Women's Cycling News 25-31.08.2013

UCI races this week - Ellen van Dijk wins Lotto-Belisol Belgium Tour - Vos wins Trophee d'Or ...but loses UCI Ranking lead to Johansson- New team Epic-Scott launched... and another one on the way - Transfer News - UCI Women's Cycling group - Shorts and Interesting Links - Tweets of the Week - more to come...

UCI events this week: Lotto-Belisol Belgium Tour (23-26.08); Trophee d'Or (24-28.08); GP de Plouay-Bretagne (31.08)

Lotto-Belisol Belgium Tour
Race preview here.

Stage 1 (Team Time Trial)
Specialized-Lululemon win the team time trial, placing Ellen van Dijk at the top of the General Classification with an advantage of 35" over her team mate Lisa Brennauer.

Stage 1 Top Ten
1 Specialized-Lululemon 25'39.72"
2 Orica-AIS 26'14.39"
3 Tibco-To The Top 27'01.89"
4 Hitec Products-UCK 27'08.63"
5 Argos-Shimano 27'10.94"
6 Sengers/Bizkaia (Mixed Team 1) 27'15.16"
7 Lotto-Belisol 27'23.70"
8 CycleLive Plus-Zannata 27'33.27"
9 Belgium NT 27'36.82
10 TopSport Vlaanderen-Biorace 27'50.53"
Full result

Stage 2 (Angreau)

Kirsten Wild

With breaks firing off throughout much of the stage, the shape of the end of Stage 2 remained uncertain right up until the final kilometres. However, Argos-Shimano kept a tight rein, ensuring that they had a rider in every break and that they were always around the front of the peloton, ready to get their team leaders into any break that looked as though it might stay away.

The last break was brought back with a little under 3km to go, at which point the team began to concentrate on getting Kirsten Wild into position for a bunch sprint. They did their jobs perfectly and, coming up the last climb to the finish, Wild was able to hang onto rival Emma Johansson's (Orica-AIS) back wheel before using her greater strength to power past and across the line.

Ellen van Dijk (Specialized-Lululemon) retains General Classification lead but has no time advantage over her team mate, second-place Lisa Brennauer. Carmen Small, also with Lululemon, is third overall, 20" down. Elise Delzenne (Rabo/Autoglas Wetteren/Group Solar/FCS Mixed) won the Combativity award.


  Stage 2 Top Ten
1 Kirsten WILD (Argos-Shimano) 2h55'48"
2 Emma JOHANSSON (Orica-AIS) ST
3 Rossella RATTO (Hitec Products-UCK) ST
4 Kelly DRUYTS (TopSport Vlaanderen-Bioracer) ST
5 Ellen VAN DIJK (Specialized-Lululemon) ST
6 Shelley OLDS (Tibco-To The Top) ST
7 Liesbet DE VOCHT (Belgium NT) ST
8 Thalita DE JONG (Mixed Team Rabo/Autoglas Wetteren/Group Solar/FCS) ST
9 Lisa BRENNAUER (Specialized-Lululemon) ST
10 Christina SIGGAARD (Mixed Team Boretti/Matrix/Vanderkitten) ST
Full result and General Classification

Stage 3 (Niljen)
The Cote du Autreppe is neither high nor steep, but when it's climbed nine times (once on each lap of a 12.24km circuit) it was sure to have some effect on how the stage played out and it ensured that a sprint finish was far from guaranteed.

A strong break formed early on and kept going, though most of its members had been picked off by the final lap, mostly as a result of Argos-Shimano driving the pace and hunting them down. One rider remained out in front into the final 3km, but a last effort brought her back too and left the way clear for Amy Pieters to lead Kirsten Wild into the final straight, where she was once again able to overpower Orica-AIS for a second stage win in as many days.

Lisa Brennauer (Specialised-Lululemon) was second, followed by Orica's Nettie Edmondson and the next 117 riders to finish in the lead group (and all receive the same time as Wild; only eight riders finished later). Wild started and ended the day in seventh place overall; Ellen van Dijk (Specialised-Lululemon started in first place overall but crossed the line 18th and thus drops to second place overall. Van Dijk's team mate Brennauer started in second place overall but picked up bonus seconds for her placing on the stage and now leads the General Classification by 6". Marijn de Vries (Lotto-Belisol) won the Combativity award.

Stage 3 Top Ten
1 Kirsten WILD (Argos-Shimano) 2h45'23"
2 Lisa BRENNAUER (Specialized-Lululemon) ST
3 Annette EDMONDSON (Orica-AIS) ST
4 Kelly DRUYTS (TopSport Vlaanderen-Bioracer) ST
5 Shelley OLDS (Tibco-To The Top) ST
6 Jolien D'HOORE (Lotto-Belisol) ST
7 Liesbet DE VOCHT (Belgium NT) ST
8 Kim DE BAAT (Napoleon Games-St Martinus-Kerksken) ST
9 Chloe HOSKING (Hitec Products-UCK) ST
10 Kaat VAN DER MEULEN (Belgium NT) ST
Full result and General Classification

Stage 4 (Geraardsbergen)

Nettie Edmondson won the stage

Annette Edmondson (Orica-AIS) wins on the notorious 19.8% Kapelmuur; Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS) was second and Ellen van Dijk (Specialized-Lululemon) third. Loes Gunnewijk (Orica-AIS) won the Combativity award for the stage.

