Paris-Roubaix: women will finally beat the pavement

Text by: Farid Achache Follow

On October 25, Paris-Roubaix will therefore have two versions since the women will take part of the route before the men. The “Queen of the classics” thus joins several other great Monuments of cycling.

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In the heart of autumn, on October 25, like the boys, the girls will finally be able to play the balancing acts on the cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix. Women will take part of the "Hell of the North" route before men. The “Queen of the classics” thus joins several other great classics, notably the Tour of Flanders (since 2004) and Liège-Bastogne-Liège (2017) which already have a female version.

Only the two Italian races, Milan-Sanremo and the Tour of Lombardy, are waiting to have a female counterpart. The first, called Primavera rosa, had attempted an experiment in 1999 before ending it in 2005.

Mythical paved areas on the program

"  We are committed to increasing, step by step, the number of women's events  ," said Christian Prudhomme, director of the Tour de France. "  We always have in mind what cyclists told us, Marianne Vos  [multi-world champion]  first :" What you can offer us is media coverage "". The practical details of the race - starting point, precise route - remain to be defined. "  There will be certain legendary sectors  ," says Christian Prudhomme. Like the Trouée d'Arenberg , often a justice of the peace for the race?

"  I think it's great that a Cycling Monument includes a ladies race ," says former track cyclist Laurie Berton, an ardent defender of women's cycling, to RFI. It should have been done a while ago. We need to develop women's cycling. I hope that it will not be just once and that the race will be televised live, that the girls will benefit from mediation identical to the men . "

"  I don't see why it would be a short-lived experience, the symbol is so strong  ", assures the director of the Tour.

Still a lot to do in women's cycling

"  It is a good initiative, a good idea, I am convinced that it will be a great success with as much spectacle as the men  ", approves for RFI Emmanuel Hubert, manager of the Arkéa-Samsic team, including the Colombian Nairo Quintana is the leader.

Emmanuel Hubert has created this season a subsidiary for women, Arkéa, made up of twelve athletes. “  It makes sense to create a women's team. There is still a lot to do in women's cycling  , ”he certifies, before adding:“  We are going to apply to participate in Paris-Roubaix. We have a few arguments with women who would like to take up this challenge. It is normal continuity. Why men and not women?  "

Are we moving towards increased recognition of women's cycling? The director of the Tour decided on the possibility of the equivalent of a female Tour de France for 2022. “  I would never have thought in my career that I could run the most beautiful of the classics. In my opinion, it's enormous,  ”marvels Frenchwoman Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Trek-Segafredo) in the columns of L'Équipe . Maybe soon, she will have the opportunity to taste the heat of summer on the roads of the Tour de France.  

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