La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es : One day to go …
April 30 th 2023 - 21:16 [GMT + 2]
· The countdown is almost over and La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es is ready to begin. The team presentation was held right by the beach in Torrevieja’s Natural Swimming Pools to the amusement of fans and riders.
· 160 cyclists split over 23 teams are starting the maiden edition of the Spanish stage race this Monday, May 1st. A 14,5-kilometre team time trial will open the event – quite a challenge that will demand the best out of the athletes, both technically and physically.
· Riders like Annemiek van Vleuten, Demi Vollering or Juliette Labous are the main favourites for the overall win, with double national champion Mavi Garcia being Spain’s flag-bearer.
Diving into La Vuelta Femenina in style
Torrevieja’s Natural Swimming Pools hosted today the La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es team presentation. The warm temperatures were soothed by the freshness of the seaside as thousands of people greeted the riders after enjoying the mass participation bike ride from the Palacio de los Deportes “Tavi y Carmona” sport complex. “It is so cool, isn’t it?”, asked Team SD Worx’s Marlen Reusser in awe. “We are really astonished with how much people there is here.” The music by DJ Neus González and Jimena Amarillo created an ideal atmosphere for spectators and athletes alike. The raffles that put La Vuelta goodies, Carrefour products, Shimano helmets and a road bike up for grabs added an extra reason for the amusement of cycling fans.
36 countries and one big dream
The final entry list of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es comprises 160 riders spread over 23 teams and representing 36 different countries and all 5 continents. As per nation distribution, Spain is the most represented one with 30 riders. Three of the cyclists taking part in La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es have tasted victory on its preceding event, the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta. Movistar Team’s Annemiek van Vleuten won the overall twice in 2021 and 2022, as well as three stages, while Team SD Worx’s Marlen Reusser won a stage and was 2nd in the final GC of the 2021 edition and UAE Team ADQ’s Silvia Persico claimed an uphill sprint victory last year in Segovia.
The average age of the bunch is set at 25,8 years old. The oldest entrant is Muskilda Oloriz, racing for Sopela Women’s Team: a 41-year-old rider who returned to competitive cycling a couple of years ago after racing during her 20s and having two children in her 30s. Second to Oloriz is the aforementioned Van Vleuten, at 40 years and 205 days of age. In the other end of the standings, we find five women who are yet to turn 19: Bepink’s Andrea Casagranda, Sopela’s Laia Puigdefábregas and Nahia Imaz, and Eneicat’s twin sisters Laura and Lucía Ruiz.
A technical challenge in Torrevieja
Team time trials are not common in women’s cycling. “It’s quite a challenge for the less experienced riders, because we don’t race many of them over the season,” says Team SD Worx’s DS Anna van der Breggen. Yet this La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es begins with a 14,5-kilometre long TTT in Torrevieja. Movistar Team is one of the squads who have thoroughly gone over the course in order to prepare for it. “It is a bit less technical than we expected,” says its DS Jorge Sanz. “When studying the course on paper, we were afraid that it would be a bit too technical and the riders would not be able to regroup and properly take turns. Once seen live, the first three kilometres are indeed technically demanding, as they are narrow and uncomfortable to navigate. Notwithstanding, the rest of the course has wider roads and will be faster, without many start-stops.”
So what’s the key to get a good result, then? “The pacing strategy, as in every time trial race. Furthermore, the skills of the riders as a squad will also make a difference, as any turn can easily cost a few seconds if not taken optimally. You can make up for your technical mistakes in the straight sections – but every extra effort has a cost.” Sanz doesn’t believe that gaps will be big. “This TTT won’t be decisive for the final GC. Depending on how the wind blows, the best time will be around 17 minutes and the gap between the teams contending for overall victory shouldn’t be bigger than 40 seconds. The GC battle will rather be defined by the bonus seconds at stake in road stages, or by the hilly days in Riaza and Cantabria… and of course by the Lagos de Covadonga, a big climb that will create big differences.”
Mavi Garcia to carry the Spanish flag
As a double national champion, Mavi Garcia will wear the Spanish flag on her outfit in every stage of La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es. The Liv Racing-TeqFind rider comes to this race hoping for “a podium overall, although a top5 would also be a good result.” Elaborating on her approach, she says: “I am coming to this race in good shape. Even if I was focusing on the Classics and thus haven’t prepared specifically for this race, it can go well for me. I lack some preparation for the steady efforts required by long climbs like Lagos de Covadonga, as in the Classics the climbs were shorter, punchier.” As for the key stages, he sets her sights in two particular days: “I think stage 5 to Mirador de Peñas Llanas in Riaza suits me quite well, while the summit finish atop Lagos de Covadonga will put every rider on her place.”
How to follow La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es
La Vuelta Femenina by Carrefour.es will have an extensive coverage through the race’s official channels. You can follow all the action via the live updates that will be posted on the Race Center of the official website, lavueltafemenina.es, and also on the different social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok under the hashtag #LaVueltaFemenina. Highlights will be posted every day over at Dailymotion and YouTube. Furthermore, the race will be broadcasted in 190 countries spread over all five continents. Pan-European platforms Eurosport and GCN are showing every stage live, while a deal with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will enable countries like Belgium (RTBF), the Netherlands (NOS), Denmark (TV2) and Norway (TV2) to follow the action live in free-to-air TV. In Spain, public-owned sports channel Teledeporte will lead the way and a number of regional TVs like Catalunya’s Esport 3, Galicia’s TVG or Andalucia’s Canal Sur will also show the race live. The array of broadcasters outside Europe includes FloBikes (Canada), Peacock (USA), ESPN (Latin America and Caribbean), RTVC Señal Colombia, Supersport (Sub-Saharan Africa), SSC (MENA), Eurosport Asia (Southeast Asia and Pacific), SBS (Australia), JSports (Japan) y Sky Sport (New Zealand).