Van Dijk won sufficient bonus seconds to overtake Lisa Brennauer, making her the overall winner by 7". Brennauer is second and Johansson third. Amy Pieters (Argos-Shimano) wins the Youth category. Jasmin Glaesser (Tibco-To The Top) wins the Sprints classification, Sofie de Vuyst (Sengers) wins the Mountains classification. Orica-AIS won in the Team classification; and overall Combativity award was not declared.

Annette Edmondson ‏@NettieEdmondson
Wowser! Wasn't expecting that!! Despite efforts 4 yellow it was mad to go 1,2 for the team. Great ride from the girls, esp Loes' solo break!



Stage 4 Top Ten
1 Annette EDMONDSON (Orica-AIS) 2h20'05"
2 Emma JOHANSSON (Orica-AIS) ST
3 Eleonora VAN DIJK (Specialized-Lululemon) ST
4 Rossella RATTO (Hitec Products-UCK) +03"
5 Amy PIETERS (Argos-Shimano) ST
6 Shelley OLDS (Tibco-To The Top) ST
7 Kelly DRUYTS (TopSport Vlaanderen-Bioracer) +06"
8 Thalita DE JONG (Netherlands NT) ST

Ellen van Dijk wins overall

9 Kaat HANNES (Lotto-Belisol) ST
10 Sofie DE VUYST (Sengers) ST
Full result here

Final General Classification Top Ten
1 Ellen VAN DIJK (Specialized-Lululemon) 8h26'51"
2 Lisa BRENNAUER (Specialized-Lululemon) +07"
3 Emma JOHANSSON (Orica-AIS) +27"
4 Loes GUNNEWIJK (Orica-AIS) +01'05"
5 Shelley OLDS (Tibco-To The Top) +01'29"
6 Amy PIETERS (Argos-Shimano) +01'38"
7 Sofie DE VUYST (Sengers) +01'46"
8 Rossella RATTO (Hitec Products-UCK) +01'47"
9 Chantal BLAAK (Tibco-To The Top) +01'55"
10 Céline VAN SEVEREN (Lotto-Belisol) +01'57"
Full result here

Trophee d'Or
Race preview here.

Stage 1 (St Amand Montrond-Graçay)
Vos (Rabo) wins three-up sprint to lead General Classification by 4". Elena Cecchini (Faren-Kuota) was sixth and leads the Youth category.

Stage 1 Top Ten
1 Marianne VOS (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) 3h08'02"
2 Giorgia BRONZINI (Wiggle-Honda) ST
3 Lucinda BRAND (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) ST
4 Valentina SCANDOLARA (MCipollini-Giordana) +02"
5 Anna VAN DER BREGGEN (Sengers) +05"
6 Elena CECCHINI (Faren-Kuota) +56"
7 Oxana KOZONCHUK (RusVelo) ST
8 Amy CURE (Australia NT) ST
9 Iris SLAPPENDEL (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) ST
10 Dani KING (Wiggle-Honda) ST
Full result and General Classification

Stage 2 (Individual Time Trial)
Sometimes, it seems like Marianne Vos (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) is good at everything - but she's the first to admit that she isn't an excellent time trial rider.

The thing is, though, when Marianne says "not very good," it translates into "very, very good indeed." As a result, every once in a while she wins an individual time trial - sometimes in spectacular style, too, as was the case on Stage 2 when she recorded a time 17" faster than the second-placed rider Tatiana Antoshina, current Russian ITT Champion. The victory gives Vos an overall advantage of 52" over Anna van der Breggen (Sengers) who is second in the General Classification.

Stage 2 Top Ten
1 Marianne VOS (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) 23'13"
2 Tatiana ANTOSHINA (MCipollini-Giordana) +17"
3 Alexandra BURCHENKOVA (RusVelo) +34"
4 Anna VAN DER BREGGEN (Sengers) +38"
5 Iris SLAPPENDEL (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) +59"
6 Amy CURE (Australia NT) +01'03"
7 Grace SULZBERGER (Australia NT) +01'05"
8 Lucinda BRAND (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) +01'09"
9 Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) +01'10"
10 Valentina SCANDOLARA (MCipollini-Giordana) +01'22"
Full result and General Classification

Stage 3 (La Chapelle St Ursin-La Chapelle St Ursin)
After the cold time trial in the morning, the weather turned rainy in the afternoon and remained so for the entirely of Stage 3, making the fast 26.1km circuit dangerous - two crashes took place during the first of three laps, while the riders were still getting a feel for the parcours.

Anastasiya Chulkova, riding for RusVelo, escaped in the final lap and worked hard to stay away, eventually taking a very deserved stage win with an impressive advantage of 1'10" over second place Marianne Vos, leading the chase group over the line. It was notable that Vos had only the tiniest advantage over Giorgia Bronzini, who has signaled her intention to try to take the Dutch rider's crown at the forthcoming World Championships.

