Daydreaming here...

[RoadRaven]

Phew...
lots of stuff here

Absolutely no reason why women's races shouldn't be the same length as mens
Elite female cyclists do the same miles and go through the same pain as elite male cyclists
No doubt
I am not saying that elite women cyclists are inferior - they are performing at the top of their ability and beyond what most of us (including many men) can hope to achieve

BUT... physiology is the limiting factor

If women could achieve the power and speed on bikes that men could then there would be some female domestiques, or lieutenants or quarterbacks (terms I quite like described on the Science of Lance) on something like the current Tour we are watching
These teams want the best - the fastest, strongest riders. I doubt very much they would say no to an elite cyclist who could fit into the team speeds just because she was a woman.
But there are no female riders

The fact is that women - despite being able to achieve incredible athleticism and power outputs and times and cover amazing distances... will never, unless/until human physiology changes, make it with the equivalent elite male cyclists.
Our body shape is different
Our fat/muscle ratio is different

You see the same thing in other disciplines too (For example... Women body builders do not build the muscle mass of males and Male runners hold the fastest overall times)

I as much, if not more, than anyone here would love to see elite male and female riders in the same races both at the front when the finish line is reached, but it just is not realistic