Are women allowed to ride in the Tour/Giro?

[Eden]

Of course there are major women's cycling teams! and there are major women's races. You just don't see much of them covered in the media.......

Here in the US most races, except for the big stage races (Tour de Georgia, Tour of California etc.) will have a women's field that pro, cat 1 and cat 2 riders can race in. My team has sent riders to the Nature Valley Grand Prix, Mt Hood Cycling Classic, the Cascade Classic, Redlands, etc.

I think that some of the bigger races in Europe will also have women's and amateur racing, we just don't hear about it. Check out famous women cyclists on the wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Female_cyclists

Really - I'm not sure that there are any *specific* rules that say a woman could not race with the men in a Grand Tour....... if a Pro Tour team decided to pick up a woman rider and race her with the men.... I somehow don't see it happening though. We can race with the men as amateurs if we choose. Sometimes I see the stronger women do it for the challenge.