VIDEO | Furious Pauline Ferrand-Prevot lashes out against La Vuelta Femenina organizers after TTT disaster
CyclingMonday, 05 May 2025 at 10:37
La Vuelta Femenina began today, however - as has happened in the past in the very same city of Barcelona in the men's race - the opening team time-trial saw some chaos. In this case a few teams had issues with their start because of a delay in the checking of the bikes, and Team Visma | Lease a Bike were quite harmed by it which led to a big lashing out from Pauline Ferrand-Prévot on social media.
On an Instagram story, since deleted, the French rider explained why two of the team's riders began after the rest, in what would culminate in the team losing 20 seconds to Lidl-Trek in the opening TTT of the race. "WTF!!! How the organization of a Grand Tour can be SO amateur?" she wrote in the post. "Is the jury sleeping while checking our bikes?!!! We were there 20 min[utes] before the bike check and 2 of our girls didn't make it on time. We kept saying to the jury we had to go but seems they were in chill mood".
The message was truly a venting of frustration over a very unfair situation against the Dutch team. "So much preparation and effort for nothing. Losing so much time on GC... UCI you prone for a fair sport, but this is not the way to go".
Shambles at the start for Visma | Lease Bike - one rider barely on the ramp when told to go
— Mathew Mitchell (@MatMitchell30) May 4, 2025
Imogen Wolff having to fly out of the car exit instead of the actual ramp!#LaVueltaFemenina pic.twitter.com/mFRoB74523
claps 12visitors 8
Just in
Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter today!
May 12, 11:09
0
Popular news
Latest comments
- Geraint Thomas has every right to make those comments, regardless of whether or how he lost the very same race in the past, and his comments are hardly 'destroying' Isaac del Torro. He was being critical of the tactics that del Torro and UAE chose to employ, just as countless others have, because they were terrible tactics. There was no malice or ill intention behind that criticism.
santiagobenites02-06-2025 - Nobody is destroying anybody over a simple loss. But it was Del Toro fault since he had the pink jersey and it was his responsibility. G is not a brilliant tactician either but what he is saying is true. Also the entire fault isnt Del Toro, its also UAE staff's fault. They should have advised him betterabstractengineer02-06-2025
- Oh, f**k off Rebecca.
KerisVroom02-06-2025 - Finally! Someone pointing out the oddity of UAE and EF not sending satellite riders to the front! Even if WvA wasn't there, it would always be a plus for both Del Toro and Carapaz to have a friend up front in their duel.gfraz02-06-2025
- Why? They've got a load of more experienced GC riders. Give him a rest. Not a cool idea dude...Domingo02-06-2025
- UAE should include Del Toro as a domestique for Pogacar at the Tour. After all, Simon Yates is also riding the Tour in support of Vingegaard.Cooldude02-06-2025
- Great analysis - what's the last word for me on this: UAE fell over on tactics and reaction, imagine if Pog gets ill or such like, who's going to step up ? they put all their eggs in his basket...
leedorney02-06-2025 - what did your 5 y.o child say when you lost a Giro because lost seconds changing and adjusting a helmet, Mr G.?
maria2024202402-06-2025 - I'n not a professional and I'm not destroying a 21 boy because took a bad decision. Mr. G. over 37 y.o. LOST A GIRO in the last stage for seconds! SECONDS THAT HE LOST CHANGING AND ADJUSTING A HELMET. He is the least that could say these kinds of phrases, destroying a boy at his first leader GC experience.maria2024202402-06-2025
- How many GTs have you ridden ! My quess is a big fat 0 ! Del Toro blew it and that can't be argued!frieders302-06-2025
Of course the dimensions have to be checked as long as pro cycling continues to be defined by a traditional bicycle definition, otherwise you open the door to all sorts of weird vehicles, like recumbants to keep the technical side easy. Obviously there can ve a completely different procedure for the check than how it was carried out here. If all went according to how reported, the team/rider should sue the official/UCI for result manipulation, this incident shows among other things, how the door is (left) wide open to corrupting officials to disadvantage people. Would be so easy to do those checks well without stressing riders. Maybe the triathlon system would be a solution ?
Yes, the UCI is great at preventing efficient bicycles from getting market traction. What a great service they provide!
Oh boy, that discussion again. The car fad is what prevents the cycling industry from becoming more creative. NOBODY cares about efficient bike shapes, look at how many people know who did or what the records for HPVs are. Look at what the vast majority of citizens in cycling countries like the Netherlands ride. If normal people, or even amateur cyclists were so interested in efficient biking, they’d be investing in TT bikes or just hacking any bike with 50€ triathlon handlebars instead of wasting 1000s on pseudo marginal gain pro development knock offs. The UCI does wonders for the bike industry, it boomed over the last decade and when it’s not one type, it’s another. In fact, what’s the point of promoting efficient super designed bike shapes when we teach people to be lazy by plonking an e- onto any fashionable shape so they don’t have to pedal at all? And finally, even if the industry sleeps with the UCI when it’s of interest, is it really the UCI’s job to help the bike industry become more progressive, profitable, popular, whatever?