Emma Pooley & Marianne Vos back petition for women's Tour de France

I just hope it's as exciting and enthralling as womens tennis...

On paper this all sounds well and good, but like the above say it's about funding. Look at women's football- the men's game is the most popular spectator sport on the planet by a long way, but the ladies are only just now getting noticed.

I very much doubt ladies football will ever grab the size of sponsorship deals, or the crowds that the men's game does.

Ladies tennis isn't a lot different from men's, but women's cycling, football, rugby, boxing etc are very different and as such the dynamic from the spectator's perspective is vastly different. Having said that, ladies track cycling gathers the same size crowds and excitement as the men.

In order for there to be a successful female TDF, the women's sport needs to grow first. There aren't 'that' many women who cycle compared to men, so the number who compete and in turn work their way up into elite pro level is a lot less. This means that they haven't had to fight past as many opposition to get to where they are and that the 'top' level in female cycling isn't as much of a pinnacle as the men's.

So, based on that the women's races aren't as hard fought. There are only 2 or 3 riders that contest the majority of wins in each discipline. Usually Vos! Compare that to the men where in a TT the usual suspects (Martin, Cancellara, Wiggins) are likely to win, but there are about 10/11 others who could (Kessiakoff, Chavanel, Millar, TJVG etc...). Same case in the sprints where Cav is expected to win (Like Vos), but we have a mass battle going on with Sagan, Griepel, Kittel as well as 10 others that could win. This doesn't happen in the women's event really. Head to head, there are 2 or 3 that can do it.

In terms of hill-climbing, a lot of good amateur men will beat even the fastest pro women up a col. That just takes the God-like aura away from it all. Someone like Contador, Quintana etc, provides us with a superhuman display, where you won't get that with the women's climbing.

So, my point is that unless the women's sport grows and becomes as much as a spectacle as the men's, they won't get a TDF. I apologise if I've come across mildly sexist with what I've said as this truly isn't the case, it's just what I believe the reasons to be for women not/ never getting a TDF.

Get out there and get riding people.

I guess Skippy is right - it is about marketing potential. And I just can not see Lacoste, Hermes or any French Couture brand moving into cycling. Strellson (Switzerland) had a Gents range in 2011 or 2012.

Other options would include "healthy" food like Danone, but then cycling has a dirty reputation thanks to...

Although I see a rise in feminine cyclist in the next years, I just do not see a Ladies TDF, the Giro Donna is about the closest.

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http://innercitymobility.blogspot.de/2013/06/transformation-women.html

Emma Pooley's idea has merit but needs to be backed by Sponsors that can be brought to the Owners of the "Le TOUR" as part of the package !

ASO , the owners of " Le Tour " , run events that make them BUNDLES OF CASH , they are not interested in a breakeven situation and certainly will not give a penny piece towards setting up this project !

RAI TV did a terrific job of broadcasting the " GiroRosa "which was run during the first 8 days of the " Le Tour "!

How much publicity and how much sponsorship came their way ? In January2013 the Womens' Tour in New Zealand was cancelled due to UCI intransience , will it run in 2014 , when phat the rat & Cookson have finished their lection race ? Chances are NO !

Neither candidate for UCI President have given anything other than lipservice to the women , yet , had the UCI made the effort , Womens Cycling could be at the point Womens Tennis was in 2000 not as it is now , before billy Jean King got to rally the troops !

Why do the women want to just copy what men do? I enjoy watching women's cycling but I doubt that a separate event would be a commercial success. Could they ride with the men? Almost certainly not. Based on speed, most would not be competitive and would probably be eliminated. Based on argy-bargy in the sprint to the finish they might well hold their own but, to contest the finish, first you have to be there and many of the men sprinters struggle to do that.
I totally reject any idea that any company should be forced to stage a women's race. The fact that some very talented women want to compete, and plenty of people like the idea as long as they don't have to pay for it, does not make it viable.
The Tour de France is unique. Let's just accept that and leave it as it is.

Finally. Bring it on.

Good luck with that, I can't see happening in the TdF not with the French mentality

Just allow women to enter the existing TdF as they do with the marathon, either as a female team or part of a mixed team!

I don't think "forcing" the TV companies would be necessary. Just tell them how big an audience they can get.
Signed.

Should think so too. Run stages on the same day and the same roads as the men - shorter perhaps - and force TV companies to at least include brief highlights in the TV coverage to start with.