OHN Winner, Talented Climber & Looking for a Contract – Meet Lotte Claes

After a tough Tour de France Femmes, Lotte Claes joins Saar to reflect on illness, crashes, and the mental battle of a race that didn’t go to plan. The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner talks about riding through setbacks, the power of the crowd, and the growing pressure around weight in women’s cycling.
She shares honest thoughts on Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Demi Vollering, and why balance matters more than ever. With her team’s future uncertain, Lotte also opens up about the struggle to find a new contract — even after a very solid season.
A raw, real chat with one of Belgium’s best climbers.

[Music] Hello everyone and welcome to She Rides, a podcast where women cycling takes leap. I’m Sad, your host for today and today I’m joined by a guest who’s here to share her journey in cycling. We’ll dive into her story and everything that’s made her cyclist choose today. Let’s get started. Hi everyone and welcome to um a partially solo hosted episode today. In the end you will uh hear Kristoff after I think two weeks again to also share his thoughts about this about the tour to France uh for for a second but he couldn’t make it today for our guest part of the episode. So uh I’m back on my own here. Hi. Hi. Yeah. So, um, you’ve you’ve rode the tour to France last week, but uh maybe for who hasn’t watched, let’s say, cycling from the beginning of the year. Uh, who are you? Um, yeah, I uh won uh the envelope at Nislat uh this year. Yeah. And for the for the rest, I’m a climber. I’m riding with a BMB hotel for the second year now. So, yeah, that’s where I am. Yeah. Um, so yeah, actually I think still very crazy cuz as you said, you’re a climber, but you managed to win probably one of the races that that doesn’t really fit your capabilities. Yeah, that that was a special win, but we’ll talk about that later. Uh, but first, how how did you get into cycling? Yeah, I did already dual since my age of I think 18 years old and then it was corona and um yeah I did I did um mountain time time trail and I won and the day after it was like a gondo race in the mountains and I won that too and uh yeah then yeah my coach say ah maybe you have to go to cycling and Um yeah and then the Belgium team called me um and I could start in August. So I did two races in the year of Corona and then after I was with another Belgium team but then I culminated cycling with Datlon. So now it’s my second year without Datlon. Um you just said I did Datlon but maybe yeah it was quite successful as well. I would say you uh at the silver and bronze at world championships you won the west duaton. Yeah. Um yeah that’s that’s not just doing it right. Yeah. No no no no it was uh also at a high level. Uh I started with the short distance and then later the long distance. Yeah. For the world championship in zuing and I was second and third. So uh yeah that was a but well that wasn’t the only thing you were doing. Of course, you were also a nurse. How did you manage to combine all of that? Actually, the the the past couple of years. Yeah. When I’m thinking now about that to combinate uh work and yeah, training, I think 20 hours a week, uh that’s really crazy. But yeah, when you like something, yeah, then you do it. And yeah, it was not so difficult for me. But yeah, you have less time to rest. And now I’m a professional cyclist. Yeah, you have a lot of time. So yeah, you uh yeah, you’re you perform better because yeah, you can rest more. But yeah, combinated work with uh training. I did uh the work as a nurse in the hospital. So I have to work really really early early or really really late. So I can train before or after my work. Yeah. And sometimes I had to work also in the night. Uh, and I was a really really bad sleeper. So yeah, I think most of the time I slept between 7 a.m. and 11 and then I was awake. So yeah, then it’s really hard to train good. But yeah, it was not an offer. It was Yeah, I did it with pleasure. Mhm. Yeah. And then uh serious in the palaton. So, as you said, you you you turned pro with with a Belgian team on. What What were the first two seasons like uh finding your way in the pelaton because Yeah. Of course, it’s still on being on the bike, but you came from a different sport into the palaton. Yeah. Yeah. It’s uh really really difficult uh yeah to find your place in the in the bunch. Yeah, for sure. The first years, but I think the difference is the first races that I did with the Belgian teams. Yeah, they were not uh really really big. So it was not a world tour for Laton. So yeah, when you are in the mountains because I did a tour dear with the Belgian team there there you have some riders with a big level and some yeah riders with a less high level. So when you are in the mountains, yeah, the bungee is uh less bigger. So yeah, then it’s quite easier to move up and to find your place. But yeah, it’s really difficult when you come from Duatlon to fight in in the bunch. Yeah, because the most of the girls Yeah, they ride since uh yeah since they were 12 or maybe 14 years old. So uh yeah, they are used to do it. Uh so yeah, that’s uh the most difficult part. Yeah. And then came your move to stat win space from now actually. Yeah, maybe a French team. Yeah, maybe not the most obvious move. What what made you choose that team at the moment? Yeah, the French team contact me and they yeah know my profile. So, uh the climate profile and yeah, the French team rides a lot of nice races in in the mountains. So yeah, that was for me easy to make the move to a French team because yeah, for the classics it’s h good to have a Belgian team for sure. A Belgium team at that level. Yeah, when you are in a Belgium world team, yeah, you write them all. But um as a cont Yeah. Then they write then they ride more classics and not really hilly stages or races in France. And yeah with a French team they ride in France mostly and that’s more hilly. So yeah that’s better for me. So uh yeah that was easy to make uh the a lot of love for for the mountains. Was it already clear from Yeah. Yeah. From the dual that the mountains were your thing and it just grew even more. Yeah. Um I think uh my first time that I uh went to the mountains was the first year that I did at the Alpad Datlon. I don’t know the year but before I never climbed a mountain. So my first mountain that I climbed was Alpu during the duatlon but yeah it was uh nice. The feeling was good and yeah then it’s a long effort so yeah uh that’s uh that’s good for me. Yeah. Nice. And uh was it was it like a bit of a culture shock? How big was the difference between racing at the at a smaller Belgian team and then a France team or was it kind of the same? Yeah. Um yeah, for sure. You have no in the Belgian in in the Belgian team. I did not a lot of races so I was not a lot with the Belgium team. Um and now yeah but there is quite a big difference and uh between Ara B&B hotel and Roch. Yeah that’s a big difference. There are more professional yeah bigger races uh more stuff uh to help us what’s important um better material. Yeah, a bit everything I think. Well, then in 2023, I think you your season was maybe a bit under the radar, but you had consistent result and were Yeah. were showing some some good races already. How do you look back on that season? 23 and it was with Roa. Wait a sec. It was with it was still with Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. that I think that was really uh good season for me. Uh it was my first uh yeah full season. Um I think that’s that was a season that I uh yeah that I was thinking from oh yeah okay I can climb well and uh I I can follow sometimes yeah the better cyclist of the woman’s pelaton. So yeah I think that was a a good uh season for me. We we did a really nice races for my profile in Spain and in France. So yeah, I think that that was the season that well back when Twitter was still fun. The first time we saw apart from Loti maybe there is a Belgium rider who is doing some nice results. Keep an eye on her. Oh yeah. Okay. But yeah, then in 2024, yeah, you you joined ARKa, of course. And yeah, that seemed to to really mark a step forward there. Yeah, I think kind of a more professional environment too. So So what changed for you there? Mainly that or Yeah. Um maybe Yeah, you work with more people. Yeah. Okay. My uh trainer does so so my coach is still the the same. So that was not different. But yeah, I think that was also the first year that I was living as a full uh professional cyclist and like I said already, yeah, you can rest really yeah a lot. So I think that’s the most difficult that’s the most important thing that’s uh changed because yeah you have more time to go