It's a rebirth that has everything of an outbreak.
So, inevitably, there is no question of skipping the steps.
The baby is pampered and his first steps counted.
"The objective is to be there in a hundred years, not to disappear after three, that's why we start with eight days because over this period, we control expenses".
Marion Rousse, the director of the Tour de France Women who sets off from the Champs-Elysées this Sunday, a few hours before that of the men finds its epilogue there, drew up the picture.
This women's version of the Grande Boucle will not be subject to delusions of grandeur even if it will resemble, in many respects, in a barely reduced model, its illustrious big brother.
Eight stages will therefore lead the 144 runners (24 teams of 6) from the capital to the Super Planche des Belles Filles, in the Vosges, where this first edition of the modern era will end on Sunday July 31.
This represents 1033 km of bitumen.
By comparison, Jonas Vingegaard, the Yellow Jersey in a peloton of 176 riders (22 teams of 8) starting in Copenhagen (Denmark), will have traveled 3,350 km divided into 21 stages and three weeks.
“With six competitors per team, we cannot control the race, it is impossible, underlines Stephen Delcourt, the manager of the FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope, one of the five tricolor formations engaged with Cofidis, Arkea, Saint-Michel Auber 93, and Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime.
The race will therefore be even more spectacular and indecisive than that of the men.
The winner will receive 50,000 euros (Vingegaard will pocket 500,000 euros) for a total prize pool of 247,530 euros (2.282 M€ for the men).
The event will be broadcast, like the men's Tour de France, in 190 countries (2h30 live on France TV and Eurosport).
The procession, on the other hand, will be lightened.
The caravan will be made up of 50 vehicles, three times less than the one preceding the men's peloton.
The partners will be less numerous, but the main ones have responded.
Thus, the sign E. Leclerc will sponsor, as for men, the polka dot jersey of the best climber.
“It was impossible for us not to be present when we are at a key moment in the development of women's cycling, but also more generally in the history of our society, underlines Michel-Edouard Leclerc, the president of the strategic committee of the centers Leclerc who have been associated with the Tour de France since 2019. We have not reasoned in economic terms.
We don't know the consequences in advance, but we didn't hesitate.
Whether for women or men, we advocate the same values of mutual aid and self-improvement.
We want it to work.
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The organizers (ASO) think exactly the same.
If the test is transformed – as all the indicators seem to announce – the event could evolve and grow from next season.
With more race days, in particular.
