Audrey Cordon-Ragot on Tour de France Femmes: "This is the biggest step women’s cycling has made since I started racing"

Trek - Segafredo's Audrey Cordon-Ragot is one of the most popular riders in the women's peloton and being a French native, she is naturally one of the happiest when it comes to the first modern edition of a women's Tour de France.

Many generations of cyclists ended their careers too early because they couldn’t make a living or support themselves from cycling. It was like the men’s Tour de France was the only tree hiding in a dead forest. Thankfully, the situation has changed." Cordon-Ragot said in a post she wrote for VeloNews.

"La Course came up as a first step, and I think it was necessary to learn about the women’s peloton and its particularities. ASO tried different races, we proved how good we were, and after eight editions of La Course the Tour de France Femmes is finally here," she added.

Cordon-Ragot was also keen on expressing that a race wasn't just created, but also organized in a way that the riders mostly agreed and wanted: "The route? I’m really glad that the organizers listened to us, the riders. We have a lot of experience from Giro and the Women’s Tour, and we know what works. Staying in a restricted area of France to limit the transfers and assure the wellbeing of riders and staff members was in my opinion the best option for a first Tour."

The Tour de France Femmes will take place from the 24th to the 31st of July right after the Tour de France. It starts in Paris in the same day as the men's peloton completes the Grand Tour, and goes on to travel east towards the final stage finishing atop the Planche des Belles Filles.

Cordon-Ragot has stressed how important this development is for the future of women's cycling: "But in a long-term sense, this Tour de France Femmes isn’t about me or about 2022. Instead, it’s the light at the end of the tunnel because after such a long time young riders, young girls, can finally see the opportunity to become professional athletes. This July they can see that one day they can ride the Tour just like the boys, and one day, when someone asks ‘are they going to ride the Tour de France?’ they can smile, they can feel assured, and they can say YES. That’s a massive step forward for thousands of youngsters."

Now young girls can stick posters of us on their walls. They can wear our jerseys, they can share our passion, and one day they can share the feeling of racing in the best women’s event in the world. I feel the responsibility, I feel how amazing sport can be, and the potential for women’s cycling is like never before. This new exposure will help other races gain attention, and for more teams to benefit too. Honestly, this is the biggest step women’s cycling has made since I started racing," she concluded.