Women's Cycling News 06-13.10.2013

Giro Toscana organisation makes official complaint - Tendring council wants Women's Tour, Northamptonshire gets Stage 1 - Tour du Languedoc-Roussillon 2014 - 2014 GB Nats for Abergavenny - Women's cycling supporter Karen Bliss takes top US Cycling role - Transfers and Team News: New Rytger team, Pasta Zara leaves cycling, Van Dijk leaving Lululemon and more - Shorts and Interesting Links - more to come...

Giro Toscana organisation makes official complaint
The organisers of the Giro Toscana have made an official complaint to Italian Cycling Federation (ACCPI) prosecutors regarding Italian riders who took part in a recent protest at the race. Several Italians, including ex-World Champion Giorgia Bronzini, Noemi Cantele and Elisa Longo Borghini, were among the majority of riders taking part in the event who decided not to contest the final stage in protest at the poor safety conditions they'd experienced in the race - a rolling roadblock was provided only for the lead group, leaving any riders not in that group racing in open traffic.

In a press release, the organisers said:

"The organisation is able to prove that a required level of safety -  as stated by Dr Rita Paladino, commander of Traffic Police - was provided. As to whether the alleged problems are a matter of pure invention, we point to the findings of the UCI (which found no problems) and to the managers of the Cycling Federation (no problems reported). The race continued between those riders that remained without any problems and with a large deployment of security and officials along the parcours. The organising company, Michela Fanini ROX, believes that the reckless actions of certain riders has brought a huge amount of damage to its reputation and on an economic level. At this point, the Federal Prosecutors' Office has a duty to investigate and punish the riders responsible for the protest."

The ACCPI has not yet responded to the complaint, but had previously indicated that it fully supported the protest.


Local council wants Women's Tour
One of the problems faced by women's cycling, as we all know, is that you don't get districts clamouring for the privilege of hosting stages like you do in men's races. The reason is that a women's race just doesn't bring in the benefits of a men's race.

Tendring, within Essex

Just like many of the other problems associated with the sport - women are too scared of crashing, women only race until they're in the mid-20s then leave to have babies, women aren't as aggressive and so their races are boring - it's not actually true. A town council only has to scratch the surface and it'll find that hosting a women's race (provided it's advertised and billed as a good, fun and above all cheap day out for the family) is actually a guaranteed way to bring in visitors and their wallets, which is why Tendring in Essex has spent the last few months negotiating with SweetSpot, organisers of the (men's) Tour of Britain, to bring a stage of its new race The Women's Tour to the town in May 2014.

"Staging part of this race will bring many thousands of people into Tendring out of the main holiday season and will be great for the local economy," Tendring's council member for tourism Alan Goggin told the East Anglian Daily Times newspaper. "I am really looking forward to a positive outcome to our bid and we have worked hard to get the event to the District. It will be the first Women’s Tour of Britain and the race is attracting a great deal of interest around the world and from media companies wanting to cover the event. I am proud to say that it could bring international coverage to Tendring, promoting sport, fitness and health and well-being right across the region, as well as showcasing all the very best of the District and the many features and attractions on offer."

SweetSpot, who are not permitted to call the race the Women's Tour of Britain as the name Tour of Britain is owned by British Cycling, has put an enormous amount of time and effort into the event and promises that prizes on offer will be equal to those at the men's Tour. Tendring's interest in hosting a stage is more proof that, if it's promoted properly, women's cycling can and will grow.

A stage in Tendring would be flat, with the highest point in the district just 35m above sea level. However, with numerous historic towns and villages and picturesque salt marshes in the area, it would be a fine backdrop to the race.

Northamptonshire gets Stage 1
Meanwhile, Northamptonshire County Council is delighted that the first stage will take place in the county.

"This is fantastic news for Northamptonshire and I am very pleased we will be hosting the first stage of this prestigious event," county councillor Heather Smith told the Northampton Chronicle and Echo. "Not only will The Women’s Tour bring significant economic benefits to the county, it is also a real opportunity to promote cycling and women’s sport locally. We want to use this event to encourage everyone in Northamptonshire, and in particular the county’s young people, to get cycling and improve their health and wellbeing."

