Women's Tour de France Ride Wins Praise for Excellence and Success; Regrettably, Spectators Missed Out on the Complete Event
The world of women's cycling is experiencing a remarkable surge, with France at the forefront of this exciting movement. Stars like Juliette Labous, Cédrine Kerbaol, and Évita Muzic are making waves in the peloton, captivating audiences and redefining the landscape of the sport.
However, the growth of women's cycling is not without its challenges. One such issue is the lack of comprehensive TV coverage for the Tour de France Femmes, which makes it difficult for fans to fully understand the race's dynamics. This is a concern that the author, a cycling enthusiast, has expressed, advocating for better tools to watch the race as its audience continues to grow.
Unfortunately, this year, the Tour de France Femmes was behind a paywall in the UK, airing on TNT Sports. This has been a source of frustration for the author, who laments not being able to watch the race due to its TV broadcasting issues.
Despite these challenges, the Tour de France Femmes has made significant strides in visibility and professionalism, thanks in large part to its partnership with Zwift. The race, in its fourth edition, has evolved significantly from La Course, an event previously tacked onto the men's equivalent, into a standalone event.
The broadcasting of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has significantly enhanced the visibility of women's cycling by providing wide international coverage, stable sponsorship, and a professional, consistent media presence that previously lacked in women's cycling. Zwift’s involvement as a title sponsor offers financial stability and a multi-year commitment, enabling organizers to grow the race’s profile strategically and attract stronger commercial interest.
Key improvements and impacts include:
- Global Broadcast Reach: The race is broadcast in 190 countries, reaching millions worldwide. In 2024, the event attracted over 80 million hours of viewing across seven key European nations alone, making it the most-watched women’s professional cycling race. The 2025 event continues this trend with broadcasters such as NBC Sports and Peacock in the US, Discovery+ and TNT Sports in the UK, and FloBikes in Canada, ensuring broad accessibility via streaming and TV.
- Social Media and Fan Growth: Official social media channels grew to 2.6 million fans in 2025, up 700,000 from the previous year, reflecting rapidly increasing public interest and engagement.
- Professional Presentation: The availability of different broadcast feeds, including the international feed from Eurosport and US-specific broadcasts with expert commentary, improves the viewing experience, catering to varied audiences and enhancing storytelling around the race and its athletes.
- Promotion of Gender Equity: Zwift positions its sponsorship as part of a broader commitment to gender equity in sport. Their financial support helped revive the Tour de France Femmes after a 33-year hiatus, giving the women’s race prestigious and consistent placement on the professional calendar.
- Impact on Participation and Perceptions: Zwift’s reports highlight that the race’s visibility has transformed public perception of women’s cycling, increasing participation, media coverage, and discussions around pay equity in the sport.
Together, these factors signal a "golden era" for women's cycling catalysed by high-quality broadcasting and strategic support, with the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift acting as a flagship event that raises the sport’s profile globally and sets a new standard for visibility and professionalism in women's cycling.
The author invites readers to comment below, sharing their thoughts on the Tour de France Femmes, women's cycling, and the role of broadcasting in the sport's growth.
For further information or to get in touch with the author, please contact [email protected].
Sources:
[1] Cyclingnews. (2023). Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2025: TV coverage, live stream, and start times. Retrieved from https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france-femmes-avec-zwift/2025/tv-coverage/
[2] Zwift. (2023). Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2025: A New Era for Women's Cycling. Retrieved from https://www.zwift.com/news/articles/tour-de-france-femmes-avec-zwift-2025-a-new-era-for-womens-cycling
[3] Eurosport. (2023). Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2025: TV coverage, live stream, and start times. Retrieved from https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/tour-de-france-femmes-avec-zwift/2025/tv-coverage_sto9186042
[4] Discovery+. (2023). Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2025: TV coverage, live stream, and start times. Retrieved from https://www.discoveryplus.com/sports/tour-de-france-femmes-avec-zwift/2025/tv-coverage
The author acknowledges the significant progress made by the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in enhancing the visibility of women's cycling through wide international coverage, improved sponsorship, and a professional media presence. This new era for women's cycling, catalyzed by high-quality broadcasting, has the potential to raise the sport's profile globally and set a new standard for professionalism.
With the race airing on various platforms such as NBC Sports, Peacock, Discovery+, TNT Sports, and FloBikes, fans worldwide can enjoy uninterrupted access to this groundbreaking event, contributing to increased public engagement and interest.
