Alpecin downplay Philipsen death threats; Vollering the rider to beat at TDFF; Intermarché defend Girmay's Tour showing; Cav to saddle up again in 2024?; the cash crisis in women's cycling

RadioCycling

nAs the Tour de France Femmes approaches its high-rise finale in the Pyrenees, these are RadioCycling's headlines...
Despite the loss of sprinter Lorena Wiebes due to a stomach complaint, SD Worx remain in control at the TDFF with Lotte Kopecky still holding the yellow jersey she's had since the opening day and their GC leader Demi Vollering looking as if she has the edge on her rivals, despite a 20-second time penalty for drafting behind her team car. We look at the key days ahead, and particularly Saturday's critical mountain stage over the Aspin pass that then finishes atop the towering Tourmalet.
It has emerged that Jasper Philipsen, winner of four sprints at the Tour de France, received death threats during the race. While attacks of this kind have become frighteningly commonplace in football, this is the first time time that cycling has witnessed such cowardly and partisan menaces. We hear from the Belgian sprinter's Alpecin-Deceuninck team and discuss whether such behaviour is part of the Netflix effect.
Among Philipsen's vanquished rivals at the Tour was Biniam Girmay. Much was expected of the Eritrean and Girmay did highlight his talent and speed on occasions, but a Tour win proved elusive. Describing Girmay's Tour debut as like a footballer stepping up into the Champions' League, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty team director Lorenzo Lapage insists his team leader went to the world's biggest race to learn. From that perspective he emerged from it a better racer, Lapage asserts, and as one who will return to the Tour and win.
Rumours are growing that Mark Cavendish will opt to continue for another season with Astana-Qazaqstan. We examine the hearsay and indications that the British sprinter will return after his Tour de France ambitions were abruptly halted at the end of the first week by a broken collar-bone. Like most fans, we're very keen to believe these rumours are true...
The Tour de France Femmes has underlined the funding disparities in the women’s peloton. It’s fair to say there are rich and poor, haves and havenots. There are teams with luxury buses, and there are teams with ageing camper vans. Some have even labelled it a two-speed race. We hear from Tom Varney, general manager of the British Wahoo-Lifeplus team, about the issues faced by those outfits in that second camp and why, also, there are reasons for optimism as the popularity of women's sport continues to increase.
And finally, in Ground Beans...
– Bahrain rider suspended for causing a high-profile crash four months ago
– Russian rider quits the Women's WorldTour and returns home
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