Stage 3 Top Ten
1 Anastasiya CHULKOVA (RusVelo) 2h02'42"
2 Marianne VOS (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) +01'10"
3 Giorgia BRONZINI (Wiggle-Honda) ST
4 Marta TAGLIAFERRO (MCipollini-Giordana) ST
5 Pascale JEULAND (Vienne Futuroscope) ST
6 Barbara GUARISCHI (Vaiano Fondriest) ST
7 Yulia ILIYNIKH (Lointek) ST
8 Roxane FOURNIER (France NT) ST
9 Maria Giulia CONFALONIERI (Faren-Kuota) ST
10 Elena CECCHINI (Faren-Kuota) ST
Full result and General Classification

Stage 4 (Cosne Cours Sur Loire-Cosne Cours Sur Loire)
The small but steep Category 1 climbs halfway through the parcours were expected to affect the outcome of Stage 4 and did so, splitting the riders into two groups - one that didn't have the strength to remain competitive (which can happen as much due to loss of will in wet conditions, as were experienced on this stage) going into the flatter final third and one that began to leave the other far behind as soon as the final categorised climb ended with 30km to go.

Before the competition, Marianne Vos (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) termed Stage 4 "the toughest of the race" but said that she would be looking to pick up bonus seconds to secure a good General Classification placing. She was in the lead group and then stayed with Anna van der Breggen (Sengers) when she attacked with 3km to go - a promising sign of great things to come in 2014, when they'll be team mates. Valentina Scandolara, who shares Vos' ability to climb and sprint, went with them but was unable to match the World Champion's spectacular turn of speed; having won the stage, Vos leads the race overall by 1'02".

The unusually large gap between sixth and seventh place was caused partly the lead group's speed but by the chase group getting stuck at a railway crossing, where they had to wait for several minutes for a train to pass through. UCI rules state that if a break is halted and the main field catches up as a result, the break will be given an advantage equal to that before the crossing when the race restarts; if a break passes through and the main field is halted, the time the main field loses is included in the overall times recorded by its members.

Stage 4 Top Ten
1 Marianne VOS (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) 2h42'47"
2 Valentina SCANDOLARA (MCipollini-Giordana) ST
3 Anna VAN DER BREGGEN (Sengers) ST
4 Lucinda BRAND (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) +02"
5 Tatiana ANTOSHINA (MCipollini-Giordana) ST
6 Karol-Ann CANUEL (Vienne Futuroscope) +38"
7 Francesca CAUZ (Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo) +07'27"
8 Amy CURE (Australia NT) +09'33"
9 Oxana KOZONCHUK (RusVelo) ST
10 Marta TAGLIAFERRO (MCipollini-Giordana) ST
Full result here

Stage 5  (Baugy-Baugy)
The largely flat parcours of Stage 5, with only three Category 3 climbs, will have come as welcome relief for the sprinters following yesterday's hilly route - a chance to rest weary legs ready for tomorrow's rolling toute with three Cat. 2s and couple of Cat. 3s.

Amy Cure (Australia NT) won a bunch sprint after escaping the peloton accompanied by Megan Guarnier (Rabobank-Liv/Giant), Anastasiya Chulkova (RusVelo), Marta Tagliaferro (MCipollini-Giordana), Barbara Guarischi (Vaiano-Fondriest), Iris Slappendel (Rabo-Liv/Giant) and Karol-Ann Canuel (Vienne Futuroscope). The first six women crossed the line as a group and recorded the same time as Cure; Canuel dropped back slightly at the end and was 1" slower.

The next group, led by Marianne Vos (Rabo-Liv/Giant), arrived 48" later. Canuel had been the only rider close to Vos in the General Classification at the start of the stage, when she was in sixth place at +4'38" (Cure was next at +9'33"); she remains in sixth place with a smaller disadvantage of +3'51". Vos' overall advantage remains intact with a 1'02" lead over second-place Anna van der Breggen (Sengers). Rabo team mate Lucinda Brand is third at +1'31". Amy Cure remains best-placed Young rider in seventh place at +10'58".

Stage 5 Top Ten
1 Amy CURE (Australia NT) 2h32'22"
2 Megan GUARNIER (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) ST
3 Anastasiya CHULKOVA (RusVelo) ST
4 Marta TAGLIAFERRO (MCipollini-Giordana) ST
5 Barbara GUARISCHI (Vaiano-Fondriest) ST
6 Iris SLAPPENDEL (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) ST
7 Karol-Ann CANUEL (Vienne Futuroscope) +01"
8 Marianne VOS (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) +48"
9 Leire OLABERRIA DORRONSORO (Bizkaia-Durango) ST
10 Laura TROTT (Wiggle-Honda) ST
Full result and General Classification

Stage 6 (Orval-St Amand Montrond)

Van Vleuten wins the stage

Marianne Vos started the day with an advantage big enough that she didn't need to go for a stage win today, which isn't usually her style, but she'd been advised by Rabobank-Liv/Giant's doctors not to push herself too hard in the run-up to the World Championships in order to give her back, which has been causing her chronic pain, chance to recover fully. That cleared the way for team mate Annemiek van Vleuten to go for some glory of her own, which she deservedly received when she crossed the finish line seven seconds ahead of second-place Marta Tagliaferro (MCipollini-Giordana).