Details of the stage route have not yet been announced, but race organisers SweetSpot have revealed that the finish will be in Northampton itself.

"The Women’s Tour promises to become an exciting fixture in the sporting calendar for years to come, so I am delighted Northampton will host part of this historic first stage," said Northampton borough council leader David Mackintosh. "Last year many of us were glued to our televisions watching all of the action in the Olympic Velodrome and road races at London 2012. I am sure the world’s best female cyclists will get a good reception as they race through our historic streets next year."


Tour du Languedoc-Roussillon 2014
The Tour du Languedoc-Roussillon was notably absent from the UCI Elite Women's Calendar published last week, which came as no real surprise after the difficulties of the last couple of years, but according to Gwena (whom you really should be following; she's the expert on women's cycling in France) organisers plan to hold the race in 2014.

"L'édition 2014 de l'épreuve n'est pas encore "visible" sur le calendrier UCI mais cela est simplement dû au fait que les organisateurs sont encore en attente de certaines subventions pour boucler l'édition 2013. En mai, la candidature 2014 a été déposée en catégorie 2.2 pour des dates allant du vendredi 23 au mercredi 28 mai 2014 soit juste avant le Grand Prix de Plumelec," she explains - "The 2014 edition is not yet visible on the UCI calendar, but this is simply because the organisers are still waiting for some grants to complete the 2013 edition. They have filed their application for a 2.2 event between the 23rd and 28th of May in 2014, just before the Grand Prix de Plumelec."

The race, if it goes ahead, looks like it might have a website for 2014 too - the lack of one, which has made it difficult for fans to follow the race, has been criticised in the past.


2014 GB Nats for Wales
The 2014 British National Championships will be held at Abergavenny in Wales from the 26th to the 29th of June, British Cycling has revealed. The town, which is 10km from the English border and is thus crucially easy to reach by road from the rest of Britain, also hosted the Championships in 2007 and 2009, when Nicole Cooke won (as she also did in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008). The parcours has not yet been made public; however, with two mountains (Blorens and Y Fâl) and seven big hills overlooking the town, it's likely to be a hilly route.


Bliss for women at US Cycling's Road Committee
Four-time National Points Race Champion, three-time National Criterium Champion and three-time Tour de Somerville winner Karen Bliss has been given a position as industry representative on US Cycling's Road Race Committee, a role she will hold for three years.

Bliss, who remained involved in cycling following her retirement from professional competition, is vice marketing president at Advanced Sports International, the company that owns - among others - the Kestrel, Fuji and Breezer bike brands, making her one of the most powerful figures in the bicycle manufacturing industry - and she's a passionate supporter of women's cycling.

"I look forward to working with committee members, the board and staff of USA Cycling to help grow the sport of cycling across the country," she says. "I am particularly focused on growing membership through investing in women’s cycling. There are extremely talented, passionate women racing — I want to see them afforded the same opportunities as those in the pro men’s ranks."


Transfers and Team News
Transfers at a glance

Rytger, a Danish team that picked up an impressive forty race wins in 2013, earns UCI status for the new season. Hanna Helamb (previously with Cramo-Go:Green, who lose their UCI status; it's not yet known where the team's other members will go) and Julie Valgren Andersen are confirmed to be joining the team for 2014. Christina Malling Siggaard (previously Restore Cycling) and Anna Pålsson remain on the squad and will be joined by Kamilla-Sofie Valli, Hanna Helamb , Amalie Winther Olson and the junior Julie Valgren Andersen.

