“It’s like forcing women’s racing to always rely on the lifeblood of the men’s sport” - Grace Brown calls for end to shared race days at major Classics

Two races, two standout winners, but still sharing the same stage. As Tadej Pogacar and Demi Vollering dominated the Tour of Flanders, former Olympic and world time trial champion Grace Brown questioned whether women’s cycling is still being forced to exist in the shadow of the men’s race, despite no longer needing it.

Brown acknowledged that the current model brings short-term gains, particularly in visibility and broadcast flow. “I’d say it’s okay for now, but not a long-term solution if we want to see the sport continue to grow,” she says in conversation with SBS Sport. “There are some short-term wins. Fans supposedly stay roadside after watching the men’s race to also cheer the women’s race afterwards. They will keep watching on TV while the women feature during prime-time hours in Europe.”

That was broadly reflected in Flanders, where roadside crowds remained strong into the women’s race and TV audiences were carried across from one event to the next.

But for Brown, those benefits do not outweigh the longer-term limitations. “I feel like those arguments are a bit hollow, though, because I’ve raced both formats and the same-day approach does not always bring more attention.”

The structure of the calendar has already shown what can change when the format shifts.

Brown pointed to the Ardennes Classics, where later start times for the women’s races brought a visible increase in attention. “Of course, not many fans are going to come out at 8am to watch the women and stay out all day to finally catch the end of the men’s race in the late afternoon. So yes, there was a noticeable difference when the schedule was flipped.”

In Flanders, the contrast remains clear. The men’s race builds across the full day, while the women’s race, despite its quality, still sits in the shadow of what comes before and after.

Brown also highlighted previous editions in Paris where the races were split across the weekend. “We saw in the years that Paris featured the women’s race on the Saturday, followed by the men’s race on the Sunday, that crowds came out individually for both.”

At the centre of Brown’s argument is not just visibility, but identity. “It’s almost like when you put the women’s race following the men’s, you deny them their own value,” she said. “It’s like forcing women’s racing to always rely on the lifeblood of the men’s sport, even though it’s entirely capable of surviving on its own merits.”

That point lands harder in a race like Flanders, where the women’s event has developed its own depth, its own stars and its own tactical complexity.

Vollering’s solo move on the Oude Kwaremont decided the race in emphatic fashion, while the battle for the podium played out behind her between Puck Pieterse and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot. A race that, on another day, could have stood entirely on its own.

Beyond sporting value, Brown also sees a financial argument for change. “After all, if they can set up a good financial model, it could mean doubling the revenue opportunity over two days,” she said. “If we keep tied to the idea of having both events on the same day, we are really hindering the potential growth of women’s sport.”

At present, the overlap in broadcast windows remains another barrier. “At the moment, fans can’t watch both races independently because their airtime is overlapped.”

That was again evident in Flanders, where attention is inevitably split rather than fully concentrated on each race.

For Brown, the conclusion is not about diminishing what shared race days have achieved, but recognising what comes next.

“The women’s Classics are no longer an afterthought. The racing is world-class, the riders are box office, and the audience is there when you give them reason to show up,” she said. “The question is whether race organisers are brave enough to back that standalone bet. Shared race days got us here. They shouldn’t be the ceiling.”

After a weekend where both editions of the Tour of Flanders delivered in their own right, the question is no longer whether women’s racing can stand alone, but whether it will be given the space to do so.