No Women In Tour De France

[kamikazejane]

Why is this????

[indysteel]

Because it's a race for male professional cyclists? There's version of the TdF for women, too. I know that may not seem like much of an answer, but it's like a lot of professional sports. There are women's teams and men's teams and sanctioned events that are specific to each.

But I'm no Tour expert or even follower; perhaps someone has a more official sounding answer than that.

[Becky]

I can't think of a single pro sport where men and women compete against one another.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_d...e_F%C3%A9minin

[jessmarimba]

I can't think of a single pro sport where men and women compete against one another.

Not pro-only, and not competing against each other, but most major long-distance running races (marathon and longer) have men and women on the same course at the same time. So I can see where it might make sense for men and women to be in the same bike races together.

That's the only sport I can think of, though.

[Blueberry]

Not pro-only, and not competing against each other, but most major long-distance running races (marathon and longer) have men and women on the same course at the same time. So I can see where it might make sense for men and women to be in the same bike races together.

That's the only sport I can think of, though.

Triathlon also - some of the top women place in the middle of the men (or at least they did when Chrissie was racing....).

[Susan Otcenas]

Not pro-only, and not competing against each other, but most major long-distance running races (marathon and longer) have men and women on the same course at the same time.

Triathlon as well. Males and females compete at the same distances at the same time on the same course. It's one of the reasons I love triathlon. There's no "dumbing down" the distances for the women.

Many ultra-cycling events are the same. Males and females ride the same course, same distance. This is true in competitive events like RAAM and Furnace Creek 508, as well as non-competitive events like randonneuring (Paris-Brest-Paris), etc. That does mean, though, that women participate in much smaller numbers. At PBP last year, there were 5000 starters, just 300 of which were women. 4000 people finished, including just 200 women.

I happen to believe that women are very well suited to endurance events. We may not have the same power as men (and therefore don't keep up when the hammer gets put down), but we can ride or run very consistently for long periods of time. I've done any number of rando rides where I (voluntarily) get shelled off the back in the first 30 miles, only to see many of the same men again 100 miles down the road, gooses cooked.

Thus, I think women could actually survive a race as long as the TdF, but not at the same speeds. And it's the speed, sprints and crashes that get viewers all riled up and excited. Without the same level of excitement, sponsors are not interested. Which is one of the reasons women's pro racing suffers so much. Not enough drama.

[SadieKate]

Not enough drama.

If you want drama, watch women's tennis.

[Dog]

Totally impressed by the six ladies riding the tour (REVE). Pretty awesome and fun to follow.

[indysteel]

I can't think of a single pro sport where men and women compete against one another.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_d...e_F%C3%A9minin

There are women in both Indy car and Nascar who compete against men. And there are a few other sports like dressage where women and men compete against one another. But it's not the norm for sure.

[lovelygamer]

Yep, they already answered it. It's a men's race because women just can't compete at the level the men can, mostly a strength and fitness issue. Sponsors want to sponsor winners and sponsors are what it's all about. Some say, if the race was longer...women would win. That's when their real advantages and strengths come into play.

They have a few women's races like it. Here is a small non competitive one that is running this year at the same time: http://www.reve.cc/

[kamikazejane]

They have a few women's races like it. Here is a small non competitive one that is running this year at the same time: http://www.reve.cc/

That's awesome. Mucho Kuddos to them.

[gnat23]

They have a few women's races like it. Here is a small non competitive one that is running this year at the same time: http://www.reve.cc/

I've been watching my friend Heidi get ready for this, all the training, panic, and adrenaline that has come with it. She's been writing for Peloton magazine the whole time, which is a new kind of hell: Ride 130 km, THEN be eloquent in prose? Wow.

http://www.pelotonmagazine.com/Wisdo.../Swift-Stage-4

It's not a race, but the women are riding the whole stage the day prior to the men. The miles and emotions are very much real and her stories and tweets have been putting the TdF in quite a different perspective for me.

-- gnat! (GO HEIDI GO!)

[Eden]

Are you asking why there isn't a women's peleton or why there aren't simply women racing with the men?

Occasionally, very, very occasionally we have a woman around here good enough to hang with the boys. One who's probably going to turn pro just did a stage race with the guys and finished very respectfully mid pack, but even she'd be totally outclassed by the pro guys.

As far as why there isn't a women's peleton... same as why it can be hard in local racing to get women's fields. We are fewer in number, so it can be hard to turn out enough racers and there's fewer sponsors giving money and prizes and no TV rights. The organizers of racers usually don't do it for free... it's a money making enterprise, in the world of us amateurs that means if we can't get out the numbers the organizers will prefer to pass us over for a field that can. In the pros if you can't sell stuff.... advertising rights, tv rights then it's not worth their time.

[SadieKate]

You may not consider it a "pro sport", but do a little reading on women ultradistance runners.

[Irulan]

There are no women in ANY men's pro cycling. It's MEN'S pro cycling.