Women allowed in the Tour? Seperate Tour?

[mayanorange]

Perhaps a silly question- can women qualify for the TDF? or do the female pros have their own go at it but it's just not shown?

[tulip]

La Grande Boucle is the pro race for women that is equivalent to the TDF. It used to be called the Tour de France Féminin. Jeanie Longo is the most winningnest (is that a word?) racer in that race, maybe in all of pro women's cycling. She's still at it.

[alpinerabbit]

The female pro road races are usually much shorter per stage.

As much as I think women can do almost anything as well as men, I do not think they could keep up for sheer lack of power.

[Deborajen]

As I recall, Bob Roll was asked a few years ago about why women don't ride in the Tour. He answered "Women don't ride in the Tour de France because they're too intelligent." (I love that guy!)

He went on to talk about the women's Tour - I don't recall the name, but it must be the one Tulip mentioned.

Deb

[Geonz]

However, consider that when it comes to endurance, women can do rather well in things like very long distance swimming. Take those steroids away and who knows?
(On the third hand, then women would be cruisin' thru Paris-Brest-Paris... but on the fourth hand, perhaps it's more cultural elements that preclude 'em.)

[mayanorange]

Seems from the Wiki page that the LGB doesn't rally too much support much anymore. Too bad.

I'd love to see some women kickin' up those hills after the boys, but I guess they do have inherently more muscle mass than us. :P

[Possegal]

Not sure how many folks read the thread about the pro race in Philly in June. Mens and Womens race. The women start a bit after the men and do a few less laps. But at one point we were standing on the wall http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/...naya-what/8086 and the moto comes up, with the women riding behind, and the passenger is holding a dry erase board that said "We lapped the men". Great cheers from the crowds! They said it was the first time that had happened.

The other thing my sister and I noted - the cars following both races - the men's cars were driving like absolute maniacs. The roads in Manayunk are not very wide, they would round the bends at lightening speed and jockeying for a new position. Actually kind of scary. Then the cars following the women riders were all polite and driving fast but not scary. Even though mostly still being driven by men. It made us laugh.

[mthr3brghtys]

My riding buddy is an official - moto ref/judge et al. He worked that race as a moto ref - and his comment was that the women's race was the most competitive and exciting race he'd worked ever. Don't know whether that'll hold his working the Tour of Missouri this year, but it was the subject of conversation/motivation for several long rides so far this month. Wish I'd seen it!