Giro, Tour, Vuelta – in men’s cycling, these three words bring to mind three weeks of drama, glory and pain. The men’s Grand Tours are steeped in tradition and are set apart from the rest of the calendar by their length – which also contributes to their reputations being among the hardest and most extreme elite endurance sports events in the world.
The men’s Grand Tours are, commercially, the biggest races on the cycling calendar, so should the women’s versions of the events follow suit by extending their number of days?
Since its return in 2022, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has provided a boost to the viewership of women’s cycling. More than 23 million watched the 2022 edition on TV, according to a report by Zwift. Extending the race in future could further increase the benefits and bring a new dimension to women’s racing.
Cyclingnews has been told that, in principle, the organisers of two of the events are open to extending their races in the future. New Giro d’Italia Women organisers, RCS Sports, were unavailable for comment.
Between 2017 and 2023, May’s La Vuelta Feminina grew from a one-day race to seven stages. When asked about extending the race further, event organiser Unipublic told Cyclingnews: “It is not something to which we are totally closed, but it will not be in the near future. Last year’s La Vuelta Femenina was a successful edition, and we must consolidate this event progressively. When considering extending the duration of the race, there are many factors to take into account.”
Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift organisers ASO gave a similarly measured response, saying: “We want to take things one step at a time. Our first objective, our duty as organisers, is to anchor the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in the international sporting landscape and grow it over time.”
So, taking the organisers at their word, significant extensions to these races will not happen in the immediate future. However, it is a very real possibility thereafter.
Having spoken to several team managers and riders from across the women’s peloton, Cyclingnews has learned that opinions on the idea are mixed, with excitement for growth tempered by concerns for sustainability.
An already packed schedule putting teams under strain
One of the major practical issues of lengthening the Giro, Tour and Vuelta raised by riders and managers was the already…
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