First American Tour de France winner Marianne Martin seriously injured in crash

When people think of American success in the Tour de France, two names often come to mind, Greg LeMond and Lance Armstrong. Greg LeMond is celebrated as the first American man to win the Tour de France, with three victories in 1986, 1989, and 1990, and his victories paving the way for a new era of American interest in the sport. On the other hand, Lance Armstrong is synonymous with the darker side of cycling. His doping tarnished not only his legacy but also left a shadow over cycling as a whole.

Yet, the reality is that neither LeMond nor Armstrong was the first American to win the Tour de France. That honour belongs to Marianne Martin, a pioneer who, in 1984, became the first American to wear the yellow jersey and ultimately claim victory in the Tour de France. Sadly, Martin’s story has largely faded into obscurity, overshadowed by her male counterparts, but her achievement remains a monumental milestone in American cycling history.

Recently, however, Martin's name has returned to the spotlight, not because of her past glory, but due to a high speed accident whilst cycling in Colorado.

Earlier this month, the 66-year-old Marianne Martin was involved in a serious crash while descending Sunshine Canyon, just outside Boulder, Colorado. The impact left her with severe injuries: a collapsed lung, a fractured collarbone in two places, 12 broken ribs, a concussion, and road rash. Martin was rushed by ambulance to the hospital, where she spent several days in the intensive care unit.

Following the initial hospitalisation, Martin underwent surgery to install pins and plates to properly align her multiple broken ribs. The injuries have sparked an outpouring of support from the cycling community, leading to the creation of a GoFundMe page to aid in her recovery. The campaign, launched last week, has already raised over $16,500, highlighting the respect and admiration many still hold for the pioneering cyclist.

Born in 1957 in Michigan, Marianne Martin made history in 1984 when she won the inaugural Tour de France Féminin. The race ran concurrently with the men’s Tour de France, with stages finishing two to three hours before the men's races, allowing the same enthusiastic crowds to witness both competitions. The 1984 Tour de France Féminin was a brutal 1,080-kilometre race, consisting of 18 stages, which the riders completed in just under 30 hours.

Martin’s victory, celebrated by cycling fans across the world, was historic for several reasons. She crossed the final finish line by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, becoming the first American winner of a Tour de France event. However, despite this significant achievement, Martin's story did not gain the same widespread recognition that male victories in the Tour de France did. So why do so many still believe Greg LeMond was the first American winner?

Women’s cycling in the 1980s faced numerous challenges that hampered its popularity. Although European spectators warmly welcomed the women’s Tour, the sport struggled to gain the same level of exposure and support as men's cycling. In the wider sporting landscape, women's sports were still in the early stages of gaining recognition, and female athletes often found themselves in the shadows of their male counterparts.

The disparity in attention and funding led to a lack of media coverage, sponsorship, and public awareness. As a result, figures like Marianne Martin did not receive the acclaim they deserved. Greg LeMond’s wins, by contrast, captured headlines worldwide, largely because the men’s Tour was already a well-established event with a long tradition in Europe. The imbalance between men’s and women’s sport in the 1980s offers a crucial explanation as to why Martin’s victory is lesser-known.

The original Tour de France Féminin lasted just five years, from 1984 to 1989. The 1984 edition remains notable because it most closely mirrored the structure of the men’s race, even more so than the current Tour de France Femmes. However, the women's race struggled to maintain momentum due to financial difficulties and a lack of consistent support from race organisers and sponsors. While men’s cycling continued to fill the headlines during the Tour de France, the women’s side of the sport faced an uncertain future.

It wasn’t until 2022 that the Tour de France Femmes was introduced as an official counterpart to the men’s race. Even then, the modern version is substantially shorter, consisting of only eight stages, compared to the three-week-long men's edition. Unlike in 1984, the women's Tour no longer runs alongside the men’s, taking place a month later in August. The lengthy gap between the two versions of the race has sparked questions about the commitment to women’s cycling from the sport's governing bodies.

There are several reasons why the Tour de France Femmes took decades to return. Historically, women’s cycling has struggled to secure consistent sponsorship and media coverage. The lack of financial backing made it difficult to sustain high-profile races for women, and race organisers were hesitant to take on events that they feared might not generate enough revenue.

The introduction of the Tour de France Femmes is an encouraging step in the right direction, but the eight-stage race still falls short of what many fans and riders envision. Legendary female cyclists like Marianne Vos, often regarded as the greatest ever, missed the opportunity to compete in a full-length Tour during their prime years. Vos, who has an illustrious career that includes three Giro d'Italia wins and numerous world titles, only had the chance to wear the yellow jersey for the first time in 2022, nearly two decades after her professional debut. For a rider of her legendary status, this is a part of her palmares that has missed out through no fault of her own.

Aside from just the gender gap, cycling in the 1980s was a vastly different sport. The bikes, safety measures, and racing strategies of the 1980s were a far cry from today’s standards. Riders competed on steel-framed bicycles, considerably heavier than the carbon fibre models used today. Safety equipment was also minimal, with helmets not becoming mandatory until decades later. The courses, while similar to those used today, lacked the refined safety features and route adjustments seen in modern racing. Riders like Martin navigated the challenging terrain with less support and fewer resources than today’s professional cyclists, making their achievements even more remarkable.

The slow progression of women's cycling contrasts with other sports, where women’s versions of major competitions have developed more rapidly. In tennis, for example, the Grand Slam tournaments have included women's events for many decades, and Wimbledon awarded equal prize money to men and women in 2007. Women's marathons were introduced in the 1980s, and women's football has seen rapid growth in recent years, particularly with the Women's World Cup gaining global recognition.

While progress in women's sport has been uneven, the return of the Tour de France Femmes signals a new chapter in cycling. It acknowledges the contributions of pioneers like Marianne Martin, who should be remembered as a legend in American sports. Her win in 1984 set the stage for the development of women’s cycling, even if it took decades for the sport to catch up.

Marianne Martin’s victory in 1984 should be recognised as a landmark achievement in American sport. As the first American to win the yellow jersey, Martin broke new ground, paving the way for future generations of female cyclists. Her story is a reminder of the importance of equal representation in sports and the need to support women’s cycling to ensure that the sport continues to grow and gain the recognition it deserves.

It’s a true shame that disgraced riders with doping riddled careers continue to linger in the public eye, yet true greats like Martin are not spoken of enough. The resurgence of the Tour de France Femmes is a positive step, but the journey is far from over. The support for events like this must continue to grow, allowing future champions to thrive and ensuring that the legacy of pioneers like Marianne Martin is honoured. Martin’s recent accident and the crowdfunding appeal to aid her recovery are poignant reminders of her enduring influence and the respect she continues to command within the cycling community.