UCI Gran Fondo Turkey | Paris qualifies for WORLD CHAMPS

[@fede1275]

Well done to you both, in such horrible conditions!

[@maxywilko]

Thank you- not a day for rim break!!

[@wordupcornflake]

well done paris, great video

[@bazza280978]

Another great vid! Looked like tough conditions, well done to Paris.

[@thewattlife]

Was great all day till the last 5km then all hell broke loose. Good day all round

[@Benn321]

Fantastic video and well done Paris 💪💪

[@thewattlife]

Thank you

[@Grant-bu4nj]

Great video well done Paris Definitely an event to look out for in 2025

[@pauldaye8335]

well done, excellent commentary. I hope to this one myself next year

[@ozgurinsan]

Nice race man. Also you are right about women drafting and not pulling all along.

[@thewattlife]

I don’t mind people not pulling- or just taking a short turn on the front, but the wheel sucking technique that the lady was doing here is unfair to other female competitors as it isn’t a team race.

[@TomMazzoneCycling]

That looked absolute carnage! Should get to IOM Gran Fondo next year, much sunnier there 🤪

[@thewattlife]

What time of year is that?

[@TomMazzoneCycling]

@ 19/20 July in 2025 I believe!

[@BulletGaming012]

I'd love the quality of those roads in the NW of the UK 😅

[@dennisbaron5680]

in the gran fondo in italy some girls have a full team of helpers, its normal , and remember you dont need to work , its ok to sit in

[@tjtennisicmroll2k]

it seems like people don't need help to remember that they can be lazy losers

[@mwjp1977]

Great video - totally agree that taking a pull for the entire event and refusing to do a turn on the front is against the spirit of group racing!

[@thewattlife]

I think that’s what this comes down to. The spirit of bike racing and that style doesn’t feel like it’s in keeping with that

[@stubestrong]

last few km always have race awareness dialed to 11, understand who's saving watts and who's strong and position

[@thewattlife]

100%a only one of the guys in the group was in my Cat so I was still hoping we could close down some other groups and pick up places. My only chance to qualify for World Champs was to catch the group in front

[@leebamber499]

Well done. What make glasses have you got? There loo good for winter riding

[@thewattlife]

They were great- and at the moment are doing 2 for 1 www.sungod.co/en-gb/shop/sunglasses/airas?sku=airas-ale_8hvblue-ai_Bsilver-aes_Rwhite-an_Iwhite-af_Iwhite

[@TBATTIECYCLING]

Looks a nice race, can’t cry unfortunately about people drafting

[@thewattlife]

Yup it’s all part of the game- now I just need to convince Tadej to come and domestique for me 😂

[@Andy.01_uk]

Congratulations Paris

[@markwalby7967]

Having a domestique is no different in some respects to pro racing. Frustrating for those on their own I agree and maybe not in the spirit of things but is open to anyone to do, you could have done it for Paris. I myself did it for my daughter to get her a win in class.

[@bernadetteoliver290]

Great video but long way to go for British weather.

[@stevedouglas3975]

Regarding the women drafting, yeah I can see that would annoy. I guess all you could do is if their pace similar then sit on their wheel as a bit of payback. They might get message then.

[@SA17579]

👏

[@muratguc5245]

Great content! I really like the commentary. Side note: The French guy in the yellow helmet working with you actually dropped the girl he was pulling after the final right turn. From there on, his partner had to chase you two down trying to close the gap (she never did), while the lady in pink was sitting on her wheel and beat her to the line. Although it is questionable, men pulling women on such courses doesn't always work out, anyway.

[@thewattlife]

Great to know and makes sense. After the last right hand myself and him traded turns and I put in a couple that were avg 360-400w and I think that’s when we lost a few of the group. The weather was bad at this point so I was focusing on going forward and not checking behind. Hope you’re race went well 🙂

[@muratguc5245]

@@thewattlife My captain and I did you dirty just before the finish line (apologies). I couldn't see any more group in the distance to bridge across to, and didn't see a reason to pull any faster in the last 6 k, so I just sat behind the two ladies. The last sprint was only for bragging rights and nothing else to be frank. Hope to see you here again next year

[@thewattlife]

😉😉🙂 all good man- we weren’t really racing for anything at this point otherwise we would have for sure been rolling turns more. Same again next year… BUT FASTER

[@jds7438]

Hypers hate rain. How's your bearings holding up ?

[@thewattlife]

These new Hypers have a star ratchet system and a lot more tight fit onto the hub so I’m hoping they are less effected. I gave my bike a proper deep clean and re-grease when I got back and she’s buttery smooth again

[@abdisaeed6883]

These women were gaining an unfair sporting advantage on Paris. Just because the laws allow it doesn't mean it's not cheating. Feel sorry for all the women involved who tried their best. Also, not a good look for female cycling to be using men to help them succeed. Well done Paris 👏

[@DDai-qd8uk]

No, Paris put herself at her own disadvantage because she chose to not take full advantage of the rules. Not taking a turn pulling in a mixed gender race is not cheating buddy.

[@abdisaeed6883]

From your conclusion, it seems like you haven't watched the video in full. I think you should buddy.

[@pariswood17]

@@DDai-qd8ukI don’t disagree with you - maybe I was stupid for taking so many pulls, but I personally wouldn’t feel like I’ve raced a race if I was sat on a wheel for the whole thing 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@valiantabello]

​@@pariswood17you should not have taken so many pulls. Your race ethics put you in a disadvantage.

[@eto2352]

@@pariswood17 as long as you are proud of your race and how you raced, it's proof that results will follow. Good luck at Worlds!

[@rodstevens7452]

Wait did Paris come 3rd to the two that was being pulled??

