Men's cycling races such as the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espana attract worldwide media attention. And while women in the sport may not draw the same amount of media coverage, they are also part of elite cycling teams that compete on similar courses as male cyclists. Many women have chosen a career in professional cycling.
Women and Bikes
Women have been riding and competing on bikes since the 1800s. By the 1900s, women were competing in multiple-day stage races. The first women's world championship was in 1958. In 1984, the Women's Tour de Feminin, or a women's version of the Tour de France, was born and followed by a female version of Italy's Giro d'Italia in 1988. Connie Carpenter helped bring more attention to women's cycling when she won the 1984 Olympic road race in Los Angeles.
Elite Racing
In 1977, the first American women's national team was assembled. A national racing calendar series came into play in 1997, giving women the chance to compete in a series of races and prepare to compete in Europe, where women's cycling has flourished. Women's salaries still remain lower than their male counterparts, but women's elite cycling, especially in the United States, continues to grow as more sponsors develop teams.
Major Differences
There are a few major differences between elite women's and men's cycling. The teams that attend big races tend to be smaller than men's, and elite women focus on being effective all-around riders, instead of specializing in one area of cycling like men. There are also a limited number of big races for women's teams, especially stage races. The International Cycling Union limits how many days in a row women can compete and how long the race can be. Women are limited to between 130 and 140 kilometers a day, whereas men can race between 240 and 280 kilometers.
Elite Teams
The two main women's cycling teams are HTC and Cervelo. They share funding and sponsors with the men's teams. Many of the other women's teams operate on a shoestring budget. Some teams like Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12 help train female racers to ride for teams in Europe, which is the road most men follow for a pro contract. Other women's teams include Team Kenda, Team Tibco, Velo Bella and Vanderkitten.
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