Double stage race days are usually not a brand new idea to elite races in biking, that includes in males’s Tours de France again within the 90s but additionally seen as not too long ago because the Baloise Ladies Tour this previous July. However, 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 employees labored further 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 ebook one other resort 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, figuring out they’d need to be swift with their actions each throughout the workforce presentation and official commitments after which exit again in 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 highway stage, it’s truthful to say that some riders had been left questioning why the choice to host two races in someday was taken.
“It’s not my favorite factor. Mainly it causes a number of stress for the employees and the riders. I don’t know why they do it, however I’m certain 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 a number of employees so we are able to deal with it however I’m certain for a few 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 Games was the primary purpose, in fact, 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 start out the race on Monday, to keep away from clashing with the Closing Ceremony of the Games, and nonetheless end with the grand Alpe d’Huez finale on a Sunday. All the whereas this stored the race at eight phases, to not cut back it in dimension from the primary two editions.
FDJ-Suez shared a extra essential view on having two races in someday, with Team Manager Stephen Delcourt stating that it was, “a number of logistics” and “a number of stress”, particularly for employees.
“We are usually not joyful a couple of day like this, two phases on the identical day, it’s actually exhausting for the riders and the employees with the logistics. For instance, after the end line, we’ll haven’t any bus and we booked one other resort as a result of it’s near inconceivable to go to the resort and are available again and it is advisable to get well,” Delcourt advised Cyclingnews and Escape Collective in Dordrecht forward of stage 2.
His head mechanic Lucas Fouquet, who labored tirelessly to scrub the highway bikes from the morning whereas making certain all of the TT bikes had been set for the afternoon along with his two colleagues, had related complaints.
“A busy day yeah. It’s good for spectators, it is good for the cities. But as a employees 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, nevertheless, 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. But as a observe rider simply again from the Paris Olympics, a number of races in someday had been no stress.
“It’s gone fairly easily, they’ve bought it fairly dialled in,” she mentioned of her workforce to Cyclingnews. “It’s not been too sophisticated, so no complaints. Maybe logistically behind the scenes for the employees, it’s been extra sophisticated however from my perspective as a rider, it’s been fairly clean.
“It’s sort of good, get it accomplished early and I can simply hang around, have a pleasant bathe, possibly get a pleasant espresso whereas I watch for 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 bought herself able to take victory and the yellow jersey.
“I took two energy naps after the primary stage. When we got here again to the resort, I lay on my mattress and fell asleep,” mentioned Vollering in her winner’s press convention. “Then after the recon I wished to do some meditation however I fell asleep once more. I believe I used to be a bit too relaxed at the moment.”
But whereas she relaxed in-between time ready to start out her effort, Vollering did say she wasn’t in favour of the double race day, crediting her teammates for holding her secure 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 first stage within the morning was a bit scary, everybody was recent towards the entrance and everybody thinks they’ll dash,” mentioned Vollering.
“It was OK. My entire workforce 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 had been working actually exhausting the entire day with their nostril within the wind simply to maintain me secure.”
With the Tour de France Femmes returning to its traditional 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 following version. But it’s sure that the 2 phases in someday from the 2024 race might be memorable, be that for good or unhealthy causes.
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