SPOILERS - TDF Femmes Avec Swift

[Jaybee]

Something still doesn't add up. Riders transfer, either of their own behest or because the team moves on every season. It's generally understood that you ride out your contract for your sponsors like a professional and the team doesn't blackball you or cut you out like some middle school clique.

[Red Tornado]

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? 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.

If this happened 40k out, the leaders and whatever group Vollering is in should wait. Inside the last 10k with teams gearing up for the sprint, nah, the leaders/sprinters & their trains keep rolling. SDW could have held a couple riders back, if the radios were working, and let their riders at the front work for Wiebes.
As to why more teammates didn't help out? Maybe the aforementioned contract issues, maybe she's a lone wolf like someone said, both possible. I wonder how well she gets along with the other riders on SDW. Seems like she could have a bit of an ego sometimes (as do all successful athletes), but maybe there's some friction between her and some of the other riders? Just one additional possibility. Regardless, hope she's OK.
Nieuwadoma gets the yellow, but not because she outright beat Vollering, that could be bittersweet.

[NHAero]

I really hope Vollering is ready to ride tomorrow

[cuda]

Interesting analysis on Lantern Rouge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIKnBxSYmfA

[Waldo62]

For the duration of the race, Taylor Swift should change her name to Taylor Zwift, and all the race participants should be referred to as Zwifties.

Carry on.

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by cuda

Interesting analysis on Lantern Rouge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIKnBxSYmfA

Amazing. Wiebes misjudges the corner, crashes Vollering, admits that she saw "something yellow on the ground", leaves, sprints for 8th, has the nerve to say Vollering will be fine because it's only a minute. With teammates like that, who needs enemies?

[72gmc]

Originally Posted by Jaybee

Amazing. Wiebes misjudges the corner, crashes Vollering, admits that she saw "something yellow on the ground", leaves, sprints for 8th, has the nerve to say Vollering will be fine because it's only a minute. With teammates like that, who needs enemies?

It's this kind of thing that makes me think Stam has isolated Vollering within the team. It feels like they're pursuing SD Worx goals and only helping Vollering to the degree that her goals overlap.

[osbk67]

Originally Posted by 72gmc

It's this kind of thing that makes me think Stam has isolated Vollering within the team. It feels like they're pursuing SD Worx goals and only helping Vollering to the degree that her goals overlap.

The thing that is unbelievable to me is that SD Worx goals, from a sponsorship value and continuity perspective, are surely headed by winning the overall, with the exposure that creates, irrespective of which SD Worx-branded racer wins the overall. And Vollering is the only racer they have who can do that for them, whether they like it, and her, or not.

If I were the sponsor I’d be reading the Riot Act to management. Perhaps they have.

[weisan]

I think some of you are reading too much into what happened yesterday. As I learned from personal experience, sometimes $hit happens... simply because we are humans, not some elaborate conspiracy theory or grand scheme that we hatched out in our brains... nah.

The commentators kept saying, oh looks like the crash yesterday did not affect Vollering too much, she's still able to stay in the front group. Yeah right! Why don't you go try hitting your butt at 25+mph and getting some nice road burns to go with it and see if you can get up and ride your bike right away, forget riding tomorrow on a climbing stage. She may be hanging tough but I am not convinced that Vollering is doing ok.

Gutsy ride by the French winner today.

[72gmc]

You may be right, Weisan, and I may be too suspicious. But my suspicion isn't just based on yesterday ... it's based on weird stuff since the announcement that she is leaving, which included some visible solo work in the Spanish tour. Maybe she just likes to ride alone, but it seems something a DS should be arguing against.

[Jaybee]

Like 72gmc says, SDWorx/Vollering has been weird since earlier this year. The most generous thing that can be said about them is that they are failing to professionally support the best women's rider on the planet. Or maybe that Vollering isn't easy to work with and they're letting her run the show, suggesting weak leadership.

[fried bake]

Sd Worx have been odd for several years now. Actually, since AVDB retired this has been the case.

But, can we talk about Kerbaol’s descent on the way to victory today?

[72gmc]

Originally Posted by fried bake

Sd Worx have been odd for several years now. Actually, since AVDB retired this has been the case.

But, can we talk about Kerbaol’s descent on the way to victory today?

I’m not to that part of the replay yet. Too much work at work today!

[charliedid]

I don't follow the drama just watch. The last 25K of that bike race today was A+ in my notepad.

[72gmc]

Just caught the end of today’s stage. Pretty sure I saw Blanka and Fem finish together, chatting, more than 10 mins down. I like how suffering in cyclocross makes many of these women compatriots in other disciplines.