La Course by Le Tour

I can’t get the smile off my face. What an amazing day for women’s cycling.

Chapeau, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO)! The organisers of the Tour de France today announced that a women’s race will take place at this year’s Tour de France.

What’s more, the race dubbed by the ASO as La Course by Le Tour, won’t be held on just ‘any other’ day where the peloton takes in the beautiful French countryside; it will be held on the final day of the Tour de France, the day when the heros I grew up watching make their final procession up the Champs-Elysées in Paris after three gruelling weeks of racing.

Everyone can picture the iconic images of Mark Cavendish sprinting down the pavé and raising his arms high, or of Cadel Evans covered in yellow, drinking Champagne and becoming the first Australian ever to win the biggest race in cycling.

For women’s cycling to now be a part of this is huge. The event will be televised live on French national television and Eurosport International.

The implications are enormous and far reaching.

Women’s cycling now has access to the world’s biggest stage. Broadcast to more than 190 countries, the race has huge sponsor potential and for those teams and competitors involved this is game changing.

The sponsorship value and monetary return, something which many people say is one huge inhibiting factor holding the growth of women’s cycling back, has just been flipped on it’s head. While right now it is just one race it is such a huge step forward for women’s cycling and a massive step in the right direction.

Here’s to more race organisers taking this initiative and to the continued growth of women’s cycling.

More Info:

ASO announces women’s race at 2014 Tour de France