Kate Veronneau: 'I want people to rethink how they view women's cycling'

The Hell of the North. The aptly-nicknamed cycling race, formally known as Paris-Roubaix, is contested over the rough terrain, mud and cobblestones of northern France. 

It is one of cycling’s oldest races, but female riders were included for the first time only last year. Lizzie Diegnan was the victor of the inaugural women’s race, which was originally slated for April but pushed back to October as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Overnight rain had left the cobblestones caked in mud and slippery, with Deignan’s bloodstained handlebars testament to the gruelling conditions each rider had to face.

This year’s race, back in its intended slot in April, was very different. The weather was hot and dry, with huge plumes of dust rising from the cobblestones as the cyclists rattled over each sector. 

Elisa Longo Borghini was the winner in the absence of her Trek-Segafredo teammate Deignan, who announced she was pregnant with her second child in February.

Keen observers would have also noticed a change in the hoardings and banners throughout the race. This year, the Zwift logo was displayed in eye-catching colours, alongside the slogan “Watch the Femmes”.

Indeed, the official name of the women’s race is now the Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift. The global online fitness platform became a presenting partner of the event in March, building on the momentum of a groundbreaking investment in the inaugural Tour de France Femmes. 

GiveMeSport Women sat down with Zwift’s director of content and women’s strategy Kate Veronneau to find out how the company is changing the shape of women’s cycling. 

Veronneau played Division One basketball for Brown University, before becoming a professional cyclist in the United States. She joined Zwift