Home > Rides+Events

How to watch La Course 2021 in Canada

Tune in as Leah Kirchmann tries to complete her medal collection at Women's World Tour one-day race

Before the Tour de France starts, the women will take to the roads of Bretagne for 2021 La Course on July 26. This will be the eighth edition of the Women’s World Tour event, and the final one-day version before a full Women’s Tour de France stage race returns in 2022.

Canadians will have four homegrown riders to cheer for on Saturday, including two-time podium finisher Leah Kirchmann. Tune in to La Course live in Canada on FloBikes.

RELATED: How to watch the 2021 Tour de France in Canada

Teams and course

22 teams will line up for Saturday’s La Course. These include WWT heavyweights Trek-Segafredo, SD Worx, Movistar, Jumbo-Visma and Kirchmann’s Team DSM. Two additional U.S. teams, Rally Cycling and Team TIBCO – SVB are also in Bretagne for the event.

2021 will see the first uphill finish at La Course. The 107.4-km parcours runs from Brest to Landerneau, finishing with a 14-km circuit. That loop includes the 3-km Côte de la Fosse aux Loups. At 5.7 per cent average gradient, the Fosse aux Loups starts steep before mellowing towards the summit, which will also be Saturday’s finish line.

RELATED: Leah Kirchmann says women’s Tour de France could bring in new fans

With riders hitting Fosse aux Loups four times in the last 50 km, La Course is short but punishing. An elevation heavy, uphill finish opens the door for a breakaway group to succeed. It also plays to the strengths of all-round and Classics riders over the pure sprinters.

Van der Breggen leads the way on the final climb of the day at 2021 Flesche Wallone

Who to watch

Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma) will be looking for her third win. If the Dutch veteran can add to her wins in 2014 and 2019 she will be the first three-time winner of La Course. The only other rider with two wins, Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) is sitting out this year’s race to focus on Giro d’Italia Donne and the Tokyo Olympics.

Anna van der Breggen (SD Worx) could be Vos’ biggest obstacle. The reigning world champion has proved nearly unstoppable in her retirement tour. With this being van der Breggen’s final season, she will have no reason to hold back. The hilly parcours suits the Dutch Olympic gold medallist’s strengths, too. It’s not unlike the finish of La Flèche Wallonne, which van der Breggen won for an incredible seventh consecutive time in April.

RELATED: Interview with Leah Kirchmann after finishing third in La Course by le Tour de France

Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) could be the unexpected favourite. Illness forced a quiet start to 2021 for Deignan. That leaves her either more rested, or less race ready than her competitors. The winner of La Course in 2020, though, Deignan will be motivated to be at her best on the startline in Brest.

Canada’s Leah Kirchmann (Team DSM) is another rider with experience at La Course, without the same weight of expectations as the stars. Kirchmann was third at the first-ever La Course back in 2014. She was second in 2019, again behind Marianne Vos. The Canadian is one of several strong riders from Team DSM. Could 2021 be the year she completlete’s her La Course medal collection and takes her first win?

2019 La Course be Le Tour de France

 

Canadians at La Course

There are four Canadians in France for La Course in 2021. Leah Kirchman is the most experienced Canuck among them. She’ll be joined by Sarah Poidevin, part of a Rally Cycling squad that’s had a consistent European campaign.

LISTEN: Talking bubbles and the sourdough revolution with Leah Kirchmann

Emilie Fortin will race with Bizkaia Durango, a Spanish squad. Olivia Baril is on the roster for Massi-Tactic Women Team, also based in Spain.

How to Watch La Course 2021

La Course by Le Tour de France 2021 takes place Saturday, June 26. The race starts at 8:20 AM and runs until 11:30 AM (CET) in France.

Canadians can tune in to La Course 2021 live on FloBikes.