Pasta Zara, the Italian food company that has been involved in women's cycling for several years and sponsors a men's amateur team in addition to Pasta Zara-Cogeas, is ending its association with the sport according to reports. There is no mention of this on the websites belonging to the team or the company, but the team hasn't had a great year and it's rumoured that the riders haven't been properly paid for some time

The biggest story concerning transfers this week was the that Ellen van Dijk is leaving Specialized-Lululemon. Van Dijk, considered one of the best time trial specialists in the world, has been with the team for the last two years and prior to that rode for HTC-Highroad, the team that was taken over by new management to form Specialized-Lululemon. In a press conference on the 7th of October, she revealed that she had signed a three-year contract with Boels-Dolmans and hinted that the support the team would offer her going towards the 2016 Olympics was a deciding factor. Nina Kessler, Emma Trott, Jessie Daams, Lizzie Armitstead, Romy Kasper and Marieke van Wanroij are confirmed as having taken up extended contracts with Boels; Katarzyna Pawlokska, who won the Tour en Limousin this year for GSD Gestion-Kallisto, Megan Guarnier, previously with Rabobank, and 17-year-old Nicky Zijlaard (the niece of Leontien van Moorsel) will join the team. It's not know whether Pauliena Rooijakkers will remain.

Ellen van Dijk ‏@ellenvdijk
Tomorrow at 4 pm there will be a press conference about my future and route to Rio 2016. Exciting!

Perhaps unsurprisingly considering the "differing opinions" between herself and the team's manager over whether or not she should have continued in the Giro Toscana (he referred to her decision to do so as "unacceptable"), Rossella Ratto is leaving Hitec Products-UCK. The Italian will ride for Faren-Kuota in 2014. Meanwhile, in addition to Ashleigh Moolman and Lauren Kitchen (as reported some weeks ago,) Hitec will be taking on 2013 Tour de Bretagne winner Audrey Cordon (who has been with Vienne Futuroscope since 2008) and Sara Olsson.

Christine Majerus, previously with Sengers (see below); winner of Stage 2 at the Junior Energiewacht Tour Demi de Jong and Janneke Ensing, who was previously with Ronald McDonald Huis-Groningen Wielerploeg. Rabobank will also lose Liesbet de Vocht, who is going to Lotto-Belisol - the same team with which she began her professional career in 2006. Sara Verhaest and Lieselot Decroix are also joining, and the team is retaining Sabrina Stultiens, Iris Slappendel, Roxane Knetemann, Thalita de Jong, Pauline Ferrand Prevot, Lucinda Brand, Annemiek van Vleuten and of course Marianne Vos; it is not known if Rebecca Talen will remain with the squad.

Tibco are taking on four relatively unknown riders: Anika Todd (silver medallist in the Canadian National ITT Championships this year), Lauren Stephens (previously FCS), Scotti Wilborne and Kristabel Doebel-Hickok. They will join Samantha Schneider, Jasmin Glaesser, Amanda Miller, Claudia Haussler and Shelley Olds.

Sengers, sadly, are closing down at the end of the season; Anna van der Breggen was revealed some time ago to be going to Rabobank while Maaike Polspoel is going to Argos-Shimano, Sofie de Vuyst to Futurumshop.nl-Zannata and Geerike Schreurs to the People's Trust Cycling Team. The remaining riders are yet to reveal their new teams. In addition to de Vuyst, Futurumshop.nl-Zannata are taking on 18-year-old Evy Kuijpers and 19-year-old Kirsten Coppens (previously Dura-Vermeer). Laura van der Kamp is leaving to go to the People's Trust team. Argos-Shimano are losing Esra Tromp and Willeke Knol, both of whom have had a quiet season this year. Futurumshop are keeping Anouska Helena Koster, Mascha Pijnenborg, Janine van der Meer, Latoya Brulee, Karen Elzing and the two Annelieses, van Doorslaer and Dom.

Finally for this week, Elise Delzenne, who rode in 2013 with Bourgogne-ProDialog and won the French National Road Race Championships, is moving up into the Elite ranks with Specialized-Lululemon.

(With thanks to Cycling Fever for their excellent transfers table)


Shorts and Interesting Links
Recommended: The Women's UCI Road Calendar - How 2014 and 2013 Compare (Sarah Connolly at Podium Cafe)
Recommended: The gaping hole left by Amy Dombroski (Dan Seaton for VeloNews)
Trying to find cycling clothing as a curvy girl (prowomenscycling)
How Britain's trio of track cycling women inspired a generation (Daily Telegraph)
Lithuania's female youth shine on the road (Lithuania Tribune)
Seven out of seven for Momentum Toyota (SuperSport)
Dr Hutch: A Women's Tour de France (Cycling Weekly)
2014 Women's Gear Preview (Bicycling)
Indian women shine at ACC Track Asia (Indian Express)
Egypt: Women's Initiative Launches "We Will Ride Bicycles" Campaign (AllAfrica)
Women's GP back in Bendigo (Bendigo Advertiser)

Tweets

Dani King ‏@DaniKing1Bloody good job it was my helmet to hit the road not my head! People walking across the road need to look where there going!

