Cookson Looking to Meet Tour de France Owners to Create Women’s Equivalent

International Cycling Union (UCI) Presidential candidate Brian Cookson is facilitating a meeting with the Tour de France owners with the ambition of setting up a female equivalent of the race.

ASO own the Tour de France and Cookson, who is the president of British Cycling, wants to meet with them and leading female riders to reach a solution one of the hot topics in cycling.

Writing in his blog, Cookson said: ““There’s been a lot of attention recently on the need to develop women’s cycling at all levels of the sport and it is a key part of my election manifesto for the Presidency of the UCI.  People are passionate about the issue and are rightly frustrated that not enough is being done.

“We need to work closely with organisers, sponsors, teams and broadcasters to create new events on the professional calendar.

“A women’s equivalent of the Tour de France is one potential solution and the focus of attention of a really successful petition which now has over 77,000 signatures.”

Cookson is running for president of the UCI and is hoping to replace his sole competitor Pat McQuaid, who has been in the position since 2006.

With the Lance Armstrong doping scandal and open feuds with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Cookson has called for change at the UCI.

Greater numbers of women cyclists is one of the aspects of Cookson’s manifesto and in his blog post he went on to add: “Undoubtedly having a female equivalent of the biggest bike race in the world is an objective we should need to explore. 

“This is why I am currently setting up a meeting involving Marianne Vos, Emma Pooley and other key representatives behind the petition with the right people, including Tour de France owners ASO and UCI Management Committee member Tracey Gaudry.

“Cycling has a long way to go to ensure women’s cycling is given an equal stage to the men’s events. We won’t get there tomorrow, nor next week, but what riders like Marianne and Emma have achieved shows us the potential there is given the right focus, investment and, crucially, leadership by the UCI.”