A little slipstream is what it should be. When the new edition of the women's Tour de France, eagerly awaited by many female cyclists, starts on Sunday, the first stage winner will be determined in the men's pre-programme, so to speak.
Start of the women's Tour de France in Paris
The 82-kilometre opening stage through Paris ends on the Champs-Élysées at the very spot where the winner of the 109th Tour de France will be crowned a few hours later.
"The fact that we are starting in Paris on the day of the men's final gives the race a tailwind. The media can cover the race better," said Tour Director Christian Prudhomme.
His counterpart from the Tour de France Femmes, Marion Rousse, also emphasises the importance of the media: "Women's cycling has developed steadily in recent years. But a stage race with real media presence as a reference was missing, so to speak. I will do everything I can to ensure that this race exists for a long time. It's not about organising two or three editions."
There has already been a Tour de France for women
This is not the first attempt to establish a women's Tour de France. The previous version was held from 1984 to 2009. Back then, the Tour organisation ASO helped to get the race off the ground by organising it alongside the Tour. However, the organisation withdrew after five years. Gradually, the tour lost importance under other names. Last year, there was a mini comeback as a one-day race as part of the Tour.
The presence of women's cycling on television has increased in recent years and the teams are more professional. The Tour de France Femmes is set to be the next big thing. "Even as a child, I used to sit in front of the TV, cheering and watching the riders pedalling up the mountains - and fighting for that famous yellow jersey. And now I get to ride there myself. It's an incredible feeling," Olympic track cycling champion Lisa Brennauer told the dpa.
Women want to write history
Over eight stages and 1029 kilometres, the route heads south from Paris with a real highlight as the final chord. The tour ends with a stage to the Planche des Belles Filles, a climb in the Vosges mountains with a gradient of up to 20 per cent, the upper part of which is actually a ski slope. The Tour itself only discovered the mountain in 2012, since when it has regularly appeared on the route plan. The climb established itself in 2020 at the latest, when Tadej Pogacar snatched what he thought was a certain overall victory from his Slovenian compatriot Primoz Roglic on the penultimate stage.
Now the women want to write their own history. "Of course, this race is also something of a yardstick. Anyone who rides at the front of the Tour has really achieved something. They are really big winners," said Brennauer. She herself sees her strengths above all in the first flatter stages.
Bora boss does not want a women's team for the time being
Not everyone wants to join in the jubilation just yet. Ralph Denk, head of the team Bora-Hansrgohewill not be opening a women's team, at least in the short term.
"It's absolutely exciting to see how women's cycling has developed. We're keeping more than one eye on it," said the Upper Bavarian. "We are curious to see how the race will be received, how many spectators there will be. And in the end, we'll look at the media data." Because the women's tour is also a business. And it will only survive if the numbers are right.
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