The routes for the men’s and women’s Tour de France are set to be announced on October 27, but as usual, rumours abound about where in the country the race will visit.
Only in its second edition, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has not escaped the grinding of the rumour mill. Last week it emerged that race director, former pro and former French champion Marion Rousse had been in Clermont-Ferrand making arrangements for a Grand Départ set to take place on July 23.
Last year’s race began in Paris, the peloton racing before the men who were riding their final stage 21 along the Champs-Élysées circuits. This gave the women’s peloton added exposure at the roadside and in the media, and any move away would suggest organisers ASO are confident in the race’s status.
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While all the riders Cyclingnews spoke to at the Tour de Romandie Féminin enjoyed this year’s opening day in Paris, all would welcome a move away.
“I’m quite happy about that, to be totally honest,” explained Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio (SD Worx) before her mountain stage victory in Switzerland. “As iconic as it is to ride on the Champs-Élysées, it’s not necessarily the best way to start a Grand Tour, I’d say, because it creates an element of risk for us."
“For the men, it’s a different race. They race the last lap or two, but it’s more a parade, but for us, it’s a full race, and I can think of better starts for a Grand Tour.”
The crowds were among the most striking aspects of this year’s first edition. While the biggest of the entire eights stage race was to be found on the opening day in Paris, they were huge throughout, the French public taking the race to its heart straight away.
Finishing fourth at this year’s Tour, Juliette Labous (DSM) was the top-placed home rider and while she was surprised by the roadside numbers this year, she expects them to be back in 2023. Wherever it starts.
“In Paris, it was nice with a lot of people, but I had a feeling they were also coming more for the guys, so I think then if people come, it's really for us, and that makes it maybe a bit more special.”
Veronica Ewers finished ninth riding for EF Education-TIBCO-SVB and thinks separating the race from the men is good.
“Some people suggest that it's not ideal because the men finish in Paris, but I'm not sure,” she told Cyclingnews. “I think it will just add another level of a difference between the men's and the women's Tour de France because it is different, and I think it should be treated that way. So I think it'll be really interesting and a change of scenery, literally!”
Clermont-Ferrand is an industrial city in the Auvergne Region, known for its extinct volcanos. It is the heart of the Massif Central mountain range, suggesting a very different start to this year’s sprinter’s stage won by Loren Wiebes (Team DSM).
“You have some rolling parts, but there’s also really hilly parts,” says Labous. “Roman Bardet [teammate] is from there, and we talk about it sometimes. It's really hard, I see his Strava files, and it's tough.”
While all had varying ideas on what makes the ideal parcours, one thing every rider we spoke to thought would add to the race was a time trial, especially as races against the clock were few and far between on the 2022 women's calendar.
“A team time trial or an individual time trial or prologue that could spice it up,” Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope) Ludwig told Cyclingnews. “We’ve missed it a little bit this year without TTs or many team time trials. So yeah, I think that could be good."
Though the move is yet to be confirmed, Moolman-Pasio thinks taking the race away from Paris suggests organisers, ASO, have faith their new race can stand alone.
“This is strong of ASO because it’s such a historic and iconic race finish for the men and a start for us, but in a way, it does show that it is moving forward. I think that sometimes the problem with road cycling is that we are always stuck in history rather than doing things differently and innovating. There are pros and cons, I loved being on the Champs-Élysées, and it’s a big opportunity for attracting bystanders, but things are changing in cycling.”
