Paris (AFP)
The creation of the Tour de France Femmes in 2022 is coupled with a questioning of the amount of its bonuses after the recent controversy over their level considered ridiculously low in Paris-Roubaix: at what level will the price allocated to the first winner be?
Hailed on all sides, the first edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes attracted 1.4 million viewers on Saturday October 2 on France Télévisions, about half of the TV audience of the "queen of classics" running the next day.
Beyond the audience success given the novelty, the race won by the Briton Lizzie Deignan served as a showcase for women's cycling, in full light unlike usual.
And highlighted, also, via social networks, the amount of prizes much lower than those awarded to gentlemen.
The global envelope of 7,005 euros, including 1,535 euros for Deignan, swore with the 91,000 euros of Paris-Roubaix for men (30,000 for the winner) even if, in cycling, the prices represent a minimal part of the remuneration of sportsmen and women. , especially dependent on salaries and therefore on the funding of teams.
"We honestly did not pay attention since we were aligned on the grids (of the International Cycling Union)", explained Christian Prudhomme, director of Paris-Roubaix and the Tour de France, at the microphone of RMC.
That is to say the amounts that are awarded to the winners of other women's classics, in particular the Tour de Flandres which is in its ... 18th edition.
- A virtuous circle to start -
"The controversy does not come from the champions, it comes from people a little further away from the world of sport and economic reality", noted the director of the Tour, insisting on the ecosystem of women's cycling and the virtuous circle to be set in motion: "It's investment, very clearly. Women's races are losing money. This will probably not be the case, I hope, for the Tour de France Women."
The director of the Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix Christian Prudhomme on the occasion of the candidacies of Rotterdam and La Hague for the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2024 and 2025, on May 6, 2021 in Rotterdam ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN ANP / AFP
Several sponsors, including a title partner (Zwift), are already involved in the new event which will take place immediately after the Tour de France.
The first stage will start in Paris on the day of the arrival of the Men's Tour on the Champs-Elysées on July 24th.
Television broadcasting, a decisive element for the economic development of women's cycling, is also provided by France Televisions and the major Eurovision channels, we welcome the side of the organizing company (ASO).
If next year it is limited to eight stages, and therefore confined to only part of the territory, the Tour de France Women is eagerly awaited by women's cycling, in the process of being structured for the teams.
Many of them (Arkea, BikeExchange, Cofidis, DSM, FDJ, Jumbo, Lotto, Movistar, Trek) are now backed by the elite formations of the male peloton and interactions are increasing.
The Briton Lizzie Deignan, the Dutchman Marianne Vos (L) and the Italian Elisa Longo Borghini (R), on the podium of the first women's edition of Paris-Roubaix on October 2, 2021 FRANCOIS LO PRESTI AFP
In this context, the amount of the price is mainly related to the symbol but, parity obliges, takes on undeniable significance.
As for ASO, we are studying a significant increase in the amount for Paris-Roubaix, in connection with the status of "queen of the classics" of the event.
For the Tour de France Women, the envelope should be comparable, probably higher, to that of the most important one-week races of the men's calendar, for a comparable duration.
As a reference, the total amount of the Paris-Nice prizes reaches 144,300 euros (16,000 to the winner).
© 2021 AFP