Cycling for women is experiencing a remarkable boom, as demonstrated by Zwift's spotlight on the influence of the Tour de France Femmes.
Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Revolutionizes Women's Cycling
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has made a significant impact on women's professional cycling, increasing global visibility, enhancing competitiveness, and contributing to ongoing discussions about pay equity.
Global Visibility and Commercial Success
The event has substantially raised the profile of women's cycling, attracting a global audience and sponsorship interest. The 2022 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift was the first official Tour de France for women in 33 years and was the most-watched race in women's professional cycling, with a broadcast in 190 countries and consumption for more than 80 million viewing hours across seven key European nations in 2024 alone.
Zwift, a virtual cycling platform, has been instrumental in the Tour's revival, positioning its support as part of a broader commitment to promoting gender equity in sport. The race has inspired broader fan engagement and bike sales, notably among women—69% of women engaged by it reported buying bikes after watching.
Competitiveness and Athletic Excellence
The race has showcased intense, high-level competition with dramatic race moments and mental and physical challenges for athletes, underlining the sport's professionalism and depth. The 2024 women's Tour came down to just four short seconds, the smallest margin of victory in Tour de France history. Riders like Maëva Squiban and Demi Vollering have become race-defining figures, illustrating improved race dynamics and athlete development.
Pay Equity and Commercial Investment
While the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift represents progress by providing a major platform and commercial model specifically for women's cycling, it also underscores that pay disparities between men and women cyclists persist. Women’s earnings remain significantly lower than their male counterparts’, but the race is a focal point for greater investment and attention that may help close these gaps over time. Sponsorship dollars in women’s cycling are now heavily influenced by the Tour de France Femmes, suggesting a growing revenue base for the sport.
A newly introduced ProTeam tier sets a minimum salary of €20,000, increasing to €24,000 by 2027. Minimum salaries for WorldTour riders have risen from €15,000 in 2020 to €31,768 in 2025. Commercial interest in women's cycling appears to be growing, with Nike signing personal sponsorship deals and partnering with teams like FDJ-Suez and Visma | Lease a Bike.
The Future of Women's Cycling
The Women's Cycling Report offers an in-depth look at the impact of the race since its modern revival. The report emphasizes that while the sport has made considerable progress, more work remains, including expanding access to coverage, supporting lower-tier teams, and sustaining grassroots participation. After watching the Tour de France Femmes, 69% of women were inspired to ride more, and 17% of those who engaged with the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 2024 said they went on to buy a bike.
The race saw six different stage winners, representing five separate teams. Puck Pieterse, a cyclist, was one of the most exciting playmakers of the event, winning a stage in a photo finish and going home with the best young rider's jersey and thousands of new fans worldwide.
As the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift continues, it serves as a beacon of hope for the future of women's cycling. With its growing global audience, increased competitiveness, and ongoing efforts towards pay equity, the race is poised to revolutionize the sport for years to come.
- The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift's global success extends beyond sports, as it incorporates elements of science, health-and-wellness, and lifestyle, inspiring a growing number of women to engage in physical activity and adopt a healthier lifestyle.
- The fashion-and-beauty industry has also noticed the increasing popularity of cycling, with an emerging trend of cycling-specific clothing and beauty products catering to the needs of women cyclists in response to the growing interest in women's cycling, fueled by the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
- The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has become a significant platform for women's health discussions, addressing issues such as nutrition, physical fitness, and mental wellness, contributing to the overall health-and-wellness movement in women's lifestyle. Additionally, the race's focus on mental and physical challenges faced by athletes sheds light on the importance of sports-analysis in enhancing performance and promoting recovery in athletes, benefiting all sports disciplines.
