A huge popular success and two double victories for the second edition!
- The second edition of L’Étape du Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift took place this Thursday between Vaison-la-Romaine and the legendary Mont Ventoux (15.7 km at an average gradient of 8.8%). Riders covered 111.7 km with 2,950 metres of elevation gain.
- The event proved an outstanding popular success, attracting 10,500 participants at the start (up 70% compared with last year), with women accounting for nearly one-third of all entries (28%), and 50 nationalities represented, including 15% international riders.
- The final 70 kilometres followed the same route as Stage 7 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, which will take place tomorrow, Friday 7 August, starting from La Voulte-sur-Rhône (146.8 km).
- A number of personalities, influencers and former elite athletes took part, including Lilian Calmejane (28th in 3:38:32), winner of a Tour de France stage in 2017, and Nathalie Simon, former French windsurfing star, now a television and radio presenter and long-distance triathlete and cyclist.
- Defending champion Thibaut Clément successfully retained his title in 3:13:37, ahead of Benjamin Buchetet (3:13:49) and Arthur Blanc (3:16:49). Last year's women's winner Victoria Stansfield also repeated her victory in 3:36:12, finishing ahead of France's Emily Harrop (3:47:24), Olympic ski mountaineering champion (mixed relay) at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games, and New Zealand's Rhylee Akeroyd (3:49:38).