Women's Cycling News 08-15.09.2013

Elite races this week - Riders' strike at Giro Toscana - Boels Ladies Tour - Giro Toscana: Stages 1, 2, 3, riders threaten strike - Garner on GB Worlds team - Le Tour Entier manifesto - Meeuwen's Marianne Monument - Transfer and Team News - Interesting Links - Photo of the Week - more to come...

UCI Elite Women's events this week: Premondiale Giro Toscana Int. Femminile-Memorial Michela Fanini (11-15.09); Chrono Champenois-Trophée Européen (15.09).

Riders' strike at Giro Toscana
Rabobank-Liv/Giant, Hitec Products-UCK, Wiggle-Honda, Orica-AIS, Boels-Dolmans and the USA national team have refused to take part in the final stage of the Giro Toscana in protest at safety issues in the race (see "Riders threaten strike," below).

Rabobank is home to the race leader Marianne Vos, Orica to second place Emma Johansson while Wiggle's Giorgia Bronzini, one of the most popular riders with fans, won Stage 1; making the teams' refusal highly embarrassing to race organisers. It is understood that Rossella Ratto (Hitec-UCK), who is currently in fourth place overall, decided to take part, to the disapproval of team manager Karl Lima. Approximately 40 other riders, mostly Italian, also started and were booed by fans, says journalist Bart Hazen who is at the race. Fans have suggested various reasons that riders might have felt obliged to race, including financial pressure (remember that many "professional" riders have to work in addition to racing simply to make ends meet) and - for the Italians especially - because they felt they owed it to the fans

Lauren Kitchen ‏@LaurenKitchen1 No start today in Toscana. Safety needs to assured before we can race.

Tiffany Jane ‏@tiffanycromwell Well that was an anticlimax to finish Toscana but we took a stand for our safety and 80% of the peloton did not start the final stage.

Emma Johansson ‏@emmaprocyclist Proud of all teams/riders standing up for our safety by not starting in Toscana today! #SafetyFirst #OnMyWayHome

Boels Rental Ladies Tour
Preview
Stages 1-5

Stage 6
The day of Stage 6 began in unusual circumstances - organisers had decided that fourteen climbs (including the infamous Cauberg; you can see the route profile here) wasn't quite enough, so they changed the route slightly and added four more. The fans loved it, because cycling fans love to see riders climb; chances are it wasn't universally popular among the riders.

With every stage up until this one being flat, the race changed character entirely today: whereas there had been little opportunity for breaks to get away from a surging peloton previously (Elke Gebhardt of Argos-Shimano showed she was on the ball when she grabbed just such a rare opporunity and turned it into a stage win), the steep gradients meant attacks were the order of the day. Rabobank-Liv/Giant's Annemiek van Vleuten put in the most impressive performance of the day, coming back from two mechanical failures to chase down the lead group and then jump off the front before staying away for some 30km, putting herself into the lead temporarily by doing so. She was joined by Tatiana Guderzo (MCipollini-Giordana), who was second overall at the Giro Rosa this year, and the pair of them provided one of the highlights of the race - but with Anna van der Breggen (Sengers), Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans), Claudia Hausler (Tibco-To The Top) and Ellen van Dijk (Orica-AIS) joining forces to chase, the two escapees needed would have needed superhuman strength to stay away to the finish.

Tatiana Guderzo takes her first GC
of 2013

So superhuman, apparently, is what they are. The gap decreased steadily, falling from 50" with 10km to go to 15" a kilometre from the line, but they held their pursuers off all the way, losing only another second up the final climb and finished together, with Guderzo taking victory by centimetres.

