Race director Marion Rousse has said there are no current plans to add further stages to the
Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, but the organiser will reconsider “when the time comes”.
“We certainly don’t want to expand too quickly,” Rousse told in an interview with Cycling Weekly. “There were women’s Tours de France before us, and since we’re a new edition, it means that what came before didn’t work out."
“We have to take it little by little,” Rousse stressed. “We’re not closing the door on any possibilities. Of course, when the time comes, we’ll add more stages if we can.” With eight stages the French race is already one of the longest events in women's cycling, and it looks to grow in quality before further expanding in quantity.
“I saw so many people at the roadside, all having fun, holding signs for the riders. There were loads of people watching at home, too,” the race director said. “I saw a real Tour de France, a fourth week of racing in July.”
This fourth week element is key for Rousse and the race organisers at ASO. “It’s important that the race comes straight after the men’s,” she explained. “In people’s minds, the Tour de France is in July, and they want to see bike racing in July."
This year’s edition will start in Clermont-Ferrand on 23 July, the same day the men’s race ends. For the first time, it will feature a summit finish at altitude, in the form of the Col du Tourmalet on penultimate stage, and a 22 km individual time trial, which will mark the finale in Pau.
