'Try it and see': How a call from the car led Ricarda Bauernfeind to victory at the Tour de France Femmes
With Magnus Bäckstedt in her ear, the German rode away to win stage five
“What a machine!” shouts Kasia Niewiadoma as she warms down outside the Canyon-Sram bus. The Polish rider is elated. She looks around for her team-mates, anyone to celebrate with, desperate to share in the joy of what she just witnessed. She turns to a soigneur beside her, and holds her tight in a hug.
What Niewiadoma had seen was a remarkable show of dominance. On the road into Albi, on day five of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, her 23-year-old team-mate Ricarda Bauernfeind took the biggest win of her career to date. All the teams expected a sprint. Canyon-Sram had other ideas, before Plan A fell apart.
“The start of the race was very fast and very hard,” Bauernfeind said afterwards. “We missed the first group, so it wasn’t the best moment for us. Then my team-mates chased back and the tricky part started and we were three in the group. Then I got the plan.”
Plan B came from directeur sportif Magnus Bäckstedt. When he pulled into the team paddock after the stage, he stepped out of the car, looked up to the sky, and blew out a mouthful of air.
With around 36km to go, Bäckstedt made a call from the driver's seat. It was instinctive, forged from years of tactical prowess, the kind of thought that comes naturally to a storied Classics racer.
“I saw a moment,” he told Cycling Weekly. "I spoke to Rica on the radio, and said, ‘Look, try on this part. It flattens out and then kicks back up a kilometre and a half to the top. Try it and see what we can do with it.’
“Everyone looked tired in the bunch, and I thought, ‘Why not try with her?’ She’s, until now, maybe flying a little bit under the radar. I think we changed that today. I thought she was the perfect rider to try something like this with.”
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Bauernfeind, of course, couldn’t say no. “I was already tired, and I thought, ‘Ok, if I go for this attack, then on the next climb, maybe I will get dropped’,” she said. “But I trusted in the DS, and I went.”
The German rode solo up to the peak at Castelfadèze, claimed six bonus seconds over the top, and then descended alone towards Albi. Behind, her team-mates marshalled the peloton, and Bauernfeind’s gap grew to over a minute and a half.
In her ear, Bäckstedt kept spurring her on. “I was just encouraging her to keep on believing, keep on pushing,” he said. “100% commitment to the line, and whatever will be, will be. That’s the only thing you can do at that point. There’s very little you can do apart from make sure you stay focused and concentrate, not coming off the power because your thoughts are starting to drift. That’s the key thing in these moments.”
As Bäckstedt spoke outside the bus, he was interrupted by the team’s manager, Ronny Lauke, who pulled him into a hearty hug. “We did it, man,” the Swede said, his eyes welling up.
From the start of the day, Canyon-Sram had their eyes set on a stage win. Their hearts, too. When the moment came, it fell to Bauernfeind to deliver, and fending off the chasers, deliver she did.
“She out time-trialled [Marlen] Reusser," smiled Bäckstedt. "You know, what can you say? I take my hat off to Ricarda. That’s one phenomenal ride.”
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer. He is the host of The TT Podcast, which covers both the men's and women's pelotons and has featured a number of prominent British riders.
An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides.
-
TrainingPeaks acquires virtual cycling platform indieVelo, aims to add ‘credible racing and realistic riding’ to its training offerings
Called TrainingPeaks Virtual it will be offered as part of TrainingPeaks Premium in March 2025, with a beta version available now
By Luke Friend Published
-
'In the summer I’ll also jump into a hot bath for 20 minutes after a ride': A week in training with a WorldTour rider
We caught up with Australian Chris Harper as he prepared for this summer's Vuelta a España
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Milan-San Remo addition will 'raise the level even higher' in women’s cycling, says Kasia Niewiadoma
'It's really motivating to see that in just one season, everything can change' says Tour de France Femmes winner as she reflects on a year of success on the road
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
A new era emerges: meet the rising talent that stole the show at the Tour de France Femmes
A familiar face may have won the race, but rising stars shone brightest. Here are the names you'll want to remember in the seasons ahead.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
'I lost the faith that I could still do it' - Kasia Niewiadoma conquers the ‘Mountain of Emotions’ for Tour de France Triumph
"I've gone through such a terrible time on this climb. I hated everything," shares the yellow jersey victor.
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Niewiadoma claims 2024 Tour de France Femmes yellow jersey in nail-biting battle with Vollering on Alpe d'Huez
Vollering wins the stage, but comes up just short to win the race overall. Rooijakkers second, Muzic third.
By Dan Challis Published
-
'1:15 isn't much' - SD Worx confident in Demi Vollering for grand finale on Alpe d'Huez
Eyes turn to Alpe d’Huez showdown as GC battle stalls on Le Grand-Bornand
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Polka Dot jersey Justine Ghekiere conquers Tour de France Femmes stage 7 as Niewiadoma holds onto yellow
Belgian victorious from breakaway, Vollering and Niewiadoma in stalemate in first Alpine battle
By Dan Challis Published
-
Who's won the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift?
The full general classification, along with the latest stage result, and the standings for the other jerseys
By Cycling Weekly Published
-
Cédrine Kerbaol powers to stage six win at Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the first ever French victory
Kasia Niewiadoma maintained her lead in the yellow jersey on an action-filled day in north-east France
By Adam Becket Published