to a physio to do strength u to go to a dietist um yeah that was actually time for recovery yeah voila va yeah yeah um well yeah about your tour of that year we will talk about in a minute but besides that tour some other highlights or proudest moment moments from uh that 2024 seasons. I have now to think. Um yeah, I think um the Alpa Classic was uh also quite good uh last year. Yeah, I have to error a bit to think what races I did last year. Yeah, I think it it was a good season. Yeah, the the best thing was the tour to France last year, but yeah, I was also second tank I think in tour the Pyrene one one stage. I had third. That’s right. Oh yeah. Voila. Yeah. Yeah. And that that was uh really nice. So yeah, I think in uh in general it was a stable but good season last year. nice about that 2024 tour. We’re kind of going smoothly to to this tour, but yeah, 2024 is definitely something to to to look back on because yeah, that was I think for for sure for the broader public a real breakthrough there. Yeah, you finished 16th overall and you you climbed with the best on on like on the the biggest mountain stages. How proud of you uh are you if you if you now look back on that performance? Yeah, when I look look back, yeah, I’m really really proud of of this. I think I never um yeah, think before that I can uh do do this. Yeah, for me myself, it was a bit of a surprise, but yeah, it was Yeah, it was a great tour. Yeah, I lost here. And was that this like a confirmation moment from like, okay, I I really do have my place here in the palaton. And was that something? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think yes. Well, yeah. And then we we just had the tour of 2025 behind us. I think not the one you hoped for with illnesses. Uh how do you look back on it a couple of days after? Yeah, this year it was a bit first the plan was to survive the first days, but yeah, the two first days the feeling was really really good and yeah, I um I lost not a lot a lot of time. And then I survived the two uh sprint stations without crashes. But yeah, then on day 5th, yeah, it was so hectic and a bunch the riders were riding like animals hop hop like this. It was really crazy. There were many crashes. I crashed two times. Uh and it spend me a lot a lot of energy after the first crash to come uh back because Paton was riding all all the time really hard. It was the crash with Balsamu. Yeah, she has to stopped and and yeah then uh when was it? Yeah. Then the day after or maybe two days after yeah I I was sick. I have anal flu. So yeah during that stage I think after one hour my belly has a lot of cramps and I couldn’t push anything. I went to to the doctor in in the tour uh and they give me so much stuff but yeah it didn’t help. So yeah then I uh I take the decision and I had not another choice. Yeah to uh finish with the group. So yeah this yeah and then uh my gen general classification was done and then the other days it was a bit with up and downs sometimes I felt really good but I feel that I recovered less good than otherwise. So when it was hard in the beginning of the race normally after yeah a few times yeah then I recover from from this I think uh the energy of the food didn’t go to my legs so yeah but in stage eight I uh was in the breakaway so that was quite nice but yeah I think I give the little bit too too much there um yeah bend the foot don’t go too to your legs. It’s difficult to push hard on the last climb. But yeah, there uh the atmosphere with the people, it was really crazy this year, I uh played a bit with with them and I enjoyed just uh the people there. So uh yeah, but yeah, it’s a bit sad uh because yeah, I think my form was really really good. It’s sad. Yeah. That I uh I can’t do uh nothing with that. Yeah. There was a lot of illness in the pelaton sadly. Yeah. A lot. A lot. A lot. Yeah. It’s crazy. And also something we’ve heard the need is Yeah. Some riders who are who were already kind of struggling with illness. They Yeah. their legs got just killed by how fast they were riding in the beginning. That was also Yeah. something I I’ve heard a lot from that. But yeah, as you said, you were I think this was quite a big goal of the season and you were going there in a in a good shape. How do you mentally cope with something like that? Yeah, that’s mentally uh yeah quite hard I will say. Yeah, because you know that you can do better but yeah it’s not uh possible uh during sickness. Um so yeah but yeah then you have uh friends and uh people to say come on uh you have to go and yeah then you go but yeah it’s not uh easy and funny uh to see your general in one day it’s gone. Yeah. Yeah. Obviously. Yeah. You just mentioned the crowds even when the results didn’t go as planned. Is there still still something special that you’re taking with me uh with you? uh uh being part of this year’s tour something special. Yeah, I think there was more people to watch us than last year and it was last year already crazy. So I think uh that’s for the cycling sport a really good thing. Um yeah, it was really crazy from the start to to the finish all day. It was Yeah, I I spoke with Kate Fono. She was a guest, the the head of women’s strategy at Zift. And I spoke with her at the start of stage three, which was just on a Monday in like the small village there. And she was like, “The crowds right here are almost double the amount of the first Grande bar we had.” So yeah, the crowds. Yeah, I was a part of it myself. It was crazy. What What is it like to to race through to Yeah. to Yeah. the wall of noise. And it was everywhere. The start that finishes climbs. Yeah. It’s not something the women’s pelaton is used to every weekend, right? No, no, no, no, no, no, at all. You have that a little bit in the tour, but now in uh in tour the France this year it was I think really really more than the Fonders. So yeah, that’s give you some energy. I I think I think it’s important to enjoy this this moment and to keep it with you because yeah I think five years ago uh no nobody thinks that uh the woman’s sport is growing like this so uh I think it’s a really good it was really a shock like I just the last race I was at was the bubble as a ladies tour so difference spectators was like really crazy I was it was less than a week ago. I was at the time trial of the Balaza ladies tour with some crowds. It was like already better than the year before because then we were with I think 10 people or something at the team presentation and then it was like you you come at the Kadal from the first stage and you’re there 3 hours beforehand and the best spot you can get is like 500 meters from the finish and then it’s like whoa is this women cycling like yeah it was uh yeah really crazy but yeah I think that’s really good for the sport. It felt like the Olympics but like every day like the crowds of the Olympics it matched that at some point. Oh yeah. Yeah. But the difference at the Olympics was really that there were a lot of people just oh what’s happening here today? A women’s race. Oh that’s you know what? Oh yeah. Amazing. We will come back in an hour and we will we will come here. But the difference there was everyone was really there for the women’s race which was awesome to see. Also puler played a pretty big part in it cuz like every day you saw the crowds at the visualiza bike was growing. Yeah, it was it was like when walking through the buses. Okay, let’s go to the visualiza bagus and then walk back cuz once you get stuck there, you just can’t get home anymore. But yeah, something else that was I think quite what you could feel in like the interview there, there was quite some tension between I would say the the biggest GC writers some some bold interviews from Kim Lur to Nia Duma to Yeah. the teams themselves as well like was it something you you felt inside the Palaton detention or did it mainly stay in the interviews? Yeah. Um I think it was already from the beginning really hectic nervous in the pulaton and it never changed. So also after these interviews Yeah. Yeah. It was not a big different because it was all day like this from the beginning. But that was I think something that was really different from last year like those Yeah. It was almost every interview there came was something like Yeah. There was a bit of a mental war going on before the mountains. