Avengers of the Week | Donnons Des Elles Au Vélo

Ever wonder where all the women cyclists were during the Tour de France?

Well, these 13 badass women cyclists were there, riding the course the men would ride the next day. The group, calling themselves Donnons des elles au vélo (roughly translated as "give women to cycling") rode the same route and same roads before the main event, but with the added obstacles of cars and regular traffic laws, to highlight their exclusion from the sport.

In addition to congratulating these cyclists, take a few moments to learn about the history of the women’s Tour de France. It is really fascinating, especially this: “In 1989, the Tour organizers dropped the women’s race entirely in order to capitalize on the much larger men’s audience.”

WHAT??

It’s the all too familiar chicken and egg story — how will viewers watch and ultimately support women’s cycling if major races (at the very least) are not appropriately covered or discontinued for women altogether?

Our sincere thanks goes to Jessica Esch (@jesch30) for sharing this with us and to the AP, Outside Magazine, NPR, and USA Today, among other publications, for covering the story.

13 badass women take on @LeTour and the patriarchy by completing the race without bells, whistles or prizes. @desELLESauVELO #avengersoftheweek #genderavenger #ThisIsOurTime #TDF2018 https://www.genderavenger.com/blog/avengers-of-the-week-donnons-des-elles-au-velo