Parents, teachers and child activity leaders can download the free educational kits La vie à vélo avec Maxoo ("Life on a bike with Maxoo"), for children 9 to 12, and Apprends à rouler avec Maxoo ("Learn to ride with Maxoo"), for children 6 to 8.
Little Riders
Introducing children to cycling
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift fully adheres to the idea that "what matters is not just what kind of planet we leave to our children, but also what kind of children we leave to our planet". It does not take a genius to work out that children who can ride bicycles and enjoy doing so are a lovely gift to our planet.
25,500 children have already taken their first pedal strokes in the slipstream of the Tour since the launch of Riding into the Future in 2017.
Through the "Little Riders" scheme, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and the Tour de France will be reinforcing this commitment with a view to helping 30,000 children from 6 to 12 to take their first pedal strokes every year based on the educational content of the Savoir Rouler à Vélo ("How to Ride a Bike") programme. These introductions take place through three main channels:
- the host towns and cities, which run training sessions directly in schools;
- the French Cycling Federation, which introduces 10,000 children to cycling as a means of transport every year thanks to the support provided by the Tour de France within the framework of a sponsorship agreement; and
- directly in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, at the Ateliers du Tour in the Fan Zone set up in the town hosting the start of the stage, every day from 10 am to 5 pm.
The activities include:
- learning to ride;
- 2 learning tracks: balance bikes, How to Ride a Bike;
- how to repair bicycles; and
- learning safety tips and the rules of the road with the French Road Safety Authority.
Finally, in 2022 the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will be donating 320 balance bikes to preschools in its host towns and cities so that as many children as possible can use the best option for learning to keep their balance on two wheels and later ensure a seamless transition to regular bicycles.