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That I’m sure. Yeah. Yeah. And something else. Did you uh expect to to do this in the mountains? Yeah. I said it already uh before the the tour to my uh bo boyfriend and I say I’m sure she will be really really good. Um yeah because I think when she does something she can do it. She is so determinated. She uh Yeah. So yeah I’m not really surprised. Yeah. Yeah. It is wonderful if you say like okay my big goal of the season is the tour and while I’m at it I would also like to win the rub and then to do them both. Yeah. That’s uh that’s quite impressive. That’s crazy. Yeah. But yeah, one of the I think biggest topics also of this tour was about weight and nutrition. Yeah, of course we had Peron Pu with her crash diet and then we had some writers speaking up about weight and the pressure on the riders and that focus needs Yeah, it needs to to shift on health. What are your thoughts on on the situation? Yeah, I think what Pauline did, she did it um Yeah. in a healthy way when you can say it you know what I mean I think uh Visma Leis bike yeah will do it yeah not as a crash crash diet but yeah she will follow a good plan from a nutri I can follow all also the thoughts from yeah from Dami bec because she post yesterday’s something on social media and yeah I I know a lot a lot of young rhymer um riders for sure climbers they struggled with the white and then you see Pauline she’s really really skinny and she win the the tour the France yeah it’s difficult because yeah I think you don’t need so so skinny to win a tour because I think yeah dei She Yeah, her body is natural. She’s not really skinny. And she climbed also really, really strong. But yeah, this year there was just one girl better. And Casia, okay, you see that her body is different than Dami, but you see she’s not so Yeah. How do you say it? A sec. Um, not so dry than uh pollen. It’s the way she’s built. Yeah. Va va. And that’s but when you see also in the past her her weight is also she’s like a yo-yo. She’s up down up down and yeah one I think when she uh won the Olympic on the mountain bike she was also really really skinny. So I think she’s used to do it. But yeah, for young girls it’s not Yeah, it’s not so good to see that because for sure when you have already uh problems. Yeah, I can really understand that. Yeah, what Dei say and I’m Yeah, for sure. Yeah, it’s not the best scenario that you have to do. But yeah, we then attrition is I think in in cycling a very small line to to balance on. How do you and your team Yeah. uh support support you when it comes to nutrition and and weight and making sure everything stays healthy? Yeah. Yeah. now in France. They are not so strict, but I have my personal dietist here in Belgium. And yeah, she she knows that I need a lot of food because my metabolism is really fast. So yeah, so after every race, she calculates what I have to take and it depends from the what that I pushed. So yeah, but I think in the woman’s pelaton, yeah, the nutrition and also in the men’s pelaton, it’s really important. Yeah. When you see it from three years ago to now, yeah, it’s uh improved a lot. A lot. Yeah. I think just the main thing is to to keep in mind just did a great race and maybe we shouldn’t be focusing all too much on her weight because if you take a look at the top 10 I think there there are also a lot of healthy looking cyclists in there. So yeah, it’s still possible to you don’t have to lose kilos to win. Yeah. No, no, no, no, no, no. For sure. some other maybe like for you a highlight in this tour maybe nothing to do with you but like a stage win or a performance of another writer you like or something. Yeah, I think uh my old team teammate Maya I think she did amazing tour nobody expected and I think in the first case she she was there to help Elisa Longobini but yeah she was sick and then she ride the amazing tour for for um and it’s a rider with a lot of talent and now she is in a really really big team And her shape is uh is growing. And you see, yeah, she uh likes to ride. She likes to play. She Yeah, she will win or she she will lose. And yeah, for now she wants to to the two times. So yeah, that’s uh amazing. That’s amazing. Yeah, I think a lot of riders didn’t expect that she was so so strong. Yeah. Yeah, that was a crazy performance and also just crazy to see how actually what looked to be a dramatic tour for UEIE uh was just yeah, she just changed actually the story line on her own. So that was definitely a super cool part of the race. Um well then maybe we can go over to Onoplot uh for a second. So yeah, I think that was the race that suddenly had everyone talking about lot of class. What do you remember from that day? Yeah, from uh that that day I uh knew that yeah, first my um um my sports director says, “Yeah, a lot of you have to stay with with the sprinters.” And I say to him, it’s really because I really knew okay our sprinters are good, but when it go hard on the little climbs, they are dropped. So I say I have to do it and then I think one minute be before the start then he say yeah when you see a breakaway yeah maybe you you can go when when you are feeling good and I okay that is the plan. Um, so yeah, me and my teammate M. Yeah, we played for the breakaway and uh, yeah, she she attacks her a few times, but yeah, some riders were following and so yeah, the breakaway doesn’t go and then yeah, there was one break. I saw two girls and then uh Mikadox, she was she was riding behind and then I jumped to to them and Yeah. Then uh we were go for a long day. Yeah. And then well I’ve been a witness from it. I even maybe caused it at no but like at the Belgian championships you have a lot like oh that’s the one from the loop. How how nice is it? And how annoying is it sometimes to to hear that over and over again? Oh yeah, for me it’s not annoying. It’s a really nice I I know. Yeah, that’s once in a lifetime that I can win such a big race. So I had enjoyed really really uh so yeah for for me that’s not a problem that they say, “Oh, that’s the the girl from the envelope.” That’s not a problem for Yeah, that’s that’s always quite funny to see at the race like everyone is like, “Is that the one from Leon?” No. Um, but actually something else that surprised me from you this year, you were third on the Belgian Championships in the time trial. Was that something you knew you were capable of or was that just as surprising to you as as most? Yeah, it was a really really big uh surprise for myself. It wasn’t a goal because yeah, I did the auto classic and to the Pyrenees. So, I ride two times before on my time field bike and uh that day, yeah, I had some uh problems with my time trail bike. It was not allowed from the Yeah, from the control. I don’t know. I have to say it. So, yeah, we we have to change something. And then on the start podium, my uh helmet doesn’t close. So I think 5 seconds before the the start they or 10 seconds they have to make it. So it was really really stressful. But yeah, then the time then the time trail itself went good. I start a little bit too fast I think. But in the end, yeah, it was a good uh time trail. But it was a really big surprise. really big. Yeah. And then I would say apart from Yeah. This tour of course was not very nice for you, but apart from that, I think quite a successful season already for you. How would you how would you rate your season so far from from zero to 10? Difficult. Yeah, with the envelope it makes a bit everything I think. But uh yeah, seven something like that because yeah, I was really sick before the VA. So I uh didn’t go to to the VA and then in the tool I was sick too. So yeah the in the in the post I was always really stable and now I have some ups and downs. Yeah. Doing sickness. Yeah. And uh Yeah. What does there need to happen this season to get the score up a bit higher? Yeah. Um yeah, it’s difficult because uh yeah, we want to race a lot in September and and October. Um yeah, maybe uh um in tour or the teams something that should be really good. Yeah. Before we we look a bit further ahead, we’re just going to drop in some questions. We we that kind of return in every episode. Um well so obviously women’s cycling has changed a lot during the the past few few years. Um what has changed the most visibly for you? I think the level from the riders and also the people who watch um the woman cycling. Yeah. Yeah. And then yeah the the UCI is known for for some uh questionable rules lately. So uh if tomorrow you would have a a seat at the UCI table, what would you push for immediately to uh to immediately? Uh yes or no? So something you can change immediately. Yeah, I think they are now talking about or do it bar with the Yeah, the that that the bar has to be uh minimum 40 cm but that’s really large. Yeah. And they say it’s for our safety. Uh but I think a lot of uh girls will not be uh um right smoothly with some big bars. So I really hope that uh yeah they will change it for uh next year. But yeah. Yeah, I get it. Yeah. Uh well so now we can just um look ahead. So yeah, we’re we’re now in the second half of the of the 2025 season. Although for women’s cycling