Tour Femenino de San Luis

Tour Femenino de San Luis.  Don’t you love it when men’s races also have an equally exciting women’s race?  I do.  Let’s see more of this please!

The TFSL is the first UCI women’s stage race on the calendar and it takes place in the beautiful province of San Luis in Argentina, a few hours outside of Mendoza.  The area is characterized by vast and fertile farmlands that are bordered by arid mountains and a high desert terrain.  The mixture of brightly hued greens contrast sharply with the rocky soil and distinct smell of sage.

I was a guest rider, along with my Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies teammate, Lex Albrecht, for Xirayas de San Luis, an Argentinian team representing the area.  The team was directed by Marcelo Alexandre (former World Champion in the kilo, and whose brother, Sebastian, directs Jamis Sutter Home men’s professional team).  The team is owned by Delfina Freres, who was Argentina’s first female race car driver, and she is also an avid cyclist, a super model, a mother, a grandmother, and insurmountable community icon.  Somehow she did manage to do it all!