Trixi Worrack, who had led the race since Stage 2, did not fare well on the stiff gradients and finished in 13th place, 2'52" behind Guderzo - and, more crucially, 2'26" behind Ellen van Dijk (Specialized-Lululemon), who had finished Stage 5 in second place in the General Classification with a disadvantage of only 4". With no rivals finishing anywhere near her, van Dijk therefore leaped into the lead and wins overall with an advantage of 1'05" over van Vleuten and 1'11" over third place Armitstead.

Sarah's huge collection of videos (and more from the Tours de l'Ardeche and Murray River) on Podium Cafe

Stage 6 Top Ten
1 Tatiana GUDERZO (MCipollini-Giordana) 2h53'59"
2 Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) ST
3 Lizzie ARMITSTEAD (Boels-Dolmans) +14"
4 Anna VAN DER BREGGEN (Sengers) +19"
5 Claudia HAUSLER (Tibco-To The Top) ST
6 Ellen VAN DIJK (Specialized-Lululemon) +26"
7 Chantal BLAAK (Tibco-To The Top) +01'27"
8 Jessie DAAMS (Boels-Dolmans) +02'42"
9 Megan GUARNIER (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) ST
10 Marta TAGLIAFERRO (MCipollini-Giordana) +02'44"
Full result

Final General Classification Top Ten
1 Ellen VAN DIJK (Specialized-Lululemon) 15h00'47"
2 Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) +01'05"
3 Lizzie ARMITSTEAD (Boels-Dolmans) +01'11"
4 Tatiana GUDERZO (MCipollini-Giordana) +01'50"
5 Claudia HAUSLER (Tibco-To The Top) +02'17"
6 Trixi WORRACK (Specialized-Lululemon) +02'22"
7 Anna VAN DER BREGGEN (Sengers) +02'28"
8 Chantal BLAAK (Tibco-To The Top) +03'21"
9 Megan GUARNIER (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) +03'59"
10 Katarzyna NIEWIADOMA (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) +04'01"
Full result

Points: 1 Kirsten Wild (Argos-Shimano) 82; 2 Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) 66; 3 Shelley Olds (Tibco-To The Top) 59. Sprints: 1 Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) 20; 2 Annemiek van Vleuten (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) 6; 3 Vera Koedooder (Sengers) 6. Combination: 1 Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) 27; 2 Annemiek van Vleuten (Rabobank-Liv/Giant 23; 3 Ellen van Dijk (Specialized-Lululemon) 17. Youth: 1 Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) 15h04'48"; 2 Amy Pieters (Argos-Shimano) +01'01"; 3 Susanna Zorzi (Italy NT) +02'29".

Premondiale Giro Toscana Int. Femminile-Memorial Michela Fanini

Prologue
Marianne Vos has said in the past that time trials aren't her thing and she'll never be much good at them, but she's not the sort of rider to let a little thing like that stand in her way and still wins them - especially when it's a short prologue such as this one, when she can use a combination of her incredible power and ability to keep generating maximum wattage for just a little longer than anyone else.

Rabo team mate Annemiek van Vleuten was second, taking just 3" longer than Vos to get round the 2.22km parcours, while Shelley Olds of Tibco-To The Top was third at +5".

Vos (left) with Bronzini (centre) and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg
at the 2011 World Championships

Prologue Top Ten
1 Marianne VOS (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) 02'53"
2 Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) +03"
3 Shelley OLDS (Tibco-To The Top) +05"
4 Kirsten WILD (Argos-Shimano) ST
5 Tiffany CROMWELL (Orica-AIS) +06"
6 Valentina SCANDOLARA (MCipollini-Giordana) ST
7 Emily COLLINS (Wiggle-Honda) +07"
8 Pauline FERRAND PREVOT (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) +08"
9 Lauren HALL (Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies) ST
10 Emma JOHANSSON (Orica-AIS) ST
Full result and GC

Stage 1
Sprinters who can hold their own on hilly courses are the rarest of rare breeds in the cycling world, which is the reason that A; Giorgia Bronzini is as successful as she is and B; she was very obviously going to win this stage - with a rolling 33km followed by four laps of a circuit featuring of the Massa e Cozzile climb which, while not an especially high, was steep enough in sections to merit Category 2 status and turned out to be perfectly capable of splitting the race into several distinct groups. Thanks to it, the other sprinters had used up too much energy simply getting to the finish, whereas Bronzini still had the legs to hold off the seven riders who contested the last dash to the line.

