5 minutes after Coles-Lyster set off on the 6.3km course, eventual stage winner Vollering had risen from her naps and acquired herself able to take victory and the yellow jersey.
“I took two energy naps after the primary stage. After we got here again to the lodge, I lay on my mattress and fell asleep,” mentioned Vollering in her winner’s press convention. “Then after the recon I needed to do some meditation however I fell asleep once more. I believe I used to be a bit too relaxed right this moment.”
However whereas she relaxed in-between time ready to begin her effort, Vollering did say she wasn’t in favour of the double race day, crediting her teammates for preserving her protected within the hectic 67.9km dash stage.
“I mentioned earlier than that I did not actually prefer it to need to focus two instances. The primary stage within the morning was a bit scary, everybody was contemporary towards the entrance and everybody thinks they’ll dash,” mentioned Vollering.
“It was OK. My entire crew labored exhausting to maintain me in entrance the entire day, particularly a shout-out to Mischa [Bredewold], Christine [Majerus], Blanka [Vas] and Niamh [Fisher-Black], they have been working actually exhausting the entire day with their nostril within the wind simply to maintain me protected.”
With the Tour de France Femmes returning to its standard July spot for 2025, it’s unlikely they might want to get particular acceptance to run a double stage within the coming years, even including a ninth stage for the subsequent version. But it surely’s sure that the 2 levels in sooner or later from the 2024 race will probably be memorable, be that for good or dangerous causes.
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