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La Course by le Tour de France Launched

La Course by le Tour de France

La Course by le Tour de FranceWhen former World Time Trial champion Emma Pooley, Dutch cycling superstar Marianne Vos and four-time Ironman champion Chrissie Wellington launch their campaign last year for the return of a women’s Tour de France they clearly hit a nerve. The campaign saw rapid support and the number of signatures on their petition to ASO (Amaury Sports Organization – owner/operators of the TdF) quickly outstripped expectation, with the number now standing at over 97,000. In part due to that pressure it has now been announced that the inaugural La Course by le Tour de France will take place in Paris on the same day as the final stage of the TdF (July 27) with elite women cyclists racing a city circuit and a sprint-finish on the Champs-Elysées.

 

Brian Cookson, president of the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) has welcomed the move, saying, ‘I am delighted to see this exciting development for women’s cycling. The UCI is committed to support the development of women’s cycling, and following my election to the UCI Presidency in 2013 we established a Women’s Commission to focus our efforts here. The quality of professional women’s road racing has long deserved a wider audience, and we are very happy that this initiative by A.S.O. will bring the sport to many fans, new and old.’

 

Commenting on the launch of the La Course by le Tour de France – which organisers are describing as an event ‘…destined to become an iconic race in the women’s calendar,’ – Vos added, ‘I am very excited to be taking part, especially with the majestic finish on the Champs-Elysées. The launch of this race is a revolutionary development in our sport. The Tour is the pinnacle of professional cycling, and I have no doubt that La Course by Le Tour identifies a new era for women’s cycling and will significantly contribute to the growth of road racing.’

 

You can continue to support the campaign for full equality at letourentier.com and follow it on Twitter @LeTourEntier – further details on La Course by le Tour de France can be found at letour.fr

 

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Women’s Tour de France Manifesto

womens_tdfThe campaign to reintroduce a women’s Tour de France has intensified with the launch of a new website – letourentier.com – and the unveiling of an official manifesto which has been sent to both the International Cycling Union (UCI) and Amaury Sport Organisation, owners of the Tour de France.

 

With support from a number of high profile sports personalities including World Champion Emma Pooley, Dutch superstar Marianne Vos and World Ironman Triathlon Champion Chrissie Wellington, the reintroduction of the event is once more high on the agenda. The women’s Tour de France has had a checkered history; it began in 1984 (as the ‘Tour de France Feminin’), folding five years later and returning for a further stretch from 1992 during which it was rebranded ‘The Grande Boucle’ following trademark disputes; the 2004 event was cancelled due to problems with logistics and the last running of the race was in 2009.

 

The Manifesto makes it clear that the opening up of the TdF to female athletes is only part of the wider issue of equal representation (and indeed media representation), saying, ‘Our objective is to help create a framework to support the growth of women’s cycling and build a sport with greater consumer, media and commercial appeal…’

 

To support the reintroduction of the women’s Tour de France campaign, which encompasses everything from sponsorship to more holistic employment opportunities visit letourentier.com, sign the petition (almost 94,000 already have) and spread the word. You can also follow the campaign on twitter at @LeTourEntier

 

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Women’s Tour de France a Step Closer

Women's Tour de France

Women's Tour de FranceWhen Cyclo reported on the campaign for a reintroduction a women’s Tour de France just eight days ago the signatures set against the online petition stood at an already impressive 13,000. Now that number has swelled to almost 70,000 and, it would seem, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO, the organisation behind the TdF) are willing to consider the idea.

 

Thanks to support from a number of high profile sports personalities, including World Champion Emma Pooley, Dutch superstar Marianne Vos and World Ironman Triathlon Champion Chrissie Wellington, the reintroduction of the event is a step closer with Jean-Etienne Amaury, chairman of the family-owned ASO, saying that executives had debated the subject. It has further been reported that in a telephone interview an ASO representative said, ‘We need to work out the right economic model, get the media on board and discuss with public authorities about closing the roads… All these parameters need to be planned. It’s not likely to happen next year.’

 

The women’s Tour de France has had a checkered history; it began in 1984 (as the ‘Tour de France Feminin’), folding five years later and returning for a further stretch from 1992 during which it was rebranded ‘The Grande Boucle’ following trademark disputes; the 2004 event was cancelled due to problems with logistics and the last running of the race was in 2009.

 

You can follow Emma Pooley on Twitter at @PooleyEmma and the official campaign at @LeTourEntier – for further details and to sign the online petition (Cyclo would urge you still to do so) see change.org

 

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Reintroducing the Women’s Tour de France

Women's Tour de France

Women's Tour de FranceThe campaign to reintroduce a women’s Tour de France is going from strength to strength with some 69,801 signatures (updated July 23) already set against an online petition. The women’s Tour de France has had a checkered history; it began in 1984 (as the ‘Tour de France Feminin’), folding five years later and returning for a further stretch from 1992 during which it was rebranded ‘The Grande Boucle’ following trademark disputes; the 2004 event was cancelled due to problems with logistics and the last running of the race was in 2009.