the second half feels a bit empty. What are you still looking forward to? Yeah, I will do PLU. Yeah. of August and then to dear and then normally when the shape is good I will do the European championship in October. Yeah. when I will continue then I will do Kono in the middle or the end of October and then it’s maybe bench when uh yeah they have not a lot enough riders for bench I will write bench too yeah you did a reckon of the Euros with Belgian cycling I think a while back uh some something you’re peing to yeah I think yeah it’s necessary to peak because yeah it’s a championship so yeah the level will be high and to help the Belgium team. Yeah, you have to be in a great shape. So, yeah, I will work to that. So, yeah, now this this week I take some rest uh and yeah, some days off and then yeah, we work to the European Championship. You’ve been part of team Belgium before, of course, last year when the other lot became world champion. How is it to to be part of team Belgium? Yeah, that’s really nice. That’s really great. Yeah, we are all good. Yeah, I’m for sure a lot. So, it’s really nice to work for her. But yeah, last last year, yeah, I couldn’t do a lot because yeah, the weather was really bad and I had a really cold. So, yeah, I was I think yeah, really early. Yeah, I think in the Yeah, after EK or something, I was not in the group of L anymore. So yeah, that was a bit sad because yeah, then you can do anything. But yeah, and Justine is also really good. So uh I think yeah, when Lot has a bad day, Justine can do something. I’m really sure. Yeah, that’s nice. And well, yeah, then the future will, I think, look look a bit different with the the troubles Ara is in at the moment. Yes. So um Yeah. How uh what are your thoughts for the future? Yeah, that’s an big big question because yeah, until now we uh know nothing about AKA. We are still waiting and I really hope they will say us something this week or the week after because it’s already really late. And for now, yeah, I have no no team for uh next year. Yeah, I have a manager. How do you say it? Yeah. And uh yeah, and yeah, they contact a few teams, but yeah, the most of of the teams are full. Oh, yeah. They don’t need a rider with a profile like like me. So, uh yeah, it’s uh really uh difficult to find a good team. I think so. Well, yeah, that that sucks obviously because you have the talent. So, normally I think you should be fine or at least I hope so. So, let’s hope everything works out. Yeah. Yeah. That’s say a a lot of people al you you you will find a team but for for now uh yeah and also what’s uh what’s not uh yeah it’s not my fault but I’m also already 32 years. So uh yeah that’s that’s the thing that some teams thinking ah she’s a bit old. Yeah we prefer rider from 24 years old. Yeah. Yeah, it’s not so easy that we think or that you Let’s hope everything works out for you, but because we’ve had Natasha on here and that’s something so important for the teams to remember, let’s look at talent and let’s look at writers who are performing right now and not necessarily about age because maybe the 18year-old you are now trying to get into your world tour team is not ready for for that already. So also look at the pelaton right now and who’s performing well and yeah obviously you you have a place in that I think and you’re doing super well and yeah I think there’s still some progress and you can be very helpful for teams. Yeah. Yeah. I think too. Yeah. But uh we we will see the teams can call me. Yeah definitely. Well so thank you so much for being here today. It was super interesting. Yeah. for the listeners there now follows another part we I recorded yesterday with Kristoff so enjoy that and yeah for you thank you very much I wish you all the best for the future a good team because you deserve it thank you yeah that’s it thanks hi well now you’ve heard me five seconds ago but here is Sarah from the past and um yeah not alone because Kristoff is here after some time again and uh we will just like talk a bit about uh the tour to France like some final thoughts maybe. Yeah, sure thing sir. Uh hi, welcome listeners. Yes, I’m back. Family holiday duties. So um I think S experienced way lots more from the tour to France F of Xrift than I did. I just got got the main headlines with me. I just read the main headlines. But um yeah, very interesting to the to France fun this year. I think very unsuspected winners, stage winners, I think. Very nice battle for the GC we saw for example also heartbreaking but heartbreaking as well yeah well that very nice heartbreaking depends on your point of view that’s uh that’s for sure yeah nice stagements uh nice overall experience nice crowds I think sir but you experienced that more life than I did from afar so the crowds something I haven’t experienced before like just yeah it was every day was like okay so the first day was like okay we’re in Britany a pretty famous climb here okay this may this okay yeah I get it tomorrow yeah okay okay still Sunday okay yeah makes sense there’s still some crowd we’re still in Britany okay yeah this makes sense and then Thursday yeah we’re on a Monday we’re about to leave Britany and I’m like what we’re like in in a village with 4,000 inhabitants in here and how How come? There’s still so many people here. And then I think only the fourth stage I was like, “Okay, the crowds are a little bit less today.” But yeah, hey, makes sense. We left Britany. The the the spotlight is maybe a bit shifted to Okay, makes sense. And then you’re at the fifth stage and you’re like, “What the [ __ ] The crowds are here again.” So it was like every day we’re like, “Okay, it has reached its limits sometimes.” And on the motherland like the last couple of gates that was the only place I was like here the crowds are missing a bit. It was also pretty cool because like the goal was everyone from who who rode lit up from could then stay at the top to cheer but it was so cool um cuz I I knew someone who was participating and she drove like five kilometers back to a village to then go into a public toilet to just get a little bit warmer. So that was there also I think in issue. A lot of people descended right away because because they were so cold. But that was maybe the only spot I was like oh this is a little bit disappointing to see. But all in all the day after the crowds were Yeah. Of course it was like 5k from the finish already. The French people saying we are the champions. So yeah. Yeah. I mean it was also just very obvious every day the crowds around the Vizma bus became bigger and bigger. Uh, and also something that just so amazed me was, okay, the the French are known for how shadistic they are, but like this tour seeing it in person, it was like, okay, it’s really worse than I thought cuz like I still every day it was like, yeah, you can be, you can be, let’s say, um, another example, you can be I’m trying not to pick a shite. Let me think you you can be Marco or Justin or let’s say Francisco you will you get the same cheers. It’s just like okay nice you’re here today. Uh well good that you’re participating here. Uh yeah. Can we now just Yeah. go further and cheer for the max French rider cuz I don’t know what I’m doing here. Like Yeah. You’re like everybody’s like let’s cheer and Sarah and everyone is like okay what’s your problem? So that was first thing that could first thing that could happen for the entire world except France as a Frenchy in the yellow the yellow jersey because then then all the French people wake up actually. Yeah, it was like really crazy. Like the the chauvinism was something I knew before it was going to happen. Like you kind of feel the difference in vibes already at P for example. You have that but there are still a lot of Flemish people as well for sure on the man’s side. Women’s side maybe a little less. That was something that like in terms of crowds just the crowds itself surprised me. But the chauvinism of the French Yeah, that surprised me maybe even more. I wasn’t aware it was that severe, I would say. Yeah. Yeah, it’s pretty bad or pretty good. Depends on what nationality you are or what point of view you have, of course. So, hey, then something else are pretty beefy to the France from this year like in the comments. Visa bike, FDG, aguma like throw some mut in the media. Yeah, there was like tension all around and um yeah for you you will have probably heard it in the episode I should have normally asked lot about it her herself but like in the media there there was a lot of tension like for example Ving continuing when Lour crashed there was like but I love the course’s interview not going to lie they are all short like yeah in her in her position we wouldn’t have done that but yeah everyone has their