[@thewattlife]

No- they were a pink bib = 35-39 and a blue bib = 45-49 The two in her Cat in front managed to ride in the group infront and I didn’t see them

[@rodstevens7452]

@ oooo ok, fair enough as I would have been fumming to say the least if those two came infront!

[@CG-99]

This happens at every gran fondo. At the worlds in Varese many competitive females had a male domestique. The Italians and Russians are the most common offenders. It is a grey area of the rules, but somehow never challenged.

[@leewood4825]

Chapeau Paris, could have had the win if you drafted for her 😉 if it’s allowed then you have to accept it. Hopefully when she races in Australia it’s just a women’s group then no issues 👍

[@nathanb324]

Nothing wrong with getting a pull if it’s not illegal for the race

[@thewattlife]

Nothing wrong with it but it’s not particularly fair to other female riders

[@nathanb324]

@ they should make strong man friends too 😂

[@philipbickerstaff7064]

Great coverage . Respect to Paris well done. Go well in the worlds. With respect to those girls who got pulled along. In my view it's cheating. There's no way they would finish in the times they did riding alone. Predetermined cheating. Still they know they took a massive draft all race.

[@rodstevens7452]

What’s the point of being pulled the whole race just to qualify and then in the race they won’t be able to be pulled? 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@TBATTIECYCLING]

I assume you aren’t racing in the event so don’t worry about it

[@stevengraham2217]

Selfish cyclists everywhere, professional riders are doing the same thing in every race. Do you and enjoy is the main thing!!

[@stephentaylor3787]

Bike racing 101……… if it’s a race there are no rules that say you must pull through and work with a bunch. If it irks you then ride off the front by yourself. No point letting it piss you off as it won’t change anything….

[@thewattlife]

Yup all bets are off- it’s not a scratch race tough as it’s all age groups so makes for a funny dynamic. So some people need to pull and others don’t.

[@CG-99]

only 270 riders at a UCI GF - that’s really silly - hard to justify the cost of running the event with so few participants - most of the UCI GF events have several thousands across all the age groups and genders.

[@thewattlife]

I have been told the total for the weekend was about 900 riders. Which is long, short, TT and para.

[@AlexanderMeineck-wo2qf]

23.27 is the video section that makes me feel sorry for him..poor bloke

[@thewattlife]

We need a Go Fund Me for my therapy

[@dylanwynroberts]

Everyone gets pulled around by someone. This is why I don't race Grand Fondos as groups who enter together, and ride together have a big drafting advantage. Not complaining, just how it is!

[@thewattlife]

I love the group vibe and trying to hold onto groups, it’s just a bit unfair when teams renter with the purpose of getting one rider over the line to qualify

[@toomuchpaving]

What happened there happens in the London Ride 100 every year. The old Surrey course was best as when we hit Leith (assuming they made it over Newlands) it was game over. To be fair it’s not just women. At the end of the day it’s within the rules, but anyone with a moral compass knows it’s simply cheating yourself. Good vid and nice to chat at Dorney couple weeks back.

[@thewattlife]

I never got the chance to do the Surrey ride London as wasn’t a cyclist at that point. Would love to have done it. I definitely wouldn’t have survive the climb though. Good to meet you man

[@valiantabello]

A lot of dumb people in these comments: it's perfectly ok to sit in and never take a pull. Its intelligent racing. If you're butthurt because someone didnt take a pull its because youre projecting, you're upset that YOU are taking too many pulls.

[@thewattlife]

Yeah not taking pulls is fine- it’s racing and this wasn’t a scratch race, it was a series of scratch races all happening at the same time so some ppl had more skin in the game than others. Having a dedicated domestique is a little different though and a bit more nuanced. If people don’t want to or can’t pull, that’s ok. But I still feel like the guys at the end did me dirty 😉

[@tjtennisicmroll2k]

I'm not mad at the people sitting in but I am mad at valiantabello because they have been a jerk their whole life

[@eto2352]

Paris is an absolute weapon! Kudos to both of you. 2023 UCI GF Turkey is where the russian female was disqualified for cheating, with her non-entry teammates drafting her. The point of doing this "legally" still sucks. The negative racing is a real bummer. The problem is, it just breeds a culture of it. They need to split up into female only, just like Unbound. Otherwise, it's not real road racing. It's just a team tt. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIKWfaeGirydbqM

[@msives]

getting upset because people aren't pulling 🙄🙄

[@thewattlife]

I think this is frustration more than anything, especially if you’re trying to close down other groups

[@msives]

last time i checked, a gran fondo isn't a race

[@thewattlife]

Yup- I agree but some people are using support to get a qualification spot for UCI Road Race World Champs

[@valiantabello]

In mainland Europe they most definitely ARE a race. They even televise them, like the Maratona des Dolomites.

[@eto2352]

last time I checked, a start and finish line, race number, winners podium and qualification for Worlds makes it a race.

[@thewattlife]

This is a very good point. They do go out their way to structure it like a race. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck…

[@thediabeticcyclist4936]

Well done on your race. What most people don’t understand is most of Europe don’t have build up race series and licenses like the uk does to get to professional ranks. I lived in Portugal and they had the professional riders Portuguese series (amateur cannot enter) and grandfondo event which are looked at as the next series down. If you could not get into a professional team you would do grandfondo races to show what you are capable of. Usually 140km races with 2-4000m of elevation gained. They are run just like a professional race. Police escorts, roads closed and feed stations.

[@rodstevens7452]

What’s the point of being pulled the whole race just to qualify and then in the race they won’t be able to be pulled? 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@thewattlife]

Good question but I imagine I’m the world champs you’ll have a larger female group to hold onto and you can treat it like more of a race.