TDFF 23, baby! 🇫🇷🥐
+ we reveal the winner of a copy of Cat by Freya North
Hello! Welcome to Women’s Cycling Weekly! 🚴♀️
It’s October and I should be thinking about my Halloween costume (a witch, if u care 🧙♀️) but we are instead thinking about an event that takes place next July…
But that’s ok because the event in question is the Tour de France Femmes and who doesn’t love that?? The route for the 2023 race was revealed in Paris yesterday afternoon and, ICYMI, the headliners are a finish on the Tourmalet and an ITT. But that’s the least interesting bit tbf because we all know what’s going to happen (AVV). It’s the other stages, (2 looks esp spicy) that will probably deliver the best racing.
The overarching sentiment after the route reveal seems to be ‘just give Annemiek van Vleuten the jersey already’ and while, yeah, probs, that doesn’t mean that the rest of the race won’t be exciting and explosive and surprising! We all loved it this year did we not? And she ran away with the GC by over 3 and a half mins 🤯
If you want to know our thoughts on the route then be sure to tune into this week’s pod!
Speaking of, the winner of a signed copy of Cat by Freya North from our lil podcast competition is…🥁 Beth Hazlett! 🥳 congrats to Beth and thanks SO much to everyone else who took the time to enter or has been listening to the pod!
Amy x
News 📰
The Tour de France Femmes route for 2023 has been revealed! With a move away from Paris, a finish atop the Tourmalet and a final TT on the menu, it looks like (another) challenging and exciting race.
Defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten sees the course as ‘an upgrade’.
European CX champion Lucinda Brand is out of action for ‘an unknown time’ after fracturing her hand in practice at the Tábor World Cup.
Newly-crowned Afghan champion Fariba Hashimi will join Israel Premier Tech Roland for 2023. She secured the contract after winning the national championships which were held in Switzerland.
The Jayco Herald Sun Tour has been cancelled for the third year in a row, but is hoping to return for 2024.
Marianne Vos added ANOTHER title to her list that is long enough to have its own Wikipedia page - she won the Dutch Gravel Championships at the weekend.
The CX Superpestige series gets underway this weekend with the opening round in Ruddervoorde.
Amy Pieters has been able to walk for the first time since her life-changing crash last Christmas. She continues her rehabilitation in the Netherlands.
Read 🗞️
‘Sponsoring the Tour de France Femmes: what’s in it for Zwift?’
17-year-old cross rider Kaya Musgrave writes about keeping the fun in racing.
Meet the little-known Belgian national champion, Kim de Baat.
‘Anna Kiesenhofer: A bittersweet year taught me that not winning is normal.’
Analysis: SD Worx is top-ranked team of 2022, but space at the top is tighter than ever.
Could signing Pauline Ferrand-Prévot convince Ineos Grenadiers to invest more in women’s cycling?
Winner of the Afghan national championships, Fariba Hashimi, calls for change
Ruth Winder ‘exploded a little bit’ at final Life Time Grand Prix gravel race
‘Linda Jackson Brought Invaluable Experience to the Tour de France Femmes.’
What it’s like taking mountain bike lessons for the first time.
Audrey Cordon Ragot talks about her stroke saying ‘I could have died’.
Watch 📺
Tilda dropped this one in the Google Doc with the comment “reliably informed that this is good crack if u speak dutch” which I’m inclined to believe, because it’s Puck.
Listen 🎧
…speaking of Puck, here’s my interview with her for Freewheeling:
Obv don’t miss the latest WCW pod in which we have a look at the TDFF 2023 route:
And CX legend Helen Wyman spoke to the Quicklink pod:
Results 🏆
Road
🇦🇫 Afghanistan National Championships:
Fariba Hashimi
Yulduz Hashimi
Zahra Rezayee
CX
UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Tábor 🇨🇿 (R3)
Fem van Empel 🇳🇱
Puck Pieterse 🇳🇱
Annemarie Worst 🇳🇱
Upcoming races 📆
CX
29th October: Superprestige Ruddervoorde 🇧🇪 (R1)
Elite race at 13.40 CEST
Live on GCN/Eurosport
Start list here
30th October: UCI Cyclocross World Cup, Maasmechelen 🇧🇪 (R4)
Junior race at 10.30 CEST
Elite at 13.40 CEST
Live on GCN/Eurosport
Start list here
Friday fun 🕺
If you do just one thing today then please, I beg you, make it scrolling to the second pic in this gallery from Marlen Reusser. You will not be disappointed.
Here’s a preview (and if you can guess who that is I’ll eat my hat)
Living for this Twitter exchange and ELB’s continued stance as the unofficial food critic of the peloton:
This caption 💞
That’s all 👋
Thanks for reading Women’s Cycling Weekly! 💘
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Amy and Tilda x
Just a note- at some point in the podcast you mention that all of the big name, prominent cycling journalists were at the TdFF start in 2022, and that's beneficial for women's racing. As far as I am concerned, the two of you are the big names. It seems to me women's cycling is on the up and I certainly expect the two of you to own that role. We have many ex-racers who have lovely opinions, but we need the real journalists too. You've done great so far, so don't be afraid to claim your place. I don't need some crusty old dude explaining women's cycling to me- I already have to play that role with my non-cycling friends and I am not very good at it and mostly I just point people in your direction. Thank you for your work.