Exergy Women's Stage Race

The five-day race shall include alpine, high desert and sprint stages highlighting the splendor of Idaho and its welcoming communities. Based on success, the Exergy Tour shall grow quickly to a seven-stage event over eight days of high performance racing

(But what gives with this seven stages over eight days? Since when did the women get a rest day) But there are some horrible calendar clashes at that point next year. The Tour Languedoc Roussillon, the reborn Tour de l’Aude finishes on the 23rd, so that doesn’t really leave much time for the climby riders to make the long flight. Then at the same time we have the inaugural Tour de Free State which is also a 2.1 which I had hoped would do well since the South Africans have put a lot into the European peloton in the last few years. And finally, but a far tougher clash, the 27th is the date of the Parkhotel Rooding Hills Classic, aka the Holland Hills, aka the women’s Amstel Gold. That finishes on the Cauberg, same place as some other little race next September. What’s it called again? Begins with a W, ends with S, it’s the one race of the year that Marianne Vos doesn’t win.

unlike say the Dutch who have races paid for by dozens of little shops throwing 100 Euro into the pot.

Created as a response to a government subsidy program. Their future, and the future of anything they might choose to sponsor, isn’t contingent on success in a free market for energy but instead the continuance of government policies that are at the mercy of the US Congress and the voters. Increasingly, wind power, which is the focus of Exergy’s business model, is being re-evaluated for its economics. It would be great if the company became the backbone of US women’s cycling but skepticism is in order, even if the initial race comes off as scheduled.

Here’s a great site covering some of the history of the race and provides some amazing photographs during its run from 1986-2002. http://thewomenschallenge.com/