July 2022 will see leading female cyclists be part of the world's most famous bike races, as the Tour de France will organise a women’s stage race. It’s been a while that women have been racing on the routes that men use, and as a result, have been urging the organisers to include them in cycling's crown jewel. And July 2022 will see women donning their very own yellow jerseys.
Pro rider, Anna van der Breggen, in a statement to the media, said, “This is a huge moment for professional women's cycling. It's long been a dream for many of us to compete in a women's Tour de France.”
After the men’s race, on July 24, 2022, the Tour de France Femmes will commence, and riders will set out from the Champs-Élysées in Paris. However, this event will be unlike the previously-held La Course by Le Tour de France, the one-day race that the organisers have held for women since 2014. The new event will be a multi-stage race that will last approximately one week.
The new event is the outcome of a partnership between the Tour's organisers, the Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO), and Zwift, a gaming and interactives company that helped put on a virtual version of the race after it was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Erin Min, CEO, Zwift told the press, “I've long been a fan of the attacking style of women's racing. I really believe the women’s peloton puts on some of the most exciting bike racing to watch and it deserves a much bigger platform to exhibit these talents and skills.”