"I couldn't go any faster, so I can't blame myself" - Charlotte Kool out of Tour de France Femmes after missing time cut on Tourmalet stage
Cycling
The battle at the front of the Tour de France Femmes on stage 7 was incredibly exciting. For Charlotte Kool, battling a losing battle against the time cut however, it wasn't so enjoyable.
“I really suffered a lot, especially on the last climb. I couldn't go any faster, so I can't blame myself," Kool told NOS after finishing nearly 40 minutes behind stage winner, Demi Vollering. “You start the Tour to finish it. I gave it my all this week, I think it's a bit over now."
Whilst it's true that a stage such as one finishing atop the Col du Tourmalet is not well suited to Kool, one of the fastest sprinters in the peloton, missing the time cut is always a disappointing way to leave a race.
"At ten kilometers I had to let the big group go and after that it was a lonely battle. At one point I heard that I had four minutes left, but I couldn't really do anything with that because I was already going as fast as possible," she says. "I just need to get a little stronger.”
Gave it my all today, but did not made the time limit. Disappointed I have to leave @LeTourFemmes and the team earlier 🥲 #TDFF2023 pic.twitter.com/PaB19A9t1P
— Charlotte Kool (@charlotte_kool) July 29, 2023
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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