The opening stage of the Tour de France Femmes proved to be a challenging day for Tashkent City Women, as four of their seven riders failed to finish the 123-kilometre route from Rotterdam to The Hague. The Uzbek team, making history as the first Central Asian squad to compete in any Tour de France, faced difficulties early on in the race, with several riders struggling to keep up with the pace of the WorldTour peloton.
The trouble began within the first 40 kilometres when Ekaterina Knebeleva was the first to drop off the back of the peloton. Soon after, 19-year-old Asal Rizaeva and 18-year-old Mohinabonu Elmurodova also found themselves unable to maintain the high tempo set by the leading riders. The final blow came when Madina Kakhorova became the fourth rider to abandon, leaving Tashkent City Women with just three riders to complete the stage.
Director Sportif Volodymyr Starchyk, speaking to Cyclingnews after the stage, addressed the team’s struggles but remained optimistic about their participation in the race. “First stage, the team are not feeling really good because we lost four riders, but it’s a mono-nation team and our first time in the Tour de France, so we are in the middle, I will say,” Starchyk commented.
Despite the disappointing result, Starchyk emphasised the significance of the team’s presence in the race, noting the historical importance of their participation. “For a mono-nation with not many women’s riders in the country, to be present in the Tour de France Femmes is something big in my opinion. To be ready for big results, they need time,” he added.
The team’s participation in the Tour de France Femmes has not been without controversy. Critics have questioned the team’s inclusion, given that their qualification was largely based on UCI points earned in smaller, less competitive races outside Europe – and famously they were involved in a faked race which the UCI allowed them to re-run without actual punishment. However, Starchyk dismissed these criticisms, asserting that the team’s participation is a victory in itself. “People can think everything they want… but we are here, it’s something big for the nation,” he said.
Starchyk was quick to clarify that the early exits were not due to illness but rather the intense pace of the race. “For sure the legs and for sure speed,” he explained when asked about the reasons behind the riders’ struggles.
The day was not entirely bleak for Tashkent City Women, as 22-year-old Yanina Kuskova, a three-time Uzbek national champion, managed to finish in the main group, providing a glimmer of hope for the team in the challenging days ahead.
Reflecting on the broader significance of the team’s participation, Starchyk remarked, “The first time in history an Uzbek team with all Uzbek riders, so I think also for cycling it’s a victory because a country completely outside of races in Europe, an Asian team coming here to Tour de France, it’s never happened in history.”
