France TV has revealed (opens in new tab) nearly 20 million French viewers tuned into the first ever Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift last week.
The eight-day race was given more than 22 hours of live coverage on France Télévisions.
It garnered just under half the viewers that the men's race did, an impressive haul for a first edition.
The Tour de France Femmes on average, captured approximately a quarter of the French Television audience during the week, with 2.25 million viewers across TV channels France 2 & 3. There was a clear trend in the figures rising as the race went on.
The overall peak was when 5.1 million viewers tuned in to catch the finish atop La Super Planche des Belles Filles when Movistar rider Annemiek Van Vleuten sealed her overall victory. Stage eight made up 45.6% of the overall audience share.
In comparison, France Télévisions confirmed that 41.5 million French viewers watched the men’s edition of the race won by Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma). The daily viewing figures peaked at 6.4 million for the Bastille Day stage to Alpe d’Huez which was won by Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers).
The race was shown in seven European countries, with a more than 14 million viewer reached via Eurosport.
It captured a huge 45% of the TV audience in the Netherlands at points as viewers made sure they caught the key action involving their riders Van Vleuten, Marianne Vos and Demi Vollering.
People were equally as engaged with the Tour de France Femmes via online.
The official race website (opens in new tab) attracted 1.5 million unique visitors, and 2.8 million visits in total. More than 600,000 people visited the live race centre service on the platform.
Online videos from across official Tour de France Femmes accounts were viewed 22 million times, all showing that a high number of people were absorbing the race and the conversation around it.
Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig (FDJ Suez Futuroscope) took victory on stage three which proved to be the most popular online, particularly with her comical post stage interview.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
-
Marianne Vos extends contract through 2025, says her "own development is still ongoing"Team Jumbo-Visma Women today announced that Vos will continue racing under the yellow and black Jumbo-Visma banner for two more years.
-
CW Live: Marianne Vos to miss cyclocross World Championships; Full list of teams for Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Roubaix Femmes confirmed; David Gaudu issues apology for Demare remarks; Liège–Bastogne–Liège route adjusted
All the news you need to know in the world of cycling
-
Denmark dreaming: Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig and the country's cycling resurgence
The FDJ rider and her male counterparts, from Jonas Vingegaard to Mads Pedersen, are at the top of the sport
-
Annemiek van Vleuten heads to Kenya with the Masai tribe
Dutch World Champion takes her gravel bike to Kenya for an off season adventure with the Masai tribe
-
Sponsoring the Tour de France Femmes: what’s in it for Zwift?
With a 4-year investment, the virtual platform goes all in on women’s cycling, while also trying to reduce its own gender gap
-
Tour de France Femmes 2023 set to feature Tourmalet summit finish
The climb would be the race's toughest mountain test
-
What I learned from watching season three of Netflix's Movistar documentary ‘The Least Expected Day'
Enric Mas battles to reach the top and 'Superman' brings the drama in the latest instalment of the Spanish Eastenders
-
Quarter of women's peloton still unpaid in 2022
Rider survey highlights growing disparity between women's WorldTour and Continental ranks