 

Now though, thanks to support from a number of high profile sports personalities including World Champion Emma Pooley, Dutch superstar Marianne Vos and World Ironman Triathlon Champion Chrissie Wellington, the reintroduction of the event is once more high on the agenda. The Change.org petition, which calls for the ASO (Amaury Sports Organization, the company behind the TdF) to: ‘Allow female professional cycling teams to race the Tour de France’ has been inundated with signatures and positive comments from around the world. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 Pooley said, ‘Running a women’s Tour alongside the men would really bring cycling on, it’s obvious to me. It’s already such a huge logistical operation, adding 50 female cyclists wouldn’t be a problem… In fact the only argument I’ve heard that makes any sense is that there might not be enough hotel rooms.’

 

You can follow Emma Pooley on Twitter at @PooleyEmma and the official campaign at @LeTourEntier – for further details and to sign the online petition (Cyclo would urge you to) see change.org

 

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Gilbert: King of the Road

Philippe Gilbert has been crowned World Road Race Champion in the Netherlands after a gruelling 267km that proved far too much for an exhausted Mark Cavendish (the defending champion) who dropped from the race on the third of ten laps that comprised final the 160km. Gilbert produced seemingly endless bursts of speeds that ultimately saw him complete proceedings in a time of 6:10:41; Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen held a close second place on +4” and Spain’s Alejandro Valverde third with +5″.

 

Cavendish’s failure to retain the famous rainbow jersey came as no great surprise; he has already conceded that the undulating (at times positively hilly) course was unlikely to favour his particular talents, telling the BBC ‘I can’t win. I haven’t got a chance, so I will be in a support role for the other guys in the team.’ As good as his word it was in support that he shone today, working hard along with his fellow Brits to push last week’s Tour of Britain winner Jonathan Tiernan-Locke into an impressive 19th place finish. Tour de France first and second placers Wiggins and Froome along with Alex Dowsett failed to go the full distance, with Ian Stannard taking 36th place, Ben Swift 60th, Stephen Cumming 70th and Luke Rowe down in 88th, 5minutes and 46 seconds behind Gilbert.

 

Yesterday’s 128.8km Women’s Road Race was won by the Netherlands’ Marianne Vos in 3:14:29 with Rachel Neylan in second and Elisa Longo Borghini third. With the GB team depleted after Lizzie Armistead’s withdrawal due to illness, Emma Pooley still impressed with a 15th place finish 4minutes, 37seconds off the winner, with Sharon Laws in 39th, Nicole Cooke in 60th, Nikki Harris 66th.Katie Colclough was a DNF.

 

Image © Wouter Roosenboom

 

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UCI Moves Towards Equality?

Big things – or at the very least small steps towards big things – could emerge from today’s Annual Congress of the International Cycling Union (UCI). Earlier this week their Management Committee unanimously approved plans to introduce measures that would heighten the profile of women’s cycling at a professional level, promising to ‘…increase (its) appeal and visibility.’

 

GB’s Lizzie Armitstead and Emma Pooley have both long been vocal about inequalities and even Bradley Wiggins has entered the fray, saying: ‘They’re the forgotten ones in this sport. They have just as much success as we do.’ Now the UCI has given a commitment to have ‘at least one’ woman on each of its commissions and sub-committees (a labyrinthine 18) and to begin to draw women’s track cycling in line with men’s. As a first stab at this women’s Team Pursuit will, from next year, feature four – instead of the current three – riders, tackling 4km events instead of 3km. Further modifications along these lines are expected to result from the UCI Annual Congress; Cyclo will keep you posted…

 

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Armistead Out of Road Race

A blow to GB’s chances ahead of this Saturday’s Women’s Road Race at the World Championships in the Netherlands with news that Lizzie Armistead has withdrawn due to illness. Armistead, who won GB’s first medal at the London Olympics, taking silver at a rain-soaked Road Race, was set to lead the six-woman squad on the 129km course with that honour likely now to go to Emma Pooley who finished fourth in Tuesday’s Time Trial. The decision not to call up a squad replacement for Armistead will leave the GB team two members down from the maximum of seven as only six had initially been selected. The GB squad will now comprise Emma Pooley, Katie Colclough, Nicole Cooke, Sharon Laws and Nikki Harris.

 

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Martin Retains Time Trials Crown

Changeable weather conditions at the World Championship in the Netherlands, with heavy rain pre-race and intermediate showers throughout, made for tough cycling today at the Men’s Time Trials. The 45.7km course, including a wet and unforgiving cobbled opener and treacherous patched roads that claimed Italian Macro Pinotti as a casualty, was ultimately the scene of victory for reigning champion Tony Martin in a time of 58:38.76. America’s Taylor Phinney was desperately unlucky not to win, taking the silver down on a mere 5.37second margin, whilst Belarus’s Vasil Kiryienka took the bronze.

 

With Chris Froome having withdrawn ahead of the event to recover fully from success at the Tour de France, Vuelta and Olympics ahead of Sunday’s Road Race, only Alex Dowsett was left to represent Britain. A valiant ride rewarded him with a well-deserved eighth place, one up on pre-race favourite Alberto Contador.

 

Yesterday GB’s Emma Pooley – the 2010 World Champion – narrowly missed out on bronze in the Women’s Time Trial, finishing nine seconds off a podium place in an event won by Germany’s Judith Arndt. Arndt, the defending champion who is set to retire this month, took top spot by an impressive 33.77seconds over silver-placed Evelyn Stevens (USA) and 40.57seconds ahead of New Zealand’s Linda Melanie Villumsen in bronze. GB’s Wendy Houvenaghel finished a crushingly disappointing 14th, some 2minutes 17.5seconds behind Arndt.

 

Image © Wouter Roosenboom