{"id":204190,"date":"2025-11-14T11:57:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T11:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=204190"},"modified":"2025-11-14T11:57:07","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T11:57:07","slug":"meet-the-women-shaping-the-future-of-pro-cycling-off-the-bike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2025\/11\/14\/meet-the-women-shaping-the-future-of-pro-cycling-off-the-bike\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Women Shaping the Future of Pro Cycling (Off the Bike)"},"content":{"rendered":"

For decades, the spotlight on gender parity in professional cycling has belonged almost exclusively to the riders themselves. But as the sport evolves, we are starting to see more women play a key role in shaping cycling\u2019s future behind the scenes. From race directors and team owners to communications leads and sporting directors, more women than ever before are shaping the structure, tone, and culture of pro cycling. They are steering decisions about how teams are run, how stories are told, and how the sport can finally achieve a sense of balance and professionalism across genders.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s a closer look at some of the women redefining leadership in cycling, and how their work is helping the sport grow.<\/p>\n

Marion Rousse \u2013 The visionary behind the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Few figures better capture cycling\u2019s changing landscape than Marion Rousse. Once a professional rider herself and the 2012 French national champion, Rousse stepped into broadcasting after retiring from racing in 2015. Her articulate, grounded insights quickly made her a respected commentator, and, in 2021, she was appointed race director of the newly revived Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Rousse\u2019s appointment was a milestone, but her leadership has been what truly defines her. She\u2019s spoken openly about wanting the race to stand on its own, not as an appendage to the men\u2019s Tour, but as a world-class event with its own story, audience, and impact. \u201cPeople have embraced us,\u201d she told Cyclist<\/em> magazine, \u201cand we\u2019re now fixed in the sporting landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under her direction, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift<\/em> has grown rapidly in prestige and viewership. Rousse\u2019s background as both racer and broadcaster gives her a unique understanding of what the riders need and what audiences crave. She designs routes that are challenging but not punishing, pushes for live coverage, and works closely with ASO to ensure that sponsors and broadcasters treat the race with the seriousness it deserves. Her success is proof that the presence of women in race organisation doesn\u2019t just promote equality, it makes for better racing.<\/p>\n

Cherie Pridham \u2013 Redefining the role of Directeur Sportif<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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A post shared by Cherie Pridham (@chezpro)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n