SPOILERS - TDF Femmes Avec Swift

[NHAero]

Originally Posted by charliedid

I get it. I have the volume low and also have Tour Tracker open which is a live feed. I'm also able to tune out and compartmentalize it all.

http://live.thetourtracker.com

I did that some days when Phil/Bob combined with Tejay was driving me nuts.

TDF Femmes other big improvement is only one commercial when I open it up on Peacock, otherwise nothing.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by NHAero

I'm watching on Peacock. Commentators are Anthony McCrossan and a former woman pro who I have not been above to identify.

Tanja Erath I believe.

[nalax]

Big shake up in the race leaders today.
Tomorrow's race will be interesting.

[cuda]

Just wondering, should they maybe have waited for the yellow? KN says she didn't know. Vas must have known. No SDWorx teammates dropped back. I thought that seemed kind of odd. No love for Demi? Maybe just too close to the finish and Vas winning grabbed a few bonus seconds from KN. Hoping Vollering can continue. Piffier Goergi seemed to get the worst of it.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by cuda

Just wondering, should they maybe have waited for the yellow? KN says she didn't know. Vas must have known. No SDWorx teammates dropped back. I thought that seemed kind of odd. No love for Demi?
What is the etiquette in situations like this?

Race is on with 6k to go, crashes happen. Racers are under no obligation to self-neutralize in that situation, IMO.

As for SDWorx not dropping back to Vollering, Vas says her radio didn't work, Mischa Bredewold did drop back (and was subsequently dropped by Vollering), haven't watched closely enough to see what anyone else was doing. 6k left is not a lot of time and pretty confusing, so maybe they deserve a pass. Also not clear that they would have saved much time with more help with such a short distance remaining.

On the other hand, Vollering has been seen setting her own tempo in other races this year in situations that would normally have a domestique on the front. And there was that whole Strada Bianche thing with Kopecky in 2023. Either she's really a lone wolf and kinda works best by herself, or the rumored contract split is definitely happening and SDWorx management is being petty about it. Or maybe both.

[PaMtbRider]

Post race interview Vas said her radio wasn't working and she didn't know. SD Worx screwed up. Somebody should have waited for the yellow jersey. Lorraine Wiebes sprinted for 8th place. She said Demi will be able to make up the time in the mountains and is why she didn't wait.

[benadrian]

The interchange where that crash happened today... that looked hairy. They were coming out of a roundabout the opposite way of traffic flow, onto a side road, into a turn that was optimized for travel in the opposite direction. Plus, there was a curb that was basically the same color as the road, and the surface on the raised curb area was the same tarmac as the road.

I was not surprised that there was a crash. I'd like to know if anyone was aware of the weirdness of that roundabout path.

[72gmc]

Originally Posted by PaMtbRider

Post race interview Vas said her radio wasn't working and she didn't know. SD Worx screwed up. Somebody should have waited for the yellow jersey. Lorraine Wiebes sprinted for 8th place. She said Demi will be able to make up the time in the mountains and is why she didn't wait.

I agree, you rally riders to help your leader because she is your leader. It’s as much about morale as about time. Leave Blanka to go for the win (she wouldn’t have heard anyway) and tell everyone else to help. Today looked like a lack of care because she’s leaving.

[NHAero]

Wiebes should have stopped and helped her back. She was right there at the crash.
Darn, a little farther aiong and everyone in the crash would have got the same time as the others in the group, right? Is that zone 5 km?

[Waldo62]

Vollering is leaving SD Worx at the end of the season. I wonder if that played into team tactics at today's stage.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by Waldo62

Vollering is leaving SD Worx at the end of the season. I wonder if that played into team tactics at today's stage.

I've asked that about 15 times this year, which is enough questioning to make me think the answer is yes.

[nalax]

Originally Posted by Waldo62

Vollering is leaving SD Worx at the end of the season. I wonder if that played into team tactics at today's stage.

Team manager Stam said that Bredewold's radio was the only one working but who knows. Before the crash they were likely planning to lead out Wiebes for the stage.

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by nalax

Team manager Stam said that Bredewold's radio was the only one working but who knows. Before the crash they were likely planning to lead out Wiebes for the stage.

Sure, but there only about 25 people ahead of the crash, and the riders have eyes. It wouldn't have been hard to see the woman in the bright yellow jersey wasn't in the group.

[72gmc]

Originally Posted by nalax

Team manager Stam said that Bredewold's radio was the only one working but who knows. Before the crash they were likely planning to lead out Wiebes for the stage.

Taking care of the yellow jersey is a bus conversation before the stage, though. At least I hope it would be. I am seriously questioning what other riders on that team have been told by Stam.

[NHAero]

Originally Posted by Waldo62

Vollering is leaving SD Worx at the end of the season. I wonder if that played into team tactics at today's stage.

Certainly that's part of the speculation.
The thing is, don't they want the yellow jersey at the end? If so, why mess with her?