“Little girls, people at home, can watch us race and show the determination and grit, and I think that’s such a huge message and something so exciting to come from this first edition.” – Amanda Spratt
“We are part of the history of cycling, being in the first edition of the Tour de France Femmes… Now we can follow our dreams.” Ane Santesteban
“As soon as it was announced last year, I knew I wanted to go back to the road and be in my best form.” Alex Manly
It was a historic moment as the 2022 women’s WorldTour peloton set off in front of the Eiffel Tower on Sunday, 24th July, to begin the inaugural edition of Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. The last time the women’s equivalent of the Tour de France took place was 33 years ago, so as you can imagine, emotions were at an all-time high. Finally, the moment had arrived.
Every rider wanted to be a part of this monumental event, it was another huge step forward for women’s cycling and a major turning point. In Episode one, ‘A New Beginning’ we get to understand the sheer magnitude of the event and our six Team BikeExchange-Jayco riders express what it means to them to be on the start line.
Excitement and nerves are high, every rider is proud to be there, however as soon as the action starts, so does the drama. The unfortunate, but possible outcome, that every team is fearful of – a damaging crash! Team leader Amanda Spratt, one of the most experienced and seasoned professionals in the women’s peloton and the team’s real hope for a strong overall showing, dramatically falls early on.
Feel the emotions and a part of the race build up in this first episode which sets the scene, before episode two – coming soon – takes us deeper into what happened next.
Don’t forget, you can also still catch up on the entire ON THE WHEEL series to date:
ON THE WHEEL
PART 1: Journey to the Giro 🇮🇹
Episode 1 – Boy from Bury
Episode 2 – The Racing Line
Episode 3 – Final Touches
Episode 4 – Italian Rollercoaster
PART 2: Back to Business at the Tour 🇫🇷
Episode 1 – Road to France
Episode 2 – Arrivée
PART 3: Finally, Tour de France Femmes 🇫🇷
Episode 1 – A New Beginning
