We Femmes: New initiative for women’s cycling launched

Ten years after CANYON//SRAM was founded, the team is launching an initiative designed to promote women’s cycling at grassroots level. We Femmes is based on a simple idea: every female cyclist invites a woman who has not cycled before. The initiative is not aimed at women as an advertising campaign, but operates as a chain of invitations between women.

Over the past ten years, CANYON//SRAM has proven that a women’s cycling team does not have to exist as an appendage to a men’s team. The team is one of the most successful in the sport and, in 2024, won the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift with Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney. Over the years, CANYON//SRAM has developed new approaches to training, scouting, diversity and design.

We Femmes Concept

The initiative organises open, free rides where no one is left behind. The only requirement is that each participant brings along a woman who has not cycled before. The following year, this new cyclist can in turn bring someone else along. Canyon is committed to bringing at least 1,000 women a year to We Femmes rides and events for the next ten years.

The movement works with partners such as SRAM, Zwift and RYZON. Zwift’s ‘Watch the Femmes’ movement serves as a model for community work. Canyon aims to communicate transparently and publish figures on how many female riders the initiative reaches and how many are actively involved with We Femmes.

The team’s achievements to date

CANYON//SRAM achieved the greatest success in the team’s history at the 2024 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Katarzyna Niewiadoma won the Tour’s general classification in a photo finish on Alpe d’Huez. In the prestigious women’s Grand Tours (Giro d’Italia Women, Tour de France and Vuelta Femenina), the team’s riders won numerous stages.

CANYON//SRAM Generation, the development team, brought female riders into the professional peloton who had not previously followed a traditional path. Sophie Alisch came from professional boxing, whilst Tsige Kahsay Kiros made the leap from Ethiopian cycling to the European racing circuit. Team doctor Dr Nina Linnert developed training and race programmes that take into account the different phases of the menstrual cycle, rather than simply adopting male performance models.

Comments from the team

”CANYON//SRAM is a pioneer in this field, alongside the team’s long-standing partners, and is constantly seeking new ways to push boundaries and promote women’s cycling from every angle. We Femmes is another step on this journey. It’s an exciting new idea, and I hope it encourages many more women to take up this wonderful sport, as we work to strengthen cycling communities around the world.”, according to Tiffany Cromwell, who has been riding for the team since 2016.

We Femmes schedule

In August 2026, Ryzon’s We Femmes jersey will make its debut at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. The race will run from the Grand Départ in Lausanne over Mont Ventoux to the finish in Nice. Alongside the race, there will be group rides, watch parties, workshops and cheering zones, all of which are open to anyone interested. In autumn 2026, We Femmes rides led by CANYON//SRAM riders will take place in major European cities. Focus groups and open sessions will be held to gather feedback. The team intends to share what it hears, including the challenging aspects.

From 2027, female riders, local groups and partnerships are set to reach women who have not previously considered taking up cycling at all. The initiative aims to reach beyond the peloton and existing fans.

Information about We Femmes rides and events is available on Instagram at @canyon_road or on CANYON//SRAM’s @wmncycling channel.