Did The New La Course Work?

Organisational blunders undermine women’s event

- Owen Rogers

Despite Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten (Orica-Scott) deservedly securing La Course victory on the first day, last week’s revamped event was marred by poor organisation.

Britain’s Lizzie Deignan, who finished in a surprise second place, was among those saying the event needs improvement.

“I raced up the Col d’Izoard and that to me is where the organisation stopped,” the Boels-Dolmans rider Deignan told Cycling Weekly. “We had to stay in hotels hours from the start and [after] I rode down into Briançon and there was no shower, then we were in the car down to Marseille for six hours.