“Cities are now jostling to welcome the Tour de France …” The female bicycle between dazzling and fragility

“Three years ago, when we relaunched the test, the level (sports) was very heterogeneous and we had to look for stages cities because there were no candidates,” recalls Christian Prudhomme.

“Today. Meanwhile, there is a real density with suspense and the cities are now jostling to welcome” The Great Women’s Loop, continues the director of cycling within ASO, organizer of the Tours.

In only four years of existence. Similarly, the new female tour, heir to an idea born in 1955 in the spirit of journalist Jean Leulliot, found his marks, his audience and a sporting and media legitimacy which should “make him sustainable” according to his director Marion Rousse while the multiple attempts spent to create a test in parallel to that of men had ended in failures.

Historical audiences – "cities now jostling welcome tour

“Marianne Vos (icon of the active female bicycle) had come to find us fifteen years ago “cities now jostling welcome tour so that we do something for the visibility of female cycling. Moreover, ” recalls Christian Prudhomme whose first approach had then been to create a test of a day on the sidelines of the Gentlemen race, “the race by the tour”.

Without revenue related to the ticket office. In addition, in the absence of redistribution of TV rights, female cycling as male therefore survives only thanks to the sponsors. Moreover, Hence the importance of media coverage. And therefore a Tour de France broadcast in 190 countries with a total of 25 hours of direct for this edition. ASO regularly recalls.

The first figures available mention “historic” audiences, according to Eurosport and France Télévisions which broadcast the event.

During the first five stages, France 2 recorded an average of 2.2 million viewers (26.8 % audience share), a peak of 4.1 million having been reached, Sunday, during the stage broadcast with that of men. Last “cities now jostling welcome tour year, the peak was nearly 3.5 million viewers to arrive at the Alpe d’Huez, according to figures from the organizer. By way of comparison. the male tour has recorded its best score for 20 years during the last stage in Paris on Sunday which attracted up to 8.7 million viewers on France 2.

Minimum wage and maternity leave

“The Tour de France represents 80 % of media benefits for the female bicycle,” says Christian Prudhomme. Interviews validated by team owners. such as Stephen Delcourt, manager of the FDJ-Suez, current best team in the world founded in 2006 thanks to the financial support of Futuroscope in Poitiers.

“You had to be a little crazy to embark on such an adventure. But today girls receive the award they deserve thanks to ASO that we will never thank enough, ”notes Stephen Delcourt.

Women can today live cycling. the UCI having set a minimum wage for the runners “cities now jostling welcome tour of the World Tour (44,000 euros gross annual), they are also entitled to maternity leave paid 100 % during the first three months and enter into the calculation of the pension.

The Finistère Aude Biannic (Movistar) who, at 34, “knew the two eras of the female bicycle”, savored this new deal.

“A dozen years ago. we were taking the funny races, a bit like a vacation,” she said on Monday. “Today everything is more professional. We evolve under the same conditions as the boys as we previously changed in the corners of the cars. that we sometimes sleep in high schools ”.

Bikes, ultra comfortable buses, nutrition, performance follow -up … “We have no more to envy the gentlemen”, rejoices the Breton Cédrine Kerbaol.

But the gap between the largest teams. the others is still very large and “the financial balance of the female bicycle remains fragile”, recalls Marion Rousse when it is questioned “cities now jostling welcome tour about the viability of a discipline whose tour serves as a locomotive while waiting for other tests to be so publicized so that the sponsors today present avoid being discouraged.