The queen stage. Stage 8: Sunday, July 31, Lure - The Super Planche des Belles Filles, 123 km. [Captation Id = "Attachment_8297" Align = "Alignnone" Width = "744"]
Image: profile of the queen stage.[/caption]
After seven days of competition, the cyclists will face a last brutal day. First it will be the rise in the Ballon d'Asace, to end on the 24% gravel ramps culminating in Super Planche des Belles Filles.
[Captation id = "Attachment_8302" Align = "Alignnone" Width = "744"]
Image: A.S.O./Fabien Boukla[/caption]
For the first time, the gala round has live television coverage. A crucial aspect to finally achieve the female stars of cycling are relatives for the general public.
Without a doubt, we are in A turning point: The time has come when the broadcast of live female cycling has ceased to be a curiosity to become the norm. The trend is unstoppable.
The test organization highlights the media and economical impact, which should contribute to financial stability and increased cyclist wages. As a curiosity, and without entering into hateful comparisons, the metallic prize for girls amounts to 250,000 euros, compared to the 2.3 million assigned to the male event.
History of the Female Tour
The Tour is, today, the first race in female stages promoted by the Amaury sports organization (ASO) in France. Recall that ASO is the organizer of the male race. From there, in part, the enormous media impact. However, the interest in organizing a female test in the image and similarity of the tour lifelong It is not new. In fact, the first attempts date back to the mid -twentieth century. [Caption Id = "Attachment_8304" Align = "Alignnone" Width = "744"]
Image: A.S.O./thomas Maheux.[/caption]
The first attempt in 1955
The first attempt for the impulse of a female France tour took place in 1955, thanks to the effort of the French sports journalist Jean Leulliot. Leulliot endorsed the fact of having directed the Paris-Nice for 25 years. His initial claim was to design a seven -stage route, between 80 and 100 km, but he had to settle for five. At that time, there was not even the world of cycling world championship on the Women's Route (the former was organized in 1958), and the French Federation itself barely organized careers. In the Tour de France of 1955 they took 41 women, with the final victory of Mildred Jessie Millie Robinson (as a curiosity, was also a great shear shell). turned out one -day flower, since a female France tour was not organized until the 1980s.1984-1989: Tour of female France
In 1984, the Société du Tour de France, then organizer of the Male France Tour, presented a female version. For six years, the female France Tour was played in parallel. The mileage was minor, but the goal was in the same place. The first edition had 18 stages, reducing up to 11 in its last year, in 1989. The American Marianne Martin won the first edition of the race (1984). The Italian Maria Canins won the second and third (1985-86), and the incredible Jeannie Longo took with the last three editions (1987-89). In 1989, Jean-Marie Leblanc (director of the Tour of France at that time) announced the suspension the event, referring to lack of economic profitability.1990-1993: Tour of the female CEE
Without the support of the Société du Tour de France, other entities and clubs joined to keep a women's tour alive. The result of this collaboration emerged the Tour of the Women's EEC, which was played between 1990 and 1993, with tours ranging between nine and twelve stages. His first winner was the four times world champion, the French Catherine Marsal. There is not much documentation about these years. Maybe because Société du Tour de France, which became part of ASO in 1992, chose not to recognize the test. [Caption Id = "Attachment_8306" Align = "Alignnone" Width = "744"]
Image: A.S.O./thomas Maheux.[/caption]
1992-2009: of the Women's Cycling Tour (1992-1997) To the Great Bouca (1998-2009)
In 1992, another French journalist, Pierre Boué, he launched the Female cycling tour to fill the void left by its predecessor in 1989. The race was played with relative success for more than and a half decade. However, problems such as the lack of stable sponsorship and issues such as the lack of decent accommodation, unnecessarily long neutralized outputs, or unpaid metallic awards were not lacking. In addition, Boué had trouble finding cities willing to house stages, which caused long transfers and problems to organize editions with a stable number of stages. [Captation Id = "Attachment_8308" Align = "Alignnone" Width = "744"]
Image: A.S.O./Fabien Boukla[/caption]
Before the 1998 edition, ASO (organizing company of the Tour de France) denounced that the name of the race (Tour Cycliste Féminin) attentive against their property rights for being registered trademark. Therefore, in 1998, the race was renamed Great Boucle Feminine Internationale.
It was the time when the Spanish cyclist Joane Somarriba The victory would be awarded up to four times. Years in which the presence of professionals combined with a squad essentially amateur.
During 12 editions, women faced an average of 13 or 14 stages per edition. But after a pause in 2004, the test returned with a lower reach. The big Bouucle began its decline. In 2009, only 66 cyclists took the exit; After four stages, the race signed its death. Again, financial difficulties, lack of sponsorship and general disinterest were arguments to put the end point.
