Nicola Rutzou
We’re nearly halfway through the Tour de France Femmes with five stages left to enjoy. While only in its fourth year (at least for this version), the French public has embraced it with amazing crowds turning out to cheer the women’s peloton on.
I suspect the TV audiences are also better than ever, although it would be great if the host broadcaster would step up and provide coverage of the full stages rather than the half stage they currently provide! For those of us on the east coast of Australia, it doesn’t grace our screens until 11.30 pm most nights, and it’s well underway by this time.
That aside, we’re making great strides in women’s professional cycling and alongside the more professional approach from administrations and race owners, the riders themselves are rising to the occasion.
The four stages we’ve seen so far have been outstanding. Stage 1 saw the ever-amazing Marianne Vos cross the line first and take the first yellow jersey. Stage 2 provided a new winner in 41-year-old Spaniard Mavi García. Her post-race celebrations showed how much the win meant to her. Stages 3 and 4 were a little more predictable, with top sprinter Lorena Wiebes taking both of them in emphatic fashion.
We can’t wait to see how the rest of the race unfolds.
Thanks again to the A.S.O. for providing these amazing images that we share here.