Vos' General Classification victory and three stage wins is evidence that she's on the mend; as one of her principle lieutenants, van Vleuten's also bodes well for Rabo at the Worlds because she too is recovering from an injury to her arm: "At the beginning of the race, I had a lot of pain in my left arm," she explained. "The first day was a matter of surviving, but over the last few days I've really felt some progress - thanks to the great work of the doctors. These last two days, I was given the freedom to go for a win, but yesterday my opportunities were limited due to an attack. But today - it's so nice to finish with a stage victory and feeling my arm getting better."

"This has been a tough race," said Vos. "I'm very glad that I had no problems and my back didn't suffer. I went full-on over the first three days, including in the time trial; Monday was very tough, but my back's been fine - I'm just as happy with my victory!" Vos also won the Points and Mountains competitions.

Van Vleuten took tenth overall, 11'43" behind Vos. Meanwhile, two other Rabo riders made sure the team was the best-represented in the top ten: Lucinda Brand was third at +1'31" and Iris Slappendel was eighth at +11'. In second place was Anna van der Breggen at _1'02"; currently riding for Sengers, van der Breggen will join forces with Vos and the rest for 2014 - meaning that it ought to be another year at he very pinnacle of the sport for the already enormously powerful Rabobank-Liv/Giant team.

Vos wins overall

Stage 6 Top Ten
1 Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) 2h18'56"
2 Marta TAGLIAFERRO (MCipollini-Giordana) +07"
3 Laura TROTT (Wiggle-Honda) ST
4 Alexandra BURCHENKOVA (RusVelo) ST
5 Christel FERRIER-BRUNEAU (Faren-Kuota) ST
6 Daniela PINTARELLI (Austria NT) +09"
7 Fiona DUTRIAUX (Vienne Futuroscope) +01'26"
8 Marianne VOS (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) ST
9 Barbara GUARISCHI (Vaino-Fondriest) ST
10 Elena CECCHINI (Faren-Kuota) ST
Full result

General Classification Top Ten
1 Marianne VOS (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) 13h11'02"
2 Anna VAN DER BREGGEN (Sengers) +01'02"
3 Lucinda BRAND (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) +01'31"
4 Valentina SCANDOLARA (MCipollini-Giordana) +01'39"
5 Tatiana ANTOSHINA (MCipollini-Giordana) +02'53"
6 Karol-Ann CANUEL (Vienne Futuroscope) +03'51"
7 Amy CURE (Australia NT) +10'58"
8 Iris SLAPPENDEL (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) +11'
9 Alexandra BURCHENKOVA (RusVelo) +11'24"
10 Annemiek VAN VLEUTEN (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) +11'43"
Full result

Points: 1 Marianne VOS (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) 86; 2 Marta TAGLIAFERRO (MCipollini-Giordana) 54; 3 Anastasiya CHULKOVA (RusVelo) 41. Mountains: 1 Marianne VOS (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) 41; 2 Valentina Scandolara  (MCipollini-Giordana) 39; 3 Christel FERRIER-BRUNEAU (Faren-Kuota) 31. Youth: 1 Amy CURE (Australia NT) 13h22'; 2 Elena CECCHINI (Faren-Kuota) +02'15"; 3 Aude Biannic (S.C. Michela Fanini-ROX) +03'14". 

...but loses UCI Rankings lead 
For the first time in six years, Marianne Vos (Rabobank-Liv/Giant) isn't at the top of the UCI Elite Women's Rankings - her 1,181.25 points put her in second place behind Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS), who has emerged as her strongest rival this year and has amasses 1,211.75 points. The situation may be temporary, though - Vos is currently leading the Trophee d'Or and, if she wins overall, will take sufficient points to return her to the top spot.

There have been concerns that the pressure of racing mountain bikes as well as taking part in road races might be too strenuous even for Marianne and she has had to cross a few races off her calendar recently due to chronic back ache; fans will be eagerly waiting to see how she'll respond to this latest challenge and whether she can win enough points with a victory at the World Championships to get back to the top position. However, it seems likely that the change is as much a result of the was that the rankings are determined, by adding results over a twelve-month period (meaning results from last year's GP de Plouay are no longer counted), not that Vos is no longer as good as she once was, and because Johannson, through a combination of natural talent, hard work and excellent team support, has developed and improved - and serves as proof that by encouraging rivals to strive to match her, Vos' six-year domination strengthened women's cycling rather than weakened it as some suggested it might.

New team launched

Perhaps the most important news this week has been the unveiling of a major new British team: Epic Cycles-Scott Contessa. born from Scott Contessa-Epic. The team's aims are listed as "creating the leading domestic UK road team and providing an environment in which talented and ambitious senior riders can develop and progress their cycling careers," according to the official Facebook page.

The team also used Facebook to publish a manifesto, which can be read on their page or by clicking here.