own tactics And then Lura again apparently Labuza Mus when she came back. Labuza Musik uh break in front of her on a roundabout. Yeah. And Ving was pacing in the front so she had to close again. And Yeah. So there was an Nia also said like yeah when Gigante paces my my legs hurts but when Damy does it they don’t. And then like we of course had the FA a bike versus with calling Damy a drama queen and saying that FDG expects her to be in a in a cage and and yeah and then it was like he was saying like yeah everyone deserves the same respect which actually that was true just all he said around made it made it such a drama but if you would have just said like in my opinion everyone deserves deserves the same amount of respect and there wasn’t really it could have happened to anyone then there would have been nothing wrong with that statement but yeah it was just honestly looking for for drama yeah again a bit of a mental war there and then you had Abdia I don’t give a [ __ ] about his opinion because I think he’s a very stupid man it kept continuing to be honest and then of course we had ag when there came comments when like yeah Sarah yeah And Justine, she has to sacrifice herself. And yeah, Justine saying like, “Yeah, but but you will see on the model, you will see what she does there.” And then like every day there was something some kind of GC riders, some kind of GC team that just Yeah, they just were like I don’t know. I think cuz I’ve spoke to some insiders in the race, not not really podcast related, but just people I’ve met along the route and I think everyone since that there was a heavy start and the heavy racing, I’ve talked about that as well. First hours of 47k an hour, that’s like crazy. And everyone was so on their limit that everyone was just very sensitive and very harsh and they almost couldn’t regulate everything they said anymore. So everything they thought really came out and very sharply and apparently like some some writers felt that and said that to to their family like everyone is really on their limit and like it feels pretty tense in the palaton. So that was also yeah I think if you compare it to to the maner or whichever race we’ve had it was just apart from the racing tension there was also visible tension between the biggest contenders I would say. Yeah. Yeah. Lots of popcorn moment on the sidelines for us actually. That’s for sure. Yeah. You compare it with the men’s race but of course the men’s through the front was boring because that one was already decided after stage two. So everybody knew that pogi was would win. So everybody could be nice to each other anyway. So but here we had a lot of contenders. Uh nice competing. Um yeah, I think it I think it was very very interesting. More excited than uh than my to the France from Prono for the for the She writes podcast. I predicted all like stable well-known boring names. But actually I’m very happy I didn’t score well in in the Puno. Well, I finished third. I think I was not that bad after all. But anyway, first spot with uh Sarah and me. So, okay. Yeah, she me who was already when I saw her on stage five, she was like, “Yeah, I’m so excited. At least I’m leading one race.” Okay, doesn’t matter which one, but I’m leading one race. And yeah, she managed to take it home. And even though like um her non-stage predictions weren’t she didn’t have the best score there, but she did predict the winner right overall. So I think very deserved to win there. Yes. Yeah. Nice stage twice. That is that’s that’s wonderful. And how awesome was that? The six spot on a kind of a climber stage. Yeah. Oh, and we should mention finally the attacking mode of Mavi Garcia paid off. Like so well deserved for her. Like finally because I think everybody was like, “Oh, Maui not again.” Yeah. He also said it in the preview like going over the participants list. Yeah, she could do something here but please don’t attack on seven kilometers to then become eight because you know everyone suffers please don’t do it. And then she was like on 10k and I was like no she’s weebus is just gonna catch her on the line right I was like [ __ ] and nothing against me weas but her stages were about to come and I was like ah [ __ ] and then she made it and I was like whoa this really happened was one of those attempts really and unfortunately it’s also like it kind of shows like consistency is key because I think a lot of people have tattoo maybe you need to try it in a different way cuz this is not working. But she just kept doing it. Every time between 10 and 7k to go, we attack and we go for it and just eventually it worked out which is I think yeah could be a motivation for everyone like be consistent and you know maybe one day. Also can we talk about how many crowds favorites actually won? We had Mariana Vos on the first first stage on the second stage. Yeah. Garcia, of course, we we had of course also a favorite. There were like a lot of very liked stage winners overall and just performing well cuz you’ve probably saw Sarah like the the the video of Sarah after uh the final stage where she was crying. Journalists around her were were crying with her. So that also shows like Yeah. But that was such a heartbreak really. Yeah, I had Yeah, I basically had a lot of my reach was pretty well till the moment Sarah dropped and I was like, “No, [ __ ] no.” I was like really like ah and it was already like the last stage was already just like a sucky stage because just to keep Sarah away lot was in a break and then I was so angry at all the GC competitors apart from Sarah. They were racing, racing, racing to keep them behind and then then they got slotted back. Of course, chance over. Was annoyed by that. And then I saw them do it again when she dropped and I was okay, this is this is catastroph. And I was like, yeah, I was so I was like really mad there. And then yeah, I I screamed Sarah to the finish honestly because yeah, my my voice really needed some time to recover from that. I was like, “No way.” Like, in the end, she should be very proud and we are also so proud of her. But it was like [ __ ] these sense. Why did they exist? Maybe we should just Yeah. going going up the climb and just don’t go down cuz it was really like Yeah, it’s it’s heartbreaking. And meanwhile, while we’re talking about uh about Sarah Giganti, can we just put up a big fat middle finger to all the internet warriors? Yeah, we have experienced or she has experienced. I mean, come on. Okay, let’s put it this way. Sarah Gigante, she’s a podcast favorite. We we have her high in our opinion. Of course, we’re a big fan, both of us. But that doesn’t matter if it’s Sarah Gigante or someone else. I mean, come on, guys. sliding into her DMs, criticizing her for for who she is or the lack of her descending skills. I mean, seriously, can we just applaud her attacking moves? I mean, she just goes all in. She just goes for it. She just smashes into the wall. I mean, come on. She just races hard. She makes racing attractive. You should just applaud this. Support this instead of a she cannot descend. Oh, look at her. Oh, what a what a lack of skills. Oh, what another [ __ ] I think she mentioned it even in her uh in the episode we we recorded in the beginning of the year. She knows she’s a limited descender. She knows she should work on that. She knows she’s going to lose time in the descent. But hey, come on that. Can you just applaud her for for the attacking mode she puts on? Now it comes to these things. For once, we are all human. No, no one is perfect. That’s the starter. The second thing is Mia plays such a big role. Why don’t you put a spotlight on what what she has done and what’s the team has been doing to get this? Yeah, just to get her better at this. And then third, why would you slide in someone DMs to tell them how bad they are doing? She wasn’t even doing that bad cuz still the last day she didn’t lose time in the descent or yeah, maybe 11 seconds or or whatever. Why would you do that? Because I don’t know. How about you? But if if if you fail something, if if or if someone isn’t working for you, like I don’t know, maybe you just had a very rough day and you didn’t get out because I don’t know, you just weren’t feeling in the best place mentally. Do you want me to to send you DMs like, “You did so bad. You didn’t even leave your bed today. You should be so disappointed in yourself. You should be working harder.” Like what? Yeah. I just can’t comprehend this and I have never done and I think that’s very obvious in this whole podcast. I don’t understand media doing this because it all starts there. They have a very big part in how everyone receives women cycling and for sure still at this point because women’s cycling just hasn’t been uh out there