It feels so weird to be in the first week of July and not be fully stuck into the Giro d'Italia. Sometimes I forget that it's already happened. Memories are short, and the world is moving at warp speed, it feels like.
Instead of suffering the heat in Italy as they race along pink-lined roads, a lot of top riders are with their teams' altitude camps. Lidl-Trek, Fenix-Premier Tech, SD Worx-Protime, and FDJ United-Suez have all been spotted up high, preparing for the next and biggest target: The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
First things first: Congratulations are in order
We're going to have more moms in the peloton! Last week, both Elise Chabbey and Emma Norsgaard announced they are expecting.
Chabbey hasn't raced since Liège-Bastogne-Liège (after competing in most of the major Classics), and Norsgaard has been absent since the Vuelta a Burgos, although she did finish seventh in the Danish ITT nationals just days before announcing her pregnancy.
Chabbey is due in January, and Norsgaard hasn't said when she is due, but both are planning their comebacks before the Olympics in 2028.
Racing continues...
At the Baloise Ladies Tour from July 15 to 19.
Prologue (15th July): Ijzendijke-Ijzendijke (3.9 km)
Stage 1 (16th July): Oostende-Knokke-Heist (112.5 km)
Stage 2 (17th July): Zulte-Zulte (130.4 km)
Stage 3 ITT (18th July): Maaseik-Maaseik (8.4 km)
Stage 4 (19th July): Maaseik-Maaseik (104.8 km)
Stage 5 (19th July): Mechelen-Mechelen (111.4 km)
As you can see from the course profiles, the who's who of sprinters will likely be in attendance, including last year's winner and new British road champion Zoe Backstedt.
The start list isn't out yet, but I expect we will also see Shari Bossuyt's new Belgian champ jersey on display, as well as the likes of Charlotte Kool, Clara Copponi, and Chiara Consonni.
Not all WorldTour teams are set to race; the peloton will be mostly Continental teams, which will make for a nice "who should we be watching for in the future" game.
The start list will be available here, probably early next week.
Wheel Talk podcast
Loren and Gracie joined me to talk about maternity leave and if all teams treat their pregnant riders equally, the UCI's crack down on ice socks at the Giro and Tour de Suisse, and whether or not Kate Courtney would be a good fit for FDJ United-Suez.
Let's discuss
A collection of which riders are at team altitude camps and what it tells us about Tour selections... (thank you to the Wheel Talk Discord for tracking these down)
FDJ United-Suez: Demi Vollering, Marie le Net, Amber Kraak, Juliette Berthet, Franzi Koch, Celia Gery, Evita Muzic
SD Worx-Protime: Mischa Bredewold, Lorena Wiebes, Anna van der Breggen, Nienke Vienke, Valentina Cavallar
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