CTC backs the growing call for a women's Tour de France
The CTC women riders, Team CTC, have also signed the petition. Speaking after the Tour de Bretagne in Brittany, Tamina Oliver said she has signed the petition, now topping 17,000, which has been set up by four of cycling’s top women.
CTC established our women’s racing team, Team CTC, to highlight the shocking imbalance between support for the men’s and women’s sports. Cycling is for everyone, and we’re thrilled to see the surge of support for a women’s Tour de France. Equality in cycling is long overdue; I’ve signed the petition, and I hope many CTC members will join me.
Gordon Seabright CTC Chief Executive
Tamina backs Pooley’s comments that it is perfectly possible next year to run a three-week race. Tamina said "If the women's tour de France had to have shorter stages to get it established, then rather than have it finish in a different place the start could be made a distance into the route, finishing in the same location, and certainly utilising the same mountain climbs."
Ironically, the women’s race that Team CTC have just taken part in finished with a men’s support race.
Pooley, World and Olympic champion Marianne Vos, World Champion Ironman triathlete Chrissie Wellington and Kathryn Bertine, have published a letter to ASO (Amaury Sports Organisation) and Tour director Christian Prudhomme with an accompanying petition. The letter outlines why they believe that women should have an event running in conjunction with the men, in what is the most recognised cycling event in the world.
Currently, cycling is way behind with lack of parity between genders. Even in golf nothing stops women's prestigious events running alongside men's.
Team CTC's Tamina Oliver
"The TdF is such a fantastic event. Having a women’s race would just enhance it.
There is one thing, though," Tamina added with amusement, "The only logistics that would need changing are the podium girls. It would be nice to see our prizes presented by a buff male equivalent!”