You can also follow Epic-Scott on Twitter.

...and another on the way
Meanwhile, former Scottish Cycling head coach Graeme Herd, has revealed his plans to unveil a Scottish-based Elite Women's team by the end of 2013.

Herd was encouraged to go ahead with his plans after witnessing the enormous support enjoyed by the women's race at the National Road Race Championships. "I've never seen anything like that in the 30 years I've been involved in cycling," he told the Herald Scotland newspaper, going on to explain that he is still seeking sponsorship: "Historically, women's racing suffer from a lack of profile but that's changing; they are getting more equal coverage to the men. But in a set-up like this, women's cycling offers better value for money. To invest in a team at UCI level, for a top men's squad you are talking about £18m but for a women's that figure would be closer to £1m. In terms of return, it's a no-brainer as the profile will explode."

In addition to racing UCI events, Herd would use the team to develop new talents in time for the 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2016 Olympics.

Transfers: Fahlin to Wiggle-Honda and more

Fahlin to Wiggle in 2014

Emilia Fahlin will move from Hitec Products-UCK to the British-registered Wiggle-Honda, where she'll ride with owner/manager Rochelle Gilmore, twice World Champion Giorgia Bronzini, Olympic Champions Laura Trott and Jo Rowsell and others.

A space was made on the team by Lauren Kitchen, who will swap places with Fahlin at Hitec - which has also signed ace climber Ashleigh Moolman, previously with Lotto-Belisol, as revealed last week.

Meanwhile, Anna van der Breggen, who has ridden for Sengers for the last two seasons, will move to Rabobank-Liv/Giant - due in no small part to her sterling performance in assisting Rabo's leader Marianne Vos to take the rainbow jersey at the World Championships in 2012.

Meredith Miller, who is retiring from road racing but will continue in cyclo cross, will leave Tibco-To The Top.

UCI to create Women's Cycling group
Following a meeting of the UCI Road Commission, to which Marianne Vos and Tracey Gaudry were invited, cycling's governing body has pledged to create a new working group dedicated solely to women's cycling. The group will meet regularly to discuss "the possibility of changing the format of the UCI Women Road World Cup, of creating a first division of women’s teams and long term considerations, such as introducing minimum wages for team members."

For many fans, this will seem like a last-ditch attempt by embattled president Pat McQuaid to look as though he's willing to do something for the sport. However, McQuaid recently lost the support of the Swiss Federation, leaving him with only two backers, Morocco and Thailand, as the presidential election nears; under UCI rules (which are somewhat vague), it seems likely that a candidate must be backed by at least three federations. His only opponent, current British Cycling boss Brian Cookson, looks set to take his position and is, notably, a long-term supporter of women's cycling.

Shorts and Interesting Links
Interesting Links
Trophee d'Or injects 35,000 euros into local economy (LeBerry) (in French)
Intro to Women's Cycling and Racing Series (Seattle PI)
SA women strike gold at World Masters Champs (SuperSport)
Is Orica-GreenEdge Cycling's YouTube video sexist? (Bustle)

Tweets of the Week
Fabian cancellara ‏@f_cancellara
Almost in the hotel... Long day is ending. 150km to the start. 180km race, 200km to the hotel.looking foward to the massage

Martine Bras ‏@martinebras
@f_cancellara that sounds like a normal day @ Giro Donne. Only the race is 130 km and the drive to the hotel 500km ;) Good luck tomorrow

More to come...

Trophée d'Or 2013

24-28.08.2013 Official Site
France, 6-stage Road Race, 496.3km
UCI 2.2

First held in 1997, when it was won by Jeannie Longo (who was then 39 and, famously, is still racing today at the age of 54), the Trophée d'Or is now in its 17th edition. Although it has fluctuated between five and six stages, it is unusual among women's cycling races in that it has been held every year since its inauguration - a tribute to the excellent organisational skills of the race committee.

One (possibly unique) feature of the Trophee d'Or is the 18km de l'arrivée prime, awarded to the first rider to reach a point 18km from the finish line. It provides an incentive for riders who might not be in a position to challenge for a stage win to fight for a place near the front of the peloton as the race nears its end, ensuring that competition remains high in the last part of each stage.

Like their Route de France counterparts, organisers of the Trophee d'Or want to keep their race interesting by trying to make sure that the overall outcome remains undecided for as long as possible. The Trophee does this in completely the opposite way to the Route - whereas the Route consisted of a series of flat, straight, relatively featureless stages that kept the peloton rolling along at high speed day after day and prevented anyone getting away (and might well have become ironically boring as a result, had it not been for Giorgia Bronzini's record six consecutive stage wins), the Trophee tries to prevent anyone building up an insurmountable lead by including a wide selection of fast straights, tough climbs, technical sections, steep descents and as many different variations on the final 3km as can be squeezed into six stages. This means that there is plenty of incentive and scope for breakaways, either solo or in groups, but that any rider who gains a big advantage in a break can very easily lose it again; the race therefore stands a good chance of remaining undecided right up until the end, possibly even into the final few kilometres, yet features plenty of interest and action along the way.

