The women’s Tour de France will return in 2022 with an eight-stage race

2023-07-21 17:44:39

Christian Prudhomme, the current boss of the men’s event, had already announced the broad outlines last month: a little over thirty years after his death, the women’s Tour de France will make its big comeback next year. Labeled UCI Women’s World Tour, the race will have eight stages.

The first will start on Sunday July 24 with a finish judged on the Champs-Élysées, the same day as the closing of the men’s Tour de France 2022. The complete route will be unveiled on October 14, 2021 at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, day of the presentation of the men’s Tour de France. Zwift, the global online fitness platform, will be the associated partner of this project with ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation).

“Working on the construction of an event such as the Women’s Tour de France with Zwift means offering women’s cycling an event capable of highlighting the sporting qualities of exceptional champions,” explains Christian Prudhomme. This birth certificate represents the prospect of seeing a women’s race rise to the top of the major events of the sporting world. The champions will demonstrate their desire to decide between themselves on demanding courses, to seek the most prestigious of trophies, the Yellow Jersey. »

Each stage will be broadcast on France Télévisions

In addition to the latter, the competitors who distinguish themselves will also be able to wear the polka dot jersey of the mountain classification, as well as the white jersey rewarding the best young person. As for the boys. Each stage will be broadcast on France Télévisions, in the continuity of the boys. An agreement with the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) also provides for broadcasting on major European general-interest channels.

The women’s Tour de France already existed between 1984 and 1989 (with three victories for Jeannie Longo), before being stopped for economic reasons. Another event, the “Women’s EEC Tour” took over, then the “Women’s Cycling Tour”, and finally the “International Women’s Big Loop”, until 2009.