Rosella Ratto provided us with more proof of her potential to win big races in the future and of Hitec-UCK manager Karl Lima's unerring talent for spotting promising young riders by following Bronzini all the way - the 20-year-old finished a mere fraction of a second later and recorded the same time for second place but she'll probably be more pleased by knowing that she beat Vos, who took third with the same time.

Bonification seconds saw Vos' overall advantage increase from 3" to 5"; Bronzini is second and Tiffany Cromwell (Orica-AIS) is third at +10".

As has all too often been the case with this race, the stage was not without problems - a number of cars found their way onto the parcours, leading to a group trailing the peloton at around 75km from the start being pulled out of the race when judges decided it was simply too dangerous for them to continue.

Stage 1 Top Ten
1 Giorgia BRONZINI (Wiggle-Honda) 3h21'12"
2 Rossella RATTO (Hitec Products-UCK) ST
3 Marianne VOS (Rabobank-Liv/Giant)
4 Emma JOHANSSON (Orica-AIS) ST
5 Tiffany CROMWELL (Orica-AIS) ST
6 Anna VAN DER BREGGEN (Sengers) ST
7 Claudia HÄUSLER (Tibco-To The Top) ST
8 Tatiana ANTOSHINA (MCipollini-Giordana) +03"
9 Evelyn STEVENS (Specialized-Lululemon) ST
10 Tatiana GUDERZO (MCipollini-Giordana) +05"
Full result and GC

Stage 2
How the riders got through Stage 2 without anyone suffering serious injury is miraculous - but organisers and police are going to have some questions to answer because the teams aren't going to be at all happy about the non-official (ie, not connected to the race) cars that were again permitted access onto the parcours today, and according to eyewitnesses in larger numbers than Stage 1. "Absolutely crazy this bike race," said photojournalist Bart Hazen. "Again traffic all over the place." It's just the latest in a series of incidents, some ridiculous and some gravely dangerous, that have taken place at women's races this season, indication that the sport really does need more support from the UCI if its to become as professional as the consummately professional riders deserve it to be, but in this case another issue is raised - if the cars got onto the parcours due to a failing on the part of the local police, can they be trusted to control traffic at the World Championships, due to take place in this region later this month?

Chloe Hosking

Meanwhile, Hitec-UCK's Chloe Hosking - who once memorably stated publicly that UCI president Pat McQuaid is "a bit of a dick" (she had to apologise; countless supportive fans, who could not be threatened with sanctions, pledged their support for her) - had some choice words regarding a photographer who seemed to have forgotten that objects such as bicycles traveling at high speed are closer than they appear through a view finder: "obviously has reflexes challenging that of a turtle. Fine but a little dumbfounded with the situation," she Tweeted following the crash, which took place after she'd crossed the finish line in tenth place. Hosking received minor injuries; the photographer was reportedly hospitalised.

We frequently hear of races being won by the thickness of a tyre, this one was won by the thickness of a spoke: Marianne Vos (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) was declared winner with Shelley Olds (Tibco-To The Top) taking second by a milimetre, as revealed by a photofinish. Following the awarding of bonification seconds, Vos' lead increased from 5" to 18" over second place Giorgia Bronzini, who is likely to drop away down the General Classification on the much bigger hills to come; Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS), who has been Vos' strongest rival this year, is in fifth place overall at +25".