Previous Winners
The Lithuanian Edita Pučinskaitė and the Swede Emma Johansson (riding this year with Orica-AIS) are the only riders to have won twice, in 2001 and 2004 and in 2008 and 2010 respectively. Longo remains the only French winner; no British rider has ever made it to the podium, but there are some very good British women on the start list this year: Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) and Sharon Laws (Lotto-Belisol) have the potential to challenge overall and Emma Trott (Boels-Dolmans) could aim for a stage win.

2012 winner Elena Cecchini, pictured
at the Thuringen Rundfahrt

1997 Jeannie Longo
1998 Jolanta Polikevičiūtė
1999 Tracey Gaudry
2000 Leontien van Moorsel
2001 Edita Pučinskaitė
2002 Tatiana Stiajkina
2003 Olivia Gollan
2004 Edita Pučinskaitė
2005 Joane Somarriba
2006 Zulfiya Zabirova
2007 Noemi Cantele
2008 Emma Johansson
2009 Diana Žiliūtė
2010 Emma Johansson
2011 Tatiana Antoshina
2012 Elena Cecchini

Parcours

Stage 1 (24.08.2013; St Amand Montrond-Graçay, 107.1 km)

View Trophee d'Or Feminin 2013 Stage 1 in a larger map

With numerous small hills and twisty lanes along its 107.1km, Stage 1 looks on paper to encourage breakaways more than any other in this edition. That makes the race interesting right from the very start because, with the big name General Classification contenders wanting to save some energy for the battles to come, it would be entirely possible for a small group of domestiques and riders who usually couldn't challenge for an overall win to grab an advantage that, provided they can keep up a decent pace and avoid accidents over the next few days, could see them achieve a very good final placing - and, perhaps, even stand on the podium after Stage 6.

GPM points are on offer four times during the stage. The first are at the Category 3 Cote des Billons, 19.3km into the parcours; it ascends (asc.) 38m in 0.75km (len.) to give an average gradient (ave.) of 5%. The second is the Cote de Diou, 57.2km in and also rated as Category 3 (asc. 30m, len. 0.62km, ave. 4.8%); the third and fourth are at the Cote de Prinçay, climbed at 90km and then again at 103.7km (asc. 36m, len. 0.62km, ave. 5.8%). Although Prinçay sounds little more difficult that Diou, it reaches a maximum gradient for a short stretch of 12% and as such is rated at Category 2, making it a difficult obstacle even if it were climbed only once - with the second ascent coming just 6.7km before the end of the race it may, therefore, prove to have a decisive effect on the outcome of the stage. The final 3km descends gradually (though there's a very brief and small rise at 1.1km to go); if riders approach the finish as a group, this should encourage a fast sprint to the line.

Stage 2 (25.08.2013; Mehun sur Yèvre ITT, 17.7km)

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Throughout cycling history, there have been several climbers who could also time trial. Stage 1 wasn't even remotely mountainous, but the combined effect of all those little hills and the four GPM climbs served to give the climbers and more grimpeur-orientated all-rounders an advantage that they could then have preserved (if not extended) on Stage 2 - if, that is, it wasn't as long as it is: no other type of rider can keep up sufficient wattage over 17.7km to be able to rival the time trial specialists, meaning that nobody who gained a lead yesterday is guaranteed to keep it today.

Stage 3 (25.08.2013; La Chapelle St Ursin-La Chapelle St Ursin, 78.3km)

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Taking place after the Stage 2 Time Trial, Stage 3 consists of three laps around a fast 26.1km circuit - which makes this an ideal parcours for spectators as it offers an opportunity to see the peloton go by three times, or even to move around and see it from different places.

Long, exposed stretches make breakaways difficult, especially if it's windy - but with three lots of GPM points on the Cote de la Madeleine and bonification seconds at the intermediate sprint two-thirds of the way to the end, any break that does manage to get away could reap handsome rewards. Whether that can happen has to remain to be seen, as does whether or not such a break could remain out in front over the final lap and avoid being swept up by the pack once the General Classification riders building up to the bunch sprint that seems the inevitable conclusion.

Cote de la Madeleine is climbed at 12.1km, 38.2km and 64.3km. It gains 25m in 0.55km, giving an average gradient of 4.5%, and is rated as Category 3. The intermediate sprint is contested at the second passage of the finish line, 52.2km from the start. There is a small descent between 3km and 2km before the finish line, then a gradual climb of around 20m over the last 2km, an average gradient of only 1%.

Stage 4 (26.08.2013; Cosne Cours Sur Loire-Cosne Cours Sur Loire, 99.4km)

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With the first circuit (depicted in blue on the map) and the first 15km or so of the second running through open countryside with few hedgerows, riders may again experience strong crosswinds during this stage. There are also a number of difficult corners along all the circuits, putting bike-handling skills to the test. That makes the first 35km ideal ground for the rouleurs, big, strong riders who can fight their way to the front and then get out in front. However, tthe organisers say this stage has been named Montagne and although the highest point (Cote de Bue) topping out at a little under 400m means it's not exactly alpine, but five categorised climbs (including three Category 1 ascents, once of them with a maximum gradient of 20%) and a good selection of smaller, uncategorised hills suggests that once the race gets into the hilly section, the heavier riders will start to suffer. So the best tactics would seem to be to get your team's best climber surrounded by a posse of bigger, tougher rouleurs who can then make sure she gets to the categorised climbs in good shape and at the front of the pack. Then, you let her go and do her stuff and with a bit of luck the GPM points - and maybe even a stage victory, if she finds a sufficiently large enough advantage for it not to be chipped away in the local circuit that finishes the stage - come pouring in.

