Bike racing \u2014 men\u2019s or women\u2019s \u2014 comes with plenty of sass off the bike, especially when the riders get fatigued. We saw that in the Tour de France Fellas (ASO, message me \u2014 catchy name, right?) and in the Femmes.<\/p>\n
Anyway, Demi Vollering says FDJ\u2013Suez executed their strategy flawlessly during Stage 6 of the Tour de France Femmes, forcing rival AG Insurance\u2013Soudal to expend all their domestiques.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur plan was to send riders up the road early to put pressure on the other teams,\u201d Vollering told reporters after the stage. \u201cThat worked perfectly \u2014 we could conserve energy while AG Insurance lost all their support riders.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elise Chabbey and Amber Kraak featured in the breakaway, allowing FDJ\u2013Suez to control the race without chasing. On the penultimate climb, Vollering said AG Insurance had to put Sarah Gigante on the front, exactly as FDJ\u2013Suez intended. \u201cBut they couldn\u2019t keep the pace high enough to hold back UAE\u2019s Maeva Squiban, so eventually we took over the tempo.\u201d
Squiban pulled off a stunning 32-km solo victory, taking the win.<\/p>\n
Later, Juliette Labous attacked from the leading group. \u201cIf the other GC contenders responded, we could make a move. If not, Labous might stay away. It was a smart gamble, and she secured a strong second place,\u201d Vollering said.<\/p>\n
FDJ\u2013Suez directeur sportif Lars Boom added that the real test is still ahead. \u201cThe steep Alpine climbs everyone fears are coming next. Today showed how hard it already is, but we kept fresh while others burned out. That sets us up well for the weekend\u2019s decisive stages.\u201d<\/p>\n