as much as men cycling for a long time. Everyone very much depends on media outlets. So why are we focusing so harsh on how her descending isn’t the best instead of putting the story out there? Cuz we have spoken in the beginning of the year with Stan Stals. We have spoken with Shivonella as well who also struggles with the descending and the riding and the paladon and we heard we heard from her we heard from Sarah herself. We heard from Stan sails how much they work on that aspect within the team. We had no who tried hypnosis. They are they are doing everything they can with specific descent coaches and it has they have come a long way already with Sarah. Yeah. Same for they are both they are they have been riding so incredibly well. Just look at the like the first part of the race when she needed to be there for her leaders. She has been there and she she has dropped quite some big names. So they are both doing very well. Will they ever become the best descenders or will they ride in the palaton the best of the best? Yeah. No, probably not. But maybe just Yeah. When I open my live stream and it’s a descend and it’s like oh yeah Sarah Angelie in the back of the race. Okay. Yeah. Makes sense. And it’s like, okay, yeah, we just know. And it’s like, it kind of feels like, okay, yeah, another day at the office, but just Yeah. And but in the end, it doesn’t matter that much what she’s doing to improve her skill. They they do whatever they want. The point is she knows that’s her weak point. So no need for some internet hero to tell her because she knows and it’s not easy on the two of France F because when you’re exhausted and you make the race hard and then some some complete anonymous idiot comes in like, hey, you cannot descend. You suck. I mean, Jesus, what is this going to add anyway? Very much human because I know Sarah is someone who really thrives on positive support. Like, I think she she really feels that. But people who had positive support, which is if people find it so important to get that positive support and if it’s it helps them to to perform, then you also know that the negative support is go is going to hit twice as hard. So, but it’s just very much in general, let’s just be kinder to each other because we’ve also seen how media has been has been towards Lotto which Copeki of course cuz yeah another lot in the interview before that’s going to be a difficult one but like why I I I have missed most during the tour to France luckily but I have been even though I don’t want to I have been catching up with a lot of stuff. It’s just comes naturally and I don’t even need to open a lot of it just to know how bad it is cuz like I don’t see what we are doing here at this point. This is just not the way to go. They are athletes. They work for example L has been working towards this goal for half a year. She has been struggling with the knee with back with mental pressure. Yeah. decisions that have been made that maybe weren’t the best ones in the end. So, you have to imagine and everyone I think this time you could feel it through the TV screen like I already felt this kind of imos during my TV screen. But I think for now it was very visible for everyone. She w she was just unhappy. So I don’t see why media thinks oh let’s just okay this this is wrong. This is wrong. She didn’t do that right. Whoa, she disappoints the whole nation. I don’t know what what at this point. Why should you do that? I I just Okay, you can’t say like this is not what we expected from her, but there is just no point in any athlete cuz they’ve all worked so hard to be here. Like there were there were a lot of good writers who just wrote a kind of invisible tour. Does it make them a worse rider? Does this mean that they didn’t have to work for it just as hard as as the one who wins the tour? No, they are all just doing their best and no one deserves it to just get the whole nation media and all these Yeah. internet trolls just sending them messages and letting them know how disappointed everyone is in them because in the end I think most people and the people who matter most even those who don’t know you are just mainly very proud of those writers and that might be even another reminder and something else we can do is why not try if you are cheering a rider on maybe try to make the the support a bit more obvious um visible because there will in the end there is always more positivity going around but maybe we should all try a bit harder to spread that positivity um cuz in the end it’s easier to support someone from afar and we know like I mean I’ve heard from family members as well like yeah Sarah uh we’ve been following her was cool cool to see so there are a lot of people out there who are actually crossing their fingers and hoping you perform well. But they will never know. And what what they all read is like these let’s say 10 people who are supporting them on very hard and then they read like five people who are just [ __ ] rude and what they will but what stays with them is like yeah maybe maybe I I am not good enough but if we all try to make our support and our spread more positiveness maybe it can balance it out a bit. So yeah, my thoughts. Yeah, they’re they’re probably just the same internet heroes that that constantly type, “Hey, women cycling is boring.” And then finally, you have someone who makes women’s cycling very interesting if you think it’s boring. Like Sarah makes it interesting. She attacks all out. She puts all chips on the table. She doesn’t care about the results anyway. She just goes all in and she goes like she goes for it. And then you are like, “Yeah, but she’s a bad desender.” I mean, make up your mind. What do you want? Like what do you want? You think women cycling is boring? Then you have someone who makes it interesting for you and then you say like yeah no still not good enough. I mean I think we well I think we should think we should wrap that one up because those internet heroes now got too much attention already in our podcast I guess. Yeah for sure. This is most of the time this is more like a me thing. So good someone else brought it up. Yeah. Yeah. But it can bring us neatly to some other media comments we saw like Dami Voling was again like like just shoot her wherever whenever you see her like shouldn’t shouldn’t you have lost weight like like Pauline Feron Po did and blah blah blah blah blah blah blah and she fair and square admitted it sorry guys I did not have the legs pin fo was the bad athlete she beat me fair and square that’s it all the respect to her and still they are like yeah But shouldn’t you? Shouldn’t you? Shouldn’t you? I mean, okay, team tactics, whatever. There was some, like we said before in the wrap-up, there was some beef between the team. So, questionable tactics or not, that’s maybe not up not up to us because we were not inside the pelaton. But one thing is for sure, Dami can win a GC. She probably knows what she has to do as a prep. She probably knows what her weight should be for a grand tour and what’s healthy and what’s unhealthy. Let’s let’s state that clear as well. So, she admitted that she was beaten fair and square. I mean, why are you continuing a witch hunt on her? Like, it’s it’s always something. It’s you can like her, you cannot like her. Actually triggering me is the weight dog. And it was going on in the meds as well with the like, oh, and this one lose this much kilos and this one. And I’m like, guys, what are we doing? I think it was obvious for a long time. It’s important to to set a right example like okay yeah of course you need to be in shape but basically like Dy said it herself you don’t need to be skin and bones to be able to to win in GC and I think it’s has been a good move from Ko I think it was who said like I’ve been here in this tour of France and I think it’s just important to mention once again that it’s that helped is more important than your level of skin skinniness cuz yeah obviously yeah that’s like yeah we weren’t there so I think we should trust the team and her if they say it’s healthy but for sure like she did like crash diet 4 kilos less from her optimal weight for rub that’s like yeah of course and then yeah mainly it isn’t really healthy if they say like okay but but we’re not staying on this level for too long Now, now we can win some case. So, obviously, yeah, good good thing she admitted that too. It’s like it’s maybe not repeatable. If you read between the lines, the took a heavy toll on her. And I think with with Leisma with Fisma Leis bike, they know what to do because they have like like finger garden and then and then a whole worldass men’s team. So, I think nutrition wise they should know what the limits are. I really hope so. And I understand that. Let me