It’s the start of the first International Women’s Tour of the Pyrenees this Friday! A hundred participants, 17 teams from all over the world, four stages and three days are on the program for this very first edition.
A race to revive women’s cycling
Marion Clignet and Élisabeth Chevanne-Brache are the creators of this competition. The two former professional riders had a real desire to revive women’s cycling. “We, when we raced a few short years ago, there was the Tour de l’Aude where all the best in the world met to start the season. Afterwards, we had the Tour de Vendée, the Tour d’Épinal. There were stage races all year round, explains Marion Clignet. Over time, all those races are gone and today we find ourselves with very few stage races on the calendar.“
Make young girls dream
And then this race has an essential objective in the eyes of Marion Clignet: to highlight women’s cycling and make it known. “This race is to make young girls dream, she says. Not only to ride a bike, but also to see all the professions that are around the bike. They can be mechanics, sports directors, club presidents, presidents of France, as long as it takes! There are no limits for these young girls we want to make them dream, to inspire them.”
The organizer also chose the Pyrenees for the setting they offer. Marion Clignet grew up in the United States, but she has been living in Bigorre, in Argelès-Gazost, for a year. “I fell in love with the region, she describes. This is also why I want to share our love of this region with the women’s peloton.“
Change on the roads
4 stages, 4 routes
- The start will be given at 9.30 am in Artiguelouve this Friday. First stage 27 kilometers between the town and Lacq. A team time trial. The detailed itinerary for stage 1 can be found here.
- The second step of 77 kilometers will take place from Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. Departure from Pau, and arrival at … Pau, notably via Lasseube, Gan and Rébénacq. The detailed itinerary for stage 2 can be found here.
- Third step Saturday at 1 p.m. between Pierrefitte-Nestalas and Arrens-Marsous with a finish at the Col du Soulor after 106 kilometers of effort. The detailed itinerary for stage 3 can be found here.
- The last step will connect Lourdes to Lourdes, but through the Bigorre. 117 kilometers on the program. The detailed itinerary for stage 4 can be found here.
Traffic will be disrupted
In Pau, parking and traffic are prohibited in many streets, from 10 p.m. this Thursday and until 8 p.m. this Friday evening. From 4 p.m. to 6.30 p.m., traffic will be prohibited in particular on the Pont d’Espagne and the tunnel. Bad timing, since it is since this Monday, August 1, the detour route of the work of the July 14 bridge. All the streets blocked or limited to cars are detailed on the website of the city of Pau.
In Lourdes, parking will be prohibited on Place Capdevielle between Saturday August 6 at 5 p.m. and until Sunday August 7 after the end of the event. On Sunday, moreover, traffic will not be possible in both directions on the entire race route, from 10:50 a.m. until the end of the race car has passed. More information on the website of the municipality of Lourdes.