Failing that, you want to get your sprinters and their lead-outs into a break shortly before or soon after the beginning of the local circuit, once they've had chance to recover a bit from the climbs (hmm - can anyone else see why this could be an excellent stage for a rider like Lotto-Belisol's Ashleigh Moolman?) That way, they're well away from the pack and avoiding the congested corners and any crashes that might take place and are in the right place to launch themselves into that last, nearly straight 150m blast to the finish.

Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire looks exactly what it is - a once grand town that has fallen on hard times, in this case due to the demise of its metal-working industry that it had depended on since the 16th Century. However, having been inhabited since prehistoric times, there is much to see and the town forms an ideal base for visitors to the race. The medieval town Sancerre, sitting on an isolated hill 310m above sea level and packed full of centuries-old buildings, is also worth a visit.

The first GPM climb is the Cote du Petit Graveron, located 36.1km from the start; with a total ascent of 96m in 1.6km it has an average gradient of 6.8% but is steeper in parts with a maximum of 8%, being rated at Category 2 as a result. The second is the Cote de Bue at 53km, ascending 105m in 1.6km at an average gradient of 6.9% and a maximum of 8%; it is rated Category 2. Third is the 1st Category Cote du Graveron at 59.1km, rising 150m in 2.3km with an average gradient of 6.5% and one section reaching a harsh 15%. Fourth is the even more brutal Category 1 Cote des Perrieres 63.2km into the parcours; ascending 64m in 0.6km gives a difficult average gradient of 10.7% - but it's much worse than that, because the maximum is 20%. The fifth and final GPM climb is Category 1 Cote des Remparts, 69.6km from the start; it gains 112m in 1.6km at an average gradient of 7%. Note also a small hill that rises around 30m between the three and two kilometres to go points - possibly just enough to give a rider able to climb and sprint (such as Moolman again, or Giorgia Bronzini from Wiggle-Honda) an advantage.

Stage 5 (27.08.2013; Baugy-Baugy, 105.7km)

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There is plenty of open countryside again on this stage but, if the riders have been battling the wind over the last couple of days, the forested sections and the shelter they offer will come as a relief - though they may also permit breakaways.

The local circuit may only be 5.5km in length, but with some sharp corners followed by long, fast straights that's plenty enough for breaks to be caught, then for the lead-outs and sprinters to get themselves into position before the final bend and the non-technical 1.1km running along the Rues de la Croix-St-Abdon, du Huit Mai, du Chancelier and Sully, ending at the finish line back where the race began on the Place de Verdun.

The three climbs are far less troublesome than those ridden yesterday, each of them being rated Category 3. Cote de Vizy, located at 71.8km, ascends 40m in 2km at an unchallenging average gradient of 2%. The latter two have steep sections, but overall are of sufficiently low average gradient to be given their low categorisation. The Cote de Villequiers, 84km from the start, rises 34m in 0.95km; the average gradient is 3.6% but it reaches 7% at one point. The final GPM climb of the stage is the Cote de Solerieux, 91.6km from the start; it ascends 30m in 0.5km at an average gradient of 6% while the steepest section is 11%. The terrain rises slightly over the course of the final 3km but so gradually that, with the exception of a small low gradient ramp just after 1km to go, the increase is too minor to have any effect.

Stage 6 (28.08.2013; Orval-St Amand Montrond)

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Another stage designed to let spectators see the race go by more than once (and thus a good option if you have the chance to go to see it but can only remain for one day), Stage 6 is roughly in the form of a figure of eight that begins at Orval, heads west and then swings east to take a long route back to Saint-Amand-Montrond, Orval's neighbour on the opposite side of the Loubiere and Cher rivers. It then comes within half a kilometre of the finish line but turns away, traveling north and climbing into forest; soon after emerging it joins the same route taken east earlier with the riders contesting the intermediate sprint, then continues back to Saint-Amand-Montrond again. This time it passes over the finish line to enter a local circuit 6.5km, which will be completed three times.

Today's GPM climbs begin with the Category 2 Cote de Nozieres which, located just 3.6km from the start line and rising 40m in 0.4km (average gradient 10%), gives the climbers a chance to get out in front early on in the race. Doing so might not stand them in good stead, though, because there are more than 30km to the next climb - ample time for any advantage to be taken away again. The second is the Cote de la Tour, also Category 2, which will be climbed at 35km and then again at 63.1km when it'll be the fourth GPM ascent. It rises just 21m but does so in 0.23km, giving it a difficult average gradient of 9%. The third and fifth GPM climbs are the Cote du Fer Cheval which, ascending 70m in 1.6km, has an average gradient of 4.4% (maximum 7.5%) and is rated as a Category 3. 

