And - yet another reason to smile - very successfully. Zwift, title sponsor of the Tour de France Femmes, which was held for the first time in 2022, recently published a study that looked at the media coverage of the Tour. The figures provided by the market research institute Nielsen Sports were impressive.
Interview with Kate Veronneau
TOUR: The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift was watched live by 23.2 million people at its first edition and had higher ratings than the Giro d'Italia of the men. How do you explain these incredible figures?
Kate VeronneauThis is primarily due to the fact that people were given the opportunity to watch the race for the first time. People would have watched it earlier if they had had the chance. But before the Tour de France Femmes, women's cycling was hardly available on TV. That has changed completely thanks to the good promotion. The race was broadcast in over 190 countries, almost all of them in Europe. Availability played a very big role.
TOUR: What role does the name play "Tour de France"?
Kate VeronneauThe Tour de France is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Of course that's a draw. And the timing was perfect, with the women's race starting on the same day as the men's final stage. Everything around it was perfect. The race itself was outstanding, the media sold the stories of the first Tour de Frances Femmes very well. All the planets were aligned, so to speak.
TOUR: Can the numbers from last year be topped when the Tour de France Femmes starts its second edition on 23 July?
Kate Veronneau: Yes, I assume so. Last year, the Tour also increased the number of social media followers in women's cycling as a whole. Teams and riders have enormous growth rates. That means we are building up real fans. I think they'll all be tuning in again. And even more, as other women's races were also broadcast over the course of the year and we were able to increase awareness. People love women's cycling. And it's here to stay.
TOUR: What is the biggest difference between women's cycling today and maybe ten or fifteen years ago? You used to be a professional yourself.
Kate Veronneau: You can probably make a living from it today. There is a minimum wage in the Women's World Tour. And there are many more opportunities to present yourself and get a job somewhere. Back then, there were hardly any professional teams, no TV broadcasts. Thanks to the improved visibility of the sport, there is now also investment. This brings in more sponsors. The men's teams then started to form women's teams. As a result of all these measures, there are now many more women with professional status. The teams are even able to compete in two races at the same time.
TOUR: The growth in women's cycling in recent years, but especially since the revitalisation of the Tour of France, has been enormous. Is it perhaps going a little too fast?
Kate Veronneau: Yes, it all happened very quickly. There are side effects. A few races have gone under. There are teams that are struggling to keep up. So we've had a few growing pains. But I think it's good to have these problems. They help us move forward. It's all still in the spirit of the sport. But yes, a few adjustments need to be made.
TOUR: As an indoor brand, what prompted Zwift to enter outdoor cycling?
Kate VeronneauWe are interested in the entire cycling sport growing, because then Zwift will grow too. It's not indoor or outdoor, it's a combination. We see our online platform as an opportunity to improve outdoors on the road. As a pioneering achievement in the virtual realm, we also want to advance road cycling. We also sponsor several teams.
TOUR: And the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. What did the company pay for the title sponsorship?
Kate Veronneau: A lot. I can't give you an exact figure. Only that it's worth every cent.
TOUR: Would women's cycling have grown in the same way if the virtual indoor area hadn't existed?
Kate Veronneau: I agree with Asleigh Moolman-Pasio and say: no. Because it has created an incredible number of opportunities that have brought visibility and investment. Many of the professional women use our product not only for training, but also to network with sponsors and fans. I'm thinking of the Zwift Academy, for example, which has been around since 2016. It's an opportunity to earn a professional contract with Team Canyon - SRAM through strong performance. That's a ground-breaking change. The eSports World Championships in cooperation with the UCI are also a new stage.
TOUR: Let's take a look at the upcoming Tour de France Femmes. Last year, Annemiek van Vleuten not only won the Tour but also the Vuelta and the women's Giro. This year, the only thing missing for her is another triple victory in France. As a result, she will once again start the race as the top favourite.
Kate VeronneauIt will be difficult for her to defend her title. To compete with Annemiek, many of her rivals have changed their training, many top riders have spent time at altitude. Annemiek makes the whole peloton better. And that could become her problem. There will be a lot of team tactics going against her.
TOUR: Who could be the most dangerous for her?
Kate VeronneauDemi Vollering. She's had an incredible year so far and is fully focussed on the Tour. But I'm also curious to see what Kasia Niewiadoma, Marta Cavalli, Veronica Ewers and Mavi Garcia can do on the Col du Tourmalet and who will win the final time trial.
TOUR: What distinguishes women's cycling from men's cycling?
Kate VeronneauThe races are shorter and are therefore ridden in a different style. It's more aggressive, there are early attacks. You don't know what's going to happen, it's harder to predict. There are also completely different characters. Many women have not been able to make a living from cycling for a long time. That's why they have interesting background stories. Other jobs or sports they come from. But in the end, it doesn't matter whether it's women or men. People want to see good cycling. And they get that from both genders.
