{"id":178254,"date":"2020-06-17T08:39:42","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T08:39:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=178254"},"modified":"2020-06-19T17:22:44","modified_gmt":"2020-06-19T17:22:44","slug":"ride-along-with-the-pros-at-this-years-skoda-v-series-womens-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2020\/06\/17\/ride-along-with-the-pros-at-this-years-skoda-v-series-womens-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"LIVESTREAM: Ride Along with the Pros at the \u0160koda V-SERIES Women\u2019s Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

Watch the third stage in the LIVESTREAM above! We start at 8PM (CET).<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Overall, it has been pretty impressive to see organisers, teams, and riders adjust to the new pandemic reality, stay positive in the face of adversity, and continue to give fans something to look forward to. As the whole UCI Women\u2019s WorldTour calendar has been postponed and largely reimagined<\/a>, there is one event coming up next week that is really showcasing some of the new possibilities offered in an age of virtual racing. <\/span><\/strong>
\n<\/p>\n

A stand-alone event to the real-world Women\u2019s Tour road race, this year\u2019s aptly named V-SERIES<\/span>,<\/span> is intended to make the most of what the virtual racing scene has to offer. Taking place between Wednesday the 17<\/span>th<\/span> and Friday the 19<\/span>th<\/span> of June, the event will see riders and teams from across the world racing to raise money for two important charities, Breast Cancer Now and Mind. Another very cool thing about the V-SERIES? You can join in and ride each stage for yourself at home.<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CBU2wYionr_\/<\/p>\n

The brave new world of virtual racing<\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\n

After the pros have battled it out for the title of the Women\u2019s Tour over three stages, you can also experience riding the same route on the RGT Cycling virtual platform. It\u2019s worth noting that another neat opportunity offered by hosting a virtual event is that the imagination is quite literally the limit when it comes to mixing and matching possible routes. Although the organisers of the Women\u2019s Tour stuck to some pretty classic choices, they\u2019ve undoubtedly crafted a three-stage package that is primed for plenty of action. <\/span><\/p>\n

The first stage unfolds over what was formerly the final 38.4 kilometres of the 2014 stage to Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. Fans of Marianne Vos will recall she impressively claimed this one in a bunch sprint when the course was first used six years ago. Next, riders will complete a replicate of the finishing circuit from 2019\u2019s hilltop finish at Burton Dassett in Warwickshire. Kasia Niewiadoma took this 35.7-kilometre race, which features three ascents and a 1.7-kilometre climb, at last year\u2019s race and it was also featured in the men\u2019s Tour of Britain.<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/gPYa7KPg9tY<\/p>\n

In terms of the software being used to bring this race to life, the first two stages will be raced on RGT Cycling\u2019s \u2018Magic Roads\u2019 interface, which has allowed event organisers to utilise GPX files to simulate the routes and profiles. The last stage of the event, which consists of a daunting 35 laps around the world-famous business district of Canary Wharf, London, is one of RGT Cycling\u2019s ultra-realistic \u2018Real Roads.\u2019 With a super sharp simulation of this one-kilometre circuit that has featured in a number of editions of the Tour Series, there should be plenty of edge-of-your-seat action as the Women\u2019s Tour wraps up. <\/span><\/p>\n

What teams will be racing?<\/strong> <\/span><\/h2>\n

Some of the world\u2019s leading teams are coming out to participate in the inaugural edition of this virtual event. The lineup will include riders from\u00a0<\/span>Bigla Katusha; Bizkaia Durango; Boels Dolmans Cycling Team; CAMS Tifosi; Cogeas Mettler Look Pro Cycling; Drops; FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope; Great Britain; Hitec Products Birk Sport; Lotto Soudal Ladies; Rally Cycling; Storey Racing; Team Breeze; Team TIBCO Silicon Valley Bank; and Trek-Segafredo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All competing for victory, teams are putting their best foot forward and bringing out some big names to represent them on the virtual stage. Trek-Segafredo<\/a>, for example,\u00a0have announced that they will race US National road champion Ruth Winder, Tayler Wiles and Lotta Henttala. “Having the opportunity to participate in the Virtual Women\u2019s Tour will be a nice change to the monotony the riders are experiencing at home these days with no racing in the immediate future. The stages have something for everybody, and we tried to assemble a team that can compete well in all of them,” said the team<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s director Ina Teutenberg in a press release.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

Outdoor racing may be on hold but our support for women's cycling isn't. Watch 20 teams of pro riders compete in the first ever virtual reality women's race: the \u0160KODA V-SERIES Women's Tour. See who tops the virtual podium, then ride the route yourself at home with @rgt_cycling. pic.twitter.com\/XY8CSjIOWE<\/a><\/p>\n

— \u0160koda UK (@SKODAUK) June 11, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n