'Now little girls can see us' - Marianne Vos, Elisa Longo-Borghini set to light up Tour de France Femmes

The greatest rider of all time, Marianne Vos, has been waiting her entire life for this. “As a kid I remember our holidays, going to watch the Tour de France and being on the side of the road,” she told the Cycling Show. “It was very special.” Ad/> Not that she ever expected to be competing herself.

Tour de France Femmes'You can lose entire Tour' on 'absolutely ridiculous' Super Planche2 HOURS AGO “To be honest I never thought of being part of the Tour de France when we were on Alpe d’Huez, or whatever finish place we were, cheering for the guys. Being part of it now, that’s something else.” Vos will line up with her Jumbo Visma team-mates and one of the strongest fields to ever take to the start of a women’s stage race. Since the revival of the event was announced by ASO in May 2021, practically every professional has had it on their radar.

It was less watching the men's race that inspired Vos to take up cycling than sibling rivalry. “As a five year-old girl my older brother went into cycling,” she says. “Soon enough I wanted to ride a bike myself.

My parents got me the tiniest bike they could find. When I was nearly six I joined a club.” Vos had to wait another two years before she was able to compete. Objectively, not long, but an aeon for one so young.

Vos and Van Vleuten headline a Tour de France Femmes field packed with talent 'We want to show how beautiful cycling is' — Cavalli on looming Tour de France Femmes Warner Bros. Discovery to supercharge coverage of women's cycling with Tour de France Femmes After that, her rise towards excellence was as rapid as her leg speed. Vos, now 35, took the first of her World Championship titles on the road in 2004, at the age of just 17.