The Women’s Tour de France has established itself as the main showcase for women’s cycling, capable of attracting audiences, television coverage, and sponsors. Marion Rousse and Christian Prudhomme, directors of the women’s and men’s Tours, met this week with the Minister of Sports, Marie Barsacq, to analyze how to capitalize on this momentum and accelerate the growth of professional women’s sports.

“I am delighted to see this popular enthusiasm,” Barsacq said at the start of the race. “The audience keeps growing after the Women’s Tour de France, and that is essential. We need women’s sports to expand and become better known.”

Audiences and media impact

The Tour packed roads during its key stages, with thousands of fans cheering for the riders, and it follows the path set by the recent Women’s Euro in Switzerland, which gathered over 657,000 spectators in stadiums, with tickets sold out for 29 of the 31 matches. The Tour, also a visual phenomenon on television, has not yet reached that same scale of in-person attendance. Minister Barsacq stressed that this difference does not diminish the importance of cycling: “Football has shown the potential of major women’s events, and the Tour can lead other sports down the same path.”

The Women’s Euro achieved historic figures: more than 500 million viewers worldwide and peaks of 22.1 million in the UK alone (England won the final on penalties). In Spain, the runner-up, the final attracted over 6 million viewers during the penalty shootout, reaching a 58% share and 13 million unique viewers on TVE.

Investment and development model

Although the Women’s Tour has not yet reached these global numbers, it shows sustained growth. Television coverage has expanded to over 190 countries, and broadcast hours have increased by 40% compared to 2024, confirming that interest in women’s cycling grows every year.

UEFA allocated €41 million in prize money for the Women’s Euro, a 156% increase compared to 2022. Meanwhile, professional women’s cycling is moving toward a more solid model: in 2025, the minimum salary for WorldTour riders is around €31,768, but it is still far from football figures.

Rousse noted during the meeting that “the key is for the Tour to act as a driving force, but we need more strong women’s competitions throughout the year to consolidate this growth.” La Vuelta España and the Giro d’Italia are working toward that goal.