be clear on this level for one particular stage race as big as a tour to France F because maybe we have young athletes that listen as well then you can lose some kilos then you can go maybe a little bit over the limit for a short time but let’s be clear let’s not copy this on any other level on any other age I mean this is a tour of France thumb this is completely specific this is marginal gains you can do this once maybe because it will give you an advantage anyway climbing watts per kilo. If you can put the same watts and weigh 4 kilos less, well, that’s a win uphill, of course. But it’s a good message she gave, I think. Like, okay, I did this once. I’m not so sure if I’m going to do it again because what’s the biggest danger is that young riders and especially young girls and young women would think like, hm, should we do the same? Should we go on a crash diet for a for a climbing race, for a local climbing race? I mean, sure, guys, girls, don’t. I mean, seriously, don’t. She is well monitored. She has the entourage. We can just assume she was well monitored and this is all okayish for a big event like the tour to France from but do not go home and copy this. I mean this is this is not the signal that that that should be taken away from from pen. Let’s just maybe not normalize this. Yeah. No, exactly. Exactly. And also the main point we can talk and we can talk about what was healthy because we we have no real thing. It’s probably it’s it’s probably not healthy sad. But like I said, like it’s the to the France F it’s 10 days and just I mean and you’re a top contender. I mean okay in that case and you’re well monitored. Maybe there’s a case to make for that. But and on the other side let’s not make all the fuss about Paul France P weight as well because that’s like the only message we get from from to the France winner. I mean she’s she was already a cycling legend. I think now she’s in cycling heaven then and then she’s she should be considered as one of the goats of of women cycling now that she won the tour to France and in what way she did and we should like also focus on that but we tend to forget that message I mean this woman won the tour to France in quite in impressive way but maybe it again starts with the media that’s not just start if a rider lost some kilograms because I know there was a winter lot lost some as well which kind of made sense yeah she was more from track cyclists to also be better in the climbing races, I think. But maybe let’s just not as media use it every time she performs well. Like yeah, she lost there the kilos and that that might have been essential. Okay, you can mention that you you have to mention what happens. But maybe if someone performs well, maybe don’t take the weight thing with it every time. Say she’s an exceptional cyclist and she she grew a lot. she had a good good preparation and now she got to this point. So I think that is also something to pay attention to and we just need to hope that in the in the biggest team and preferably in the smaller as well everyone stay everyone and everything stays healthy and they are monitored they’re they are paying attention to menal cycles and everything like that. So yeah, it’s hard to speak about it if you’re not within the pelaton, but the the essence stay here. Let’s not focus too much on the weight for media and let’s just hope every everything is considerably healthy because of course they are still athletes and they are asking a lot from their body, but that everything kind of stays within the limits of doable and there’s no damage for the future done to their body. Let’s just Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. because PFP’s body weight is just one of the aspects of of a preparation. I think that was a complete fine tuning, but it’s like a lot more that goes into it. So guys, girls, don’t try this at home. It’s not necessary. It’s it’s a whole lot more than grand tour without it cuz long one and they certainly didn’t do that. And good good thing Dami was open about it as well. She said like I am on my optimal race weight. That’s it. If I lose 4K more then then I’m not racing optimally and then I’m performing optimally and it’s not healthy for me anymore. And then that’s for every rider. It’s different. But I should just end with with heads off for uh what Pin Fran Pu did as a tr she put she she put herself on one of the the cycling greatest of all time. Definitely she was already but now she solidified her position as one of them I think. So, I’m curious to see what the the coming years look like for her because she’s she’s really a rider who peaked. Like she said, I want to win and I want to win the tour and she did both. So, um yeah, I think I’m excited to see what her goals for for next year will be. Yeah, I don’t expect her to be as good as this year as she already told like this is maybe a one one shot because this was not 100% what it should have been for me personally like like it was very hard she said so maybe she’s now focusing on other goals or something so so but yeah she’s still top five top 10 worthy in any grand tour I think whatever she does also amazing racing from the Polish writers I think and not just that cuz yeah, we know she she’s been racing quite well the whole season, but to finish fourth in GC of the two of the sun, that’s yeah, that’s something else than just being a very decent rider uh uh making her way to the top. That’s uh yeah, already being there actually. Yeah. 24 years old. So, um where are the limits? That good thing you learn to pronounce Farchic’s name. What? Because we will hear from her definitely. time I did practice it and now it’s like it has been since the January. I I made work of it immediately. Oh yes, I’m just trying to apparently then I just need some practice before I I am actually going to say it. Well, Fisher Black also did an excellent move uh on the on the eighth stage because she finished fifth overall uh and just being in that uh break that helped her um yeah just get a head start and then being able to to stay in the in the front of the GC which was very interesting. Also from Sarah, let’s just repeat again. In January, it was very much give me my two healthy legs back and we’ll see what happens. And now it’s double zero stage winner, third in GC on the J6 in the GC in this tour. So very impressive. Yeah, that’s pretty okayish. Yeah, could be worse. No. Then we have uh then we have FDG with three riders in the top 10. But I think it’s a mixed feeling for the team. I think I think they came for more maybe it’s a it’s a good result with three in the top 10 but then you see Dami at almost 4 minutes from from Pu don’t know if they expected that to happen so I think they have some mixed feelings there in the team but I don’t think a lot of people expected FO because the vibes I felt was everyone was pretty scared from Sarah going into the model but everyone was like Po Yeah, she will be good. But that was the overall vibe I got from the paladon. She will be good. But okay, the thing you have with the GC is like usually Damian is the one to beat and if you can put her almost on four minutes, it’s like wow. I mean, of course, it depends what I I found this very comforting that uh on stage eight, the the first one of the podium from last year was on three minutes of the best GC rider. Like that shows how much the level has risen in in just one year actually. Also has to do a lot with um preparations of course cuz I think following as she said after two she was just empty. So was that the best preparation? No definitely not. Her crash maybe had some kind of impact but still 4 minutes is a lot. By the way that concussion protocol is completely shabby. I mean come on. Like seriously. Anyway, that’s a whole other discussion. Then maybe we have the jerseys. The least uh the least interesting uh the most predictable jersey was the green one. I think sad especially when you saw Mariana was not 100% fully committed to it. Maybe. Yeah, that’s uh easy one for to take. Let’s just also it might have been easy for her to take but she is there and she’s performing at her best again and let’s not well all headlines are saying disappointing for SD words blah blah blah they still have the green jersey winner they won two stages and they tried with the team they really tried to to get everything out of this tour what was possible and were all their riders in the best shape yeah no let’s be honest about that but it’s not like they failed this tour. They still want a major classification. They still want two stages. While everyone’s saying like, “Oh, bad tour. Bad tour. Let’s also be honest about it.” Okay. Was this maybe as the worst level tour we expected before? Yeah. No. But it’s still not a bad tour. No. No. Of