Hive Weekly Cycling News - July 27 2023

The Tour de France for 2023 has come to an end and the winner crowned. I think the battle for the 2023 title although had Jonas Vingegaard take a decisive lead towards the end of the tour, it was a great battle between himself and Tadej Pogacar, clearly two of the best riders going around at the moment. With the women’s tour, I think it will be a similar battle between two of the best in form riders with Demi Vollering making a big move at stage 4, but I am waiting to see what the defending champ, Annemiek Van Vleuten will do in the next few stages. Unfortunately, we have less time in the women’s tour for these battles to take place. I think this is highlighted by the battle during stage 4 of the Femme’s, an amazing battle in the mountains between some of the best riders in the world at the moment.

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Jonas Vingegaard Wins 2023 Tour de France

[Image Jonas Vingegaards Courtesy Reuters]

With Jonas Vingegaard keeping his overall lead by over seven minutes, time was running out for any other rider to make there move. Stage 18 saw a flatter stage after the previous days in the mountains. Definitely a day for the sprinters as the stage took the 184km journey from Moutiers to Bourg en Bresse. A group of four riders managed to make a break from the peloton late in the stage, and they were able to keep ahead of the sprinters with Kasper Asgreen of Soudal-QuickStep winning ahead of Pascal Eenkhoorn of Lotto Dstny and Jonas Abrahamsen of Uno-X Pro Cycling Team.

It was almost a repeat performance for Kasper Asgreen in stage 19, with a more hilly 172km stage from Moirans en Montagne to Poligny. Asgreen was joined by Matej Mohoric of Bahrain Victorious and Ben O’Connor of AG2R Citroen Team in a break away. Mohoric and Asgreen left O’Connor in the final sprint to the finish line and Mohoric was the winner of the stage ahead of Asgreen, with O’Connor four seconds behind. Jonas Vingegaard finished in the main peloton and kept hold of his overall lead.

Although Tadej Pogacar was not able to gain back the yellow leaders jersey, his ride on the 20th stage of the Tour, made sure he would end on a high note. Another mountain stage across 133km, from Belfort to Le Markstein, first saw Thilbaut Pinot Groupama-FDG make a solo attack, but was then joined by another 6 riders who were able to bridge the gap. This included both Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar. The final sprint to the finish saw Vingegaard take the early lead but was not able to hold on with Pogacar taking the stage and Felix Gall of AG2R Citroen Team taking second place. Vingegaard was left in third for the stage but still had the yellow jersey leading into the final stage.

The final stage of the Tour de France, is usually a formality. The 115km stage from Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris Champs-Élysées is more of a victory lap for all the riders that have made there way to the end of the grandest tour of the year. There is a chance for the sprinters to flex there muscles one last time to win the final stage of the race where Jordi Meeus of Bora Hansgrohe taking a surprise victory in a photo finish ahead of Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin Deceuninck, with Dylan Groenewegen of Team Jayco-AlUla finishing third.

Meeus would celebrate his greatest victory of his career, but it was Jonas Vingegaard who would be crowned king and awarded his second consecutive Tour de France title. Tadej Pogacar finishing second with Adam Yates taking third overall. It was a great battle between both Vingegaard and Pogacar, and it could have been anyones title, until the time trial of stage 17 where Vingegaard made a decisive move to extend his lead and potentially claim the overall prize from there. Pogacar, of course was coming off an injury that happened earlier in the year, and I am sure he will be back again next year to see if he can again claim the overall victory.

[Top 10 Overall Standings For the Tour de France 2023, Courtesy procyclingstats.com]

Thank Goodness For The 2023 Tour de France Femme

We kick off the 2023 Tour de France Femme on the 23rd of July, straight after the conclusion of the men’s tour, we have the first four stages, with stage four being a well fought victory and I think giving us a preview of what will happen in the rest of the race.

It was so good that after a very eventful Tour de France 2023 for the mens, we did not have to wait long for the Tour de France Femme to kick off on the 23rd of July, 2023 kicking off with a 123km loop starting and returning Clermont-Ferrand. Lotte Kopecky of SD Worx surprised the peloton by attaching mid climb, with 10km left in the stage. Her team members kept the peloton from countering her gap, which allowed her to win the stage 1 of the tour and giving her, her 30th career win. She was followed by Lorena Wiebes of SD Worx and Charlotte Kool of Team DSM-firmenich finished third. The win also giving Kopecky the leaders jersey for the day as well.

Stage 2 was slowed due to a number of crashes and heavy rain causing safety issues. The peloton were allowed to continue with the stage being decided by a bunch sprint to the finish line. Overall leader Kopecky was lead by her team in the final sprint but Leanne Lippert of Team Movistar was able to get on her well and power ahead with 150m left in the stage, winning ahead of Kopecky, with Silvia Persico of UAE Team ADQ finishing third. The second place in the stage was enough to keep Kopecky in the overall lead for another day, with a lead of 49 seconds.

The big names were out in force again for stage 3 of the tour. The 147km ride was relatively flat with Lorena Wiebes of SD Worx making here intentions on winning the stage clear for the start of the day. It was a calm stage with little chance for break aways, except for Julie Van de Verde of Fenix-Deceuninck, who made a solo break with about 37km left in the stage. The SD Worx team held back until the last kilometre of the stage, first catching Van de Velde, then using using Lotte Kopecky to pull Wiebes to the front of the group. Giving Wiebes her first win of the year. Marrianne Vos of Team Jumbo-Visma finished second leaving her run too late, with Kopecky finishing third and allowing her to keep the overall lead.

Stage 4 of the Tour de France Femme was the longest of the tour with a 177km ride from Cahors to Rodez, and was actually the longest Women’s World Tour stage ever. Although only 2400m in elevation, the riders would be climbing from almost the half way mark, till the end of the stage. A group of 14 riders made a break when the climbing started and pushed their lead out to over 10 minutes with only 65km left in the stage. The peloton continued to chase down the group and reduce the gap and it seemed like on a matter of time until the group would be caught. With 20km to go Yara Kastelijn of Fenix-Deceuninck, who had been working with the break away group decided to go alone, and it was a great decision. Climbing and taking a lead over the break away, who were eventually caught with only a few kilometres left in the stage. I would be Kastelijn who would keep a lead of over a minute to the main peloton to win the stage. Demi Vollering of Team SD Worx, who had played a big part in organising the peloton to catch the break away was rewarded with second place in the stage and Anouska Koster of Uno-X Pro Cycling Team was third. Lotte Kopecky kept hold of the yellow leaders jersey, but this reduced her lead to 43 seconds, with Demi Vollering now in second place overall after stage 4.

[Image of Yara Kastelijn Courtesy Getty Images]

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This week Vespa OFM Podcast is interviewing Vespa / OFM Ambassador Bree Lambert Sanders, who is a nutritionist and coach in the San Jose area. Bree who, at 54 years young, still competes at the elite level including winding up with an overall win or a place on the podium.

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