La Vuelta Femina
05-06-24, 06:57 PM
#1
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La Vuelta Femina
... or whatever it is called ...
This has been superb bike racing.
I was out of town and missed the actual race so I am halfway through the replays, and it has been superb bike racing. Pelotons breaking in half due to crosswinds, long attacks, short late attacks .... all the stuff which makes potentially dull stages exciting and exciting stages outrageous.
I am not sure, but I think that the variety of skill levels at the women's pro level leads to teams with some stars and some much weaker riders (way faster than I have ever been, but ... )
In the men's peloton, even the "weak" riders are so highly tuned and trained---there is such a much larger pool of contenders, so every rider on every team is pretty phenomenal---but there are fewer woman riders so there is a wider range of talents ... which means that stuff which hardly ever happens in men's races can happen in women's races, like actually splitting the peloton, or surviving with long attacks or late attacks ... the stuff I have seen once or twice in the past two decades in the men's tour, is much more common in the women's tour.
Maybe my reasoning is wrong, I don't care. So far the Women's Vuelta has been very enjoyable.
This has been superb bike racing.
I was out of town and missed the actual race so I am halfway through the replays, and it has been superb bike racing. Pelotons breaking in half due to crosswinds, long attacks, short late attacks .... all the stuff which makes potentially dull stages exciting and exciting stages outrageous.
I am not sure, but I think that the variety of skill levels at the women's pro level leads to teams with some stars and some much weaker riders (way faster than I have ever been, but ... )
In the men's peloton, even the "weak" riders are so highly tuned and trained---there is such a much larger pool of contenders, so every rider on every team is pretty phenomenal---but there are fewer woman riders so there is a wider range of talents ... which means that stuff which hardly ever happens in men's races can happen in women's races, like actually splitting the peloton, or surviving with long attacks or late attacks ... the stuff I have seen once or twice in the past two decades in the men's tour, is much more common in the women's tour.
Maybe my reasoning is wrong, I don't care. So far the Women's Vuelta has been very enjoyable.
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05-07-24, 06:06 AM
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I agree. The level is uneven. But the stars are super athletes.
05-07-24, 06:10 AM
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It was very enjoyable
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05-07-24, 04:01 PM
#4
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I think it was stage 5 that I saw Vollering pulling away from the breakaway going up a mountain, and she wasn't even in her lowest gear. I probably couldn't walk up that mountain.
I agree with the analysis - wider range of skill - and with the conclusion - superb racing. I hope the race did well enough with fans to keep going.
Do you watch the interviews of the leaders after each stage? I found it jarring to hear DV say she wanted the leader's jersey because it's pretty. I think the team jersey looks better than the GC leader's. But comfort levels change over time....
I agree with the analysis - wider range of skill - and with the conclusion - superb racing. I hope the race did well enough with fans to keep going.
Do you watch the interviews of the leaders after each stage? I found it jarring to hear DV say she wanted the leader's jersey because it's pretty. I think the team jersey looks better than the GC leader's. But comfort levels change over time....
05-08-24, 12:41 PM
#5
Yeah - not even using her lowest gear on that climb was just mean ! 
Great racing ! Loved it !
Great racing ! Loved it !
