"It's the biggest stage in the world" - Lizzie Deignan excited to make Tour de France Femmes debut

One of the most successful female cyclists of the modern era, Lizzie Deignan is yet to race at the Tour de France Femmes. This is all set to change later this year.

“The fact that we now have a Tour de France shows the state of women’s cycling, the appetite for women’s cycling, the opportunities that are there,” says the 34-year-old British rider in conversation with the race organisers, ASO. “It’s the biggest stage in the world for us as female athletes. If I retired and somebody asked me, ‘Have you ridden the Tour de France?’ and I had to say no, then that would be a disappointment because it’s a global event."

A rider with numerous big wins on her palmares, including the 2015 World Championship road race, the 2016 Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes in 2020 and Paris-Roubaix Femmes in 2021, Deignan was out of the peloton due to her pregnancy at the inaugural version of the Tour de France Femmes last year.

A winner of the prior female event held the Tour de France, Deignan won La Course by Le Tour de France in 2020 and she is well aware just how big it would be for her to take part later this year. "You know, everybody has heard of the Tour de France, and to be able to say that I’ve had a part of it is something that I obviously want.”