Once GPM points have been awarded for the final time on the second ascent of Cote du Fer a Cheval, it will be climbed three more times, once on each of the three laps around the local circuit; those three ascents going to take their toll and, by the time they near the last 3km, all but the pure climbers are going to be hurting. However, the organisers have cleverly seen to it that the climbers can't rely on the parcours to win them the race: there's a fast descent between 2.5km and 2km to go - something that climbers, who lack the body weight to keep control of their bikes on a steep downhill, tend to dislike. Heavier riders, like sprinters and rouleurs, are less affected; deciding the General Classification may be a formality by this point, but the final stage victory will in all likelihood still be up for grabs.

Starters
Provisional and subject to change; Women Cycling Fever is regularly updated.

Australia NT

BePink

Bigla

France NT

Germany NT

Boels-Dolmans
Lizzie Armitstead
Jessie Daams
Romy Kasper
Emma Trott
Marieke Wanroij
Adrie Visser

Lotto-Belisol
Marijn de Vries
Kaat Hannes
Sharon Laws
Ashleigh Moolman
Marion Rousse
Carlee Taylor

MCipollini-Giordana
Valentina Carretta
Tatiana Guderzo
Malgorzata Jasinska
Valentina Scandolara
Anna Zita Maria Stricker
Marta Tagliaferro

Orica-AIS
Tiffany Cromwell
Nettie Edmondson
Gracie Elvin
Melissa Hoskins
Emma Johansson
Gu Sung Eun

Pasta Zara-Cogeas
Inga Cilvinaite
Véronique Fortin
Amber Pierce
Martina Ruzickova
Lorena Maria Vargas Villamil

Rabobank-Liv/Giant
Lucinda Brand
Liesbet de Vocht
Pauline Ferrand Prevot
Roxane Knetemann
Iris Slappendel
Sabrina Stultiens
Annemiek van Vleuten
Marianne Vos

RusVelo
Yulia Blingyuk
Alexandra Burchenkova
Oxana Kozonchuk
Elena Kuchinskaya
Hanka Kupfernagel
Aizhan Zhaparova

Sengers
Evelin Arys
Sofie de Vuyst
Vera Koedooder
Christine Majerus
Maaike Polspoel
Anna van der Breggen

Argos-Shimano
Janneke Busser-Kanis
Elke Gebhardt
Willeke Knol
Amy Pieters
Esra Tromp
Kirsten Wild

USA NT
Kaitlyn Antonneau
Jacquelyn Crowell
Andrea Dvorak
Janel Holcomb
Kristin McGrath
Brianna Walle

Vienne-Futuroscope
Jessica Allen
Sandrine Bideau
Karol-Ann Canuel
Audrey Cordon
Pascale Jeuland
Emmanuelle Merlot

Wiggle-Honda
Charlotte Becker
Giorgia Bronzini
Emily Collins
Danielle King
Lauren Kitchen
Linda Villumsen

Riders to Watch
Marianne Vos ("meilleure cycliste mondiale depuis 2007," says the official race website - something with which few people would argue) isn't having the best year of her career, but what counts as a bad year for Marianne would be the greatest season of most riders' careers - she is, just as she always is, a favourite for overall victory and very much a rider to watch.

Emma Johansson seems to get stronger and stronger with every year that comes and has emerged as a very powerful rival to Vos, beating her on a number of occasions - with her Orica-AIS squad also able to stand up to the might of Vos' Rabobank-Liv/Giant, she'll be making sure the Dutch star doesn't have an easy time of it as she goes after an unprecedented third victory.

Wiggle-Honda exploded onto the scene at the start of this season and enjoyed a spectacular victory at the Route de France a few weeks before this race, with Linda Villumsen winning overall and Giorgia Bronzini setting a new world record of six consecutive stages (the previous record of five was set, coincidentally, by Jeannie Longo, who won the first edition of this race). Bronzini won three in a row at last year's Trophée (she won four in a row back in 2008, too) and may well be a force with which to be reckoned this year - although Stage 4 suits Lotto-Belisol's Ashleigh Moolman, the last three kilometres suit Bronzini very well indeed.

Finally, we'll probably see a lot of MCipollini-Giordana: the Valentinas Scandolara and Carretta are on excellent form at the moment and have been grabbing GPMs, sprints and podium steps all over the place this season, and Marta Tagliaferro can cut it with the best in a bunch sprint.

How to Follow the Race
Boels-Dolmans mechanic Richie Steege Tweets live from all the races the team enter, providing expert and up-to-the-minute information on the action. Karl Lima's Hitec Products-UCK are not on the start list at the time of writing but, if present at the race, he also provides excellent coverage via Twitter. Journalists Bart Hazen and Anton Vos (Marianne's brother) also Tweet from races. Once the race is over, check Marijn de Vries' blog - Marijn, in addition to racing for Lotto-Belisol, is a professional journalist and her race reviews (even when auto-translated into English) are always excellent with their warts-and-all descriptions of what it's actually like to compete in an Elite Women's race.