Another Tour question.
At long last I've got my wife interested in cycling, She makes sure I don't miss any of the Tour du France. She then suprised me with this question;
Why are there no women riders ?
I was tempted to say they weren't up to it , but decided that may not be a clever answer.
Why are there no women riders ?
I was tempted to say they weren't up to it , but decided that may not be a clever answer.
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Women cannot compete on a level footing with male athletes at this type of endurance event - it's just a physiological fact - sorry to all the women reading this, but it's not my fault.
Women do ride a version of the TdF (le Tour Feminin) - it's shorter (5 stages) and takes place at a different time of year (June) to the men's event. This year's race was won by Britain's finest, Nicole Cooke.
http://www.velo-feminin.com/guide.php3?id_rubrique=134
The women's version of the Tour of Italy (Giro Donne) finished on Saturday - it was won by Edita Pucinskaite.
http://www.girodonne.it/portale/francia ... tapes.html0 -
What about Beryl Burton? She broke lots of records held by men. I think one of her records is still unbroken. I wonder how she would have got on in the Tour.<hr>
<h6>What\'s the point of going out? We\'re just going to end up back here anyway</h6>0 -
True enough, Beryl Burton was an astonishing athlete, winning the Women's Road Race Championship twice and did indeed break many UK time trial records previously held by men.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl_Burton
Not sure how she would've fared in a 20-day stage race against men though.
I do seem to remember ProCycling having a feature on a Italian woman (?) who rode the Tour with the men in the 1920's. Seem to remember them saying it caused a scandal at the time. Sorry that I can't remember her name. Nor where she finished.0 -
In the early years the Tour was probably more like a super-Audax event – 250–400 km stages, riders having to be self-sufficient in carrying spares & food – so it attracted all sorts of 'privateer' riders.
Perhaps she was simply referring to the fact there are no womens' races on TV, rather than mixed racing.Why are there no women riders ?0 -
John tell the misses that as we speak the women's Giro D'Italia is being contested. Sorry no TV covergae outside Italy.Edward G. Smith0
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No, it finished on Saturday. Skinny climber Pucinskaite won it. Nicole Cooke isn't racing this month so didn't take part, but will be back for the next world cup events at the beginning of August (whereas her main World Cup rival, Marianne Vos, did take part and won the sprint points competition).0
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Bronzie wrote:I do seem to remember ProCycling having a feature on a Italian woman (?) who rode the Tour with the men in the 1920's. Seem to remember them saying it caused a scandal at the time. Sorry that I can't remember her name. Nor where she finished.
It was Alfonsina Morini............and it was the 1924 Giro, not the Tour.............great little article about her here:
http://www.radiomarconi.com/marconi/alf ... glese.html0