Stage 2 Top Ten
1 Marianne VOS (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) 2h46'22"
2 Shelley OLDS (Tibco-To The Top) ST
3 Barbara GUARISCHI (Vaiano-Fondriest) ST
4 Valentina SCANDOLARA (MCipollini-Giordana) ST
5 Annalisa CUCINOTTA (Servetto Footon) ST
6 Elena CECCHINI (Faren-Kuota) ST
7 Annemiek van VLEUTEN (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) ST
8 Giorgia BRONZINI (Wiggle-Honda) ST
9 Marta TAGLIAFERRO (MCipollini-Giordana) ST
10 Chloe HOSKING (Hitec Products-UCK)
Full result and GC

Stage 3
The race seemed destined to end in a big bunch sprint when 30 riders got away in a lead group, but were caught on the Valgiano climb - at which point, a six-strong group consisting of Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS), Anna van der Breggen (Sengers), Rossella Ratto (Hitec-UCK), Claudia Hausler (Tibco-To The Top), Tatiana Antoshina (MCipollini-Giordana) and Marianne Vos (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) escaped. Partly due to the sheer strength of its members and partly because with six of the top teams represented out in front the peloton never really organised a chase effort, the break stayed away - another fast group, headed by Valentina Scandolara and Pauline Ferrand Prevot, rode away from the bunch but were 3'30" away from the leaders by the finish.
47

Vos faced repeated attacks on the final climb as the other members of the break tried to do her some damage before the sprint but she took it all in her stride and chased down each and every attempt, then managed to get away - with Johansson and van der Breggen just hanging on - on the descent, though the other three escapees managed to catch them up with a kilometre to go. There was no photo finish today: when the Dutch woman crossed the finish line, she was a bike length ahead of Johansson. Van der Breggen, who will ride for Vos' team next season, was third with all six riders in the lead group sharing Vos' time. Scandolara, at the head of the chase group, was seventh at +3'30. The main group of 70 riders arrived 9'32" after the lead group. Lizzie Armitstead and Adrie Visser (both Boels-Dolmans) were the most prominent riders of seven not to finish; Katie Colclough of Specialized-Lululemon did not start the stage.

With bonification seconds, Vos saw her overall advantage increase from 18" to 32" over second place, now occupied by Emma Johansson; previous second place Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle-Honda) dropped to 17th at +10'02" after finishing in 96th place.

Stage 3 Top Ten
1 Marianne VOS (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) 3h18'45"
2 Emma JOHANSSON (Orica-AIS) ST
3 Anna VAN DER BREGGEN (Sengers) ST
4 Rossella RATTO (Hitec Products-UCK) ST
5 Claudia HÄUSLER (Tibco-To The Top) ST
6 Tatiana ANTOSHINA (MCipollini-Giordana) ST
7 Valentina SCANDOLARA (MCipollini-Giordana) +03'30"
8 Pauline FERRAND PREVOT (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) ST
9 Tiffany CROMWELL (Orica-AIS) ST
10 Elena CECCHINI (Faren-Kuota) ST
Full result and GC

Riders threaten strike
According to reports in the Spanish press, the riders in Toscana have stated that they will not race the final stage between Lucca and Florence unless improvements are made to traffic control during the race. In previous stages, the roads had not been cleared of traffic by means of a rolling roadblock for the entire race to pass by, as is typically the case, but only for the lead riders - which leaves the rest of the field riding in traffic.

"We are all agreed that we cannot race in these conditions," says Elisa Longo Borghini. "Over the last few days, we've been lucky and nobody was injured, but it's just too risky. Our representatives have asked [organiser] Brunello Fanini to take action, but the situation has not improved. If a sufficient number of motorcycles to guarantee our safety cannot be provided, we have decided we have no choice but to cancel the [final] stage."

"I fully agree with the Italian strike plans - safety must be a priority," says Marianne Vos, who acts as a riders' representative to the UCI. "For ten years, there have been issues with rider safety at this race and it's time we expressed our discomfort."

Garner makes GB Worlds team

Lucy Garner - the next big thing in
British women's cycling

Lucy Garner, twice Junior World Road Race Champion, has been provisionally included in this year's British World Championship team. Garner, who turns 19 on the 20th of this month, won her first Junior Worlds in 2011, then repeated the achievement in 2012 - when she also became Junior European Champion and won a number of British races, then accepted a place on the Dutch Argos-Shimano trade team - where she rides with some of the top female cyclists in the world, including Kirsten Wild and Charlotte Becker - for the 2013 season.

She will be joined on the GB team by Emma Pooley, Lizzie Armitstead, Nikki Harris, Katie Colclough and Sharon Laws.

