The Rise of Women’s Professional Cycling: From the Tour de France Femmes to Prize Money Equality

On July 24, 2022, on the same day the men’s Tour de France concluded on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift officially got underway. That moment was not just the start of a race, but a milestone in a half-century of struggle for women’s cycling.

A Forgotten History

Early Attempts and Interruptions

The history of women participating in cycling goes back further than most people imagine. During the cycling boom of the late 19th century, women’s riding was seen as one of the symbols of the women’s liberation movement—Susan B. Anthony once said the bicycle had “done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world.”

In terms of racing, the predecessors of the Tour de France Femmes can be traced back to:

• 1955: The first attempt at a women’s Tour de France was held
• 1984-1989: The “Tour de France Féminin” ran concurrently with the men’s Tour, but always remained on the margins
• 1992-2009: Continued under the name “Grande Boucle Féminine,” but quality was inconsistent due to insufficient funding
• 2009-2021: The women’s Tour de France was completely discontinued, a 13-year gap

Reasons for Being Overlooked

The reasons women’s cycling was long neglected are multifaceted:

1. Lack of media exposure: Television broadcasts barely covered women’s events
2. Lack of sponsor interest: No broadcast meant no exposure, no exposure meant no sponsorship
3. Wage gap: Many female riders had to work other jobs to make ends meet
4. Institutional barriers: UCI regulations for women’s events lagged far behind for years

Tour de France Femmes: A Historic Revival

The Birth of the Race

In 2022, through a partnership between ASO (Tour de France organizer Amaury Sport Organisation) and Zwift, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift was officially revived. The inaugural edition featured 8 stages, starting from Paris and finishing at La Super Planche des Belles Filles in Alsace.

The Impact of the Inaugural Edition

The success of the first Tour de France Femmes exceeded everyone’s expectations:

• Roadside spectators: Millions watched along the route, with crowd density on many sections matching the men’s Tour
• Television ratings: French domestic viewership set records for women’s sports
• Social media: The #TDFF and #WomensCycling hashtags swept the globe
• Competitive level: Dutch rider Annemiek van Vleuten claimed the inaugural title with a 3-minute 48-second margin, and the racing intensity was breathtaking

Race Development

Starting from 8 stages in the inaugural edition, the Tour de France Femmes is gradually expanding:

• The number of stages increases year by year, with the goal of approaching the men’s Tour’s 21 stages
• Route difficulty continues to rise, with more mountain stages added
• Prize money increases annually
• Media broadcast coverage is expanding

Key Figures

Riders

Annemiek van Vleuten (Netherlands):
One of the greatest riders in the history of women’s cycling. In 2022, at the “advanced” age of 40, she won the Giro, Tour, and Vuelta—the only rider to win all three Grand Tours in a single year. She retired in 2023, leaving behind an unparalleled legacy.

Marianne Vos (Netherlands):
Dubbed the “Eddy Merckx of women’s cycling.” She holds world champion titles in road, track, and cyclo-cross, with over 250 career victories. She remains active in the sport to this day.

Demi Vollering (Netherlands):
The leading figure of the new generation, rising to prominence with astonishing climbing ability and time trial strength, widely considered the future dominant force in women’s cycling for years to come.

Lotte Kopecky (Belgium):
An all-rounder combining sprinting and climbing ability, 2023 World Champion, with outstanding performances in both classics and Grand Tours.

Structural Progress

Salaries and Contracts

2020 UCI Minimum Wage Regulations:

• The UCI set minimum annual salaries for women’s WorldTeam riders for the first time: €15,000 in 2020
• Raised to approximately €32,100 by 2023
• Still a gap compared to the men’s WorldTeam minimum (approximately €40,000), but significant progress

Historical Comparison:
Before the minimum wage regulations, many female professional riders earned less than €10,000 a year, and some were unpaid entirely. Riders had to cover their own travel, accommodation, and equipment costs.

Prize Money Equality Movement

In recent years, more and more events have achieved equal prize money for men and women:

• Strade Bianche: Equal pay for men and women starting in 2024
• Paris-Roubaix Femmes: First held in 2021, with prize money gradually increasing
• Tour de France Femmes: The prize pool increases annually, but still a huge gap compared to the men’s Tour

Broadcasting and Media

• GCN/Eurosport: Significantly increased coverage of women’s events
• Zwift: Sponsoring women’s racing through its virtual cycling platform, bringing in a new audience
• Social media: Platforms like Instagram and YouTube have given female riders a direct channel to interact with fans

Issues Still to Be Resolved

Despite significant progress, women’s cycling still faces challenges: team budgets are only one-tenth of the men’s, Grand Tour stage counts are only one-third of the men’s, and development is highly concentrated in Europe and North America, with female riders in Asia and developing countries still facing enormous barriers to entry.

The Current State and Outlook for Women’s Cycling in Taiwan

Women’s cycling in Taiwan is growing, with more and more female cyclists participating in road cycling events. At the competitive level, there is still room for improvement, requiring more women’s category races, a systematic training system, and support from media coverage.

Viewing Recommendations

For Taiwanese fans, the following women’s events are most worth watching:

• Tour de France Femmes (July-August): The pinnacle of the sport
• Giro d’Italia Women (July): The romance of Italy
• Paris-Roubaix Femmes (April): The shock of the cobblestones
• Strade Bianche Women (March): The art of the gravel roads
• World Championships (September): National team showdowns

The rise of women’s professional cycling is one of the most thrilling stories in sports history. From being ignored to becoming mainstream, this journey has taken half a century. And now, we are at the beginning of this golden era—the best of times is only just beginning.

Related Reading

• The Rise of Women’s Professional Cycling: Key Breakthroughs and Milestones of the 2026 Season
• The Rise of Women’s Cycling: Stories of Taiwanese Female Riders
• The Rise of Women’s Cycling: The History of the UCI Women’s WorldTour, Rider Salaries, and Media Attention
• The Rise of Women’s Professional Cycling: The Rapid Development of the UCI Women’s WorldTour