course. Especially because you buried already GC ambitions before the tour started. So, they can’t complain in the end. They knew what was knew what was going to happen. uh they knew what what they were up for. So yeah, exactly. In the end, um I will be mild on SD works for the you you there. Yeah, they did what they could. And I also want to give a final shout out to Anna actually for once for the brave attempt on the final stage. That was cool to see. Was cheering for her there after Sarah dropped. I was like, “Okay, never mind. Let’s go full in for Anna right now. But of course, those GC writers were annoying me there. But also, it was just so beautiful to see her interviews, how she kind of tried to protect a lot of from the media was really uh Yeah, I felt that one. That was so cute. It it felt really like it felt like there was still like a mix between I’m the s on a bag who has to protect my writers from the press but also still like I’m a writer here. So I think in her interviews she she did she did a very good job there. If I can finish with the most unsung hero of this tour from France from Z. You know who it is. It’s a completely Yeah, you know because I told you before before the episode that should be that should be definitely be the Frenchy Emily Morier from from the what’s it called the team again? Yeah, Sam Michelle preference home oberant I think they’re officially named like like I don’t know if a lot of people know her. She’s already 20 28 years old. But you know her story, right? She finished 25th in the GC. She finished 12th in the last stage to Chhatel. But you know in January shed she she signed a contract on an N2 level in France. So that means it’s complete amateur level. So she started cycling. Okay, fair and square. She’s a very good triathlete. So she knows endurance sports but still in January she signed she signs a contract with an amateur team. In July she signed her pro contract with the with Michelle. like 1st of July, 26th of July, she just started to the France fam and poof, she finished. I mean that’s heads off. I mean really that’s heads off. That just it it should mean that Lot Copeki in two months will become a world champion in the Iron Man Kona for example. That’s something comparable. I guess it’s like completely crazy. Uh yeah, hats off for her and actually it proves what Natasha Canavan always says like do not only look at 18 19 year old girls to join the world two ranks. She’s 28. She blossoms late. She discovered cycling late. There she is. She’s a gem in the making. Let’s see where where she can go from there. So yeah, heads off Emily. Yeah. Next year. I mean is she available for the bigger bigger team bigger teams? Good question. If I put her on PCS, it’s only 2025. Yeah, I mean, but yeah, well, we don’t know, of course. Is it 100 100% correct? Because I think before to the France film, she was pretty unknown. So, maybe PCS has not have their data 100% correct yet. So, but yeah, I hope for Sam Michelle that they have her under contract. Should be a nice one. Yeah, good. Wanted to shout out for her as well. She’s an unsung hero. It’s actually completely crazy what you did. Well, then I’m also um I’ve enjoyed it very much. I’m definitely going back next year. I’m already counting down the days till October when we where we get to know uh the full route. So the grand park will be in Switzerland with started. They are rumors that we will have a monu summit finish. Yeah. then at least climb it from the bid side because they are capable to do it like oh but it’s women’s pelaton just put it from the soul side like the completely easiest one like don’t do that put them from bida do it all the way yeah so we will see about that well and maybe starting in Switzerland maybe mean there will be a Paris finish for the first time maybe I don’t know if they want that logistic wise I don’t know what the French government and the police service the time they did the they did the the movement inwards. So they went deeper to the mountains, but now they are already like starting more like on the bottom of France and they I think Voling and other riders have said like yeah we would also like Paris finish once. So maybe and they better put time trial in it because if there’s no time trial in it I am not going to be happy. Just put a [ __ ] time trial in there. Yeah, that’s one. Well, yeah, that’s one thing we missed in this to the front. So, it was a very nice addition, I think. But yeah, still little point of criticism. Put in a time trial. Take yourself serious as a grand tour. No, not a little point of criticism, just like a very big one. Just put in a time trial. Although, do we do maybe not maybe we don’t with Sarah? Actually, she should become an allrounder. tires. I mean, she has points of improvement. She should work on her TT skills. Yeah. So, it I think it it goes with a ground tour. It’s a TT. I mean, it’s time trial wasn’t too bad. One minute. That was No, exactly. No, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. No, no. Yeah, it should crown the most consistent one. We need to talk about she became 13th in the G. Yeah, of course. Let’s before we go out. Exactly. Yeah. Shout out to um to our uh podcast guests. Yes, sure. In the first few stages, I thought like it’s not going perfectly as planned, but yeah. Well, when it started going uphill, apparently all our guests were very happy cuz it went just a lot better and she managed to become 13. Pedra was struggling in the beginning with the hard pace in the flat stages, but she was also ill which of course made it harder for her. But overall I think in the climbing stages she her results were okay. So I think if she can come healthy to the tour and just some some more kilometers spent in the world tour bunch well she she will be able to show nice stuff in the future. Neargo of course what a tour some great performance from her six in that stage and overall just very good results. I think I’ve been saying a lot of episodes before there’s something coming for her and well she showed she’s she’s absolutely capable. Well, I think she was top 30 in the GC. Yeah, 29 in the GC. Yeah, just top 30. Um and then Jivona has been of course doing awesome work, super essential for the team. Um so yeah I think well the tour for she rise they all wrote actually very good and they were all able to shine in their own way. They should be all very proud of uh their performance and also just nice everyone made a finish which is also very nice cuz yeah in the end we finished with 124. So yeah that that are some dnf dnfs. Yeah yeah yeah and you made it to the finish line as well. Let’s not forget that. Yeah, I made. So, uh, yeah, our hosts and our guests all made the finish line. So, heads off for everyone here. Yeah, it was a chaotic journey and it was a lot to take in. But, yeah, it was very nice. It’s just like, you know, the reality is I brought my e-reader, I brought books, I’ve brought a lot of stuff to do while waiting, while in the car, but it’s just a journey and you’re constantly doing stuff and preparing for this and doing that. And then, yeah, you arrive home and you’re like, [ __ ] I I didn’t even open a book. And it’s like, okay. Like, it’s But yeah, now we know how it goes. Yeah. would uh would very much recommend if you don’t mind being in the car a lot because yeah, we did have like 4,000k in 12 days. Heavy. Yeah, but you know what? We might as well close it off here cuz we’ve uh had an interview as well. Well, yeah, the plan was 20 the plan the plan was 20 minutes short to the France film wrap-up. Sorry guys, everyone has been craving the longer episodes since my short one. So although short ones with Connie, it wasn’t also it wasn’t really a very short one, but it was an attempt to do a short one. Okay, so that’s a wrap for episode 38 of She Writes. Thanks for joining us. I hope you enjoyed the ride. Absolutely. Women Cycling is packed with action and we’re here to bring you every twist and turn. Be sure to subscribe on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcast or YouTube so you don’t miss upcoming episodes. And if you like today’s show, rating, like or comment really helps us reach far. And follow us on Blue Sky and Instagram for behind the scenes updates, our hashtag against the guest and more. Thanks to lot for joining us today. And don’t hesitate to share your questions or topics you’d like us to cover. Stay tuned for more exciting guests and join our prediction competition she writes podcast on blue sky to show off your knowledge and she writes is powered by cardiam endurance coaching. Thanks for listening to She Writes, the podcast where women cycling takes. Keep watching the fun and we’ll catch you in the next one. Bye-bye. Bye. [Music]