Le Tour Entier lauches manifesto
The media has gone a bit quiet with regard to the Le Tour Entier campaign to encourage the Amaury Sport Organisation to introduce a women's Tour de France as soon as possible just lately, though the online petition is still ticking away and gathering signatures - it's not far off 100,000 names now.

Now the campaign, started by Emma Pooley, Marianne Vos, Kathryn Bertine and Chrissie Wellington, has a manifesto - and Le Tour Entier is demanding not just a women's Tour, but the inauguration of three women's Grand Tours (one of which would presumably be a much developed and extended Giro Rosa, the only women's Grand Tour currently in existence) and a complete overhaul of women's cycling.

This month, the UCI will hold an election to select its president. Pat McQuaid, who has been widely criticised for his apparent lack of interest in women's cycling, looks increasingly unlikely to beat his only rival, British Cycling boss Brian Cookson, who is a keen supporter of women's cycling and has indicated his intention to investigate ways in which the sport can be promoted and developed.

The manifesto's six main points

• Le Tour Entier aims to "help create a framework to support the growth of women’s cycling and build a sport with greater consumer, media and commercial appeal – starting with a race at the Tour de France."
• The UCI should examine ways in which women's cycling can be promoted so as to increase coverage in the media, which will attract new sponsors
• The UCI should promote the commercial development of women's cycling
• The UCI should strongly encourage World Tour teams to operate both men's and women's teams, as is currently the case with Orica-AIS, Lotto-Belisol and Argos-Shimano
• Women's World Tour, Continental Tour and Continental Championships be established and races forming part of each series should be encouraged to run men's and women's races, as is the case currently with the Ronde van Vlaanderen and some other events
• Rules regarding the maximum stage length in and overall length of women's races should be revised

"Right now, we need change. We believe that Brian Cookson, in his manifesto, presents an opportunity for women's cycling to move forward," says Bertine. "If Pat McQuaid wins, my biggest fear is that nothing will happen."

"We have been very frank, open and honest in this manifesto - we've taken a long hard look at women's road cycling as a whole, what’s working and what isn't," adds Pooley  "We've been pretty critical of the way in which women's cycling is currently run, which in truth is pretty badly, but we've also come up with some very positive solutions and suggestions. I just think it's high time that the greatest and most inspiring bike race in the world had a women's race! Quite apart from the obvious inequality, it's a missed opportunity for spectators and the sport of cycling as a whole.  I think that when girls take up cycling, they should be able to aspire to race the Tour de France without that being just a crazy dream."

Meeuwen's Marianne Monument

Sometimes, I wonder if I should rename this blog the "Marianne Vos Is The Greatest Person That Ever Lived Blog" - it seems that every week she's either won another race (or a few of them) or done something else that's worthy of note. The people in Meeuwen are, therefore, rightfully proud of her, and to celebrate her remarkable career and the fact that she chose their village in which to make her home they've decided to unveil a monument to her. There's more on the monument, plus details of three more erected to commemorate other famous Meeuwen residents, on Marianne's official website.

Transfer and Team News
Team merger
No new information on transfers this week, but the Futurumshop.nl and CycleLive-Zannata teams have announced that they will merge to form one team for 2014.

The new squad is to be known as Futurumshop.nl-Zannata.de and will be made up of riders selected from both 2012 teams. So far, it looks as though Annelies van Doorslaer, Latoya Brulee, Annelies Dom, Karen Elzing, Janine van der Meer, Mascha Pijnenborg and Anouska Koster are all in, though discussions with other riders are taking place. The team will be registered in the Netherlands.
Interesting Links
Some thoughts on Brian Cookson's latest blog (Unofficial Unsanctioned Women's Cycling)
Lucy Garner makes GB road race world championship squad (Sky Sports)
Why must cycling companies saddle women with pink? (The Guardian)
Cyclist Maddi Campbell looks to impress in Italy (Stuff NZ)
Hollee Simons gets a fitting finale (Western Advocate)

Photo of the Week

Cafe stop with Jessie Walker
(with thanks to Penny Rowson of the Matrix Racing Academy for the photo)