This article was originally published in French on cycliste.ch.
This has been an incredible year for women’s cycling in French-speaking Switzerland. Between the Tour de France Femmes, all the new initiatives that have popped up, and especially the women who keep these communities alive, we’ve had a season full of memorable days on the bike. To finish the season, I’d love for us to come together one more time and show just how strong the women’s cycling community in Suisse romande has become.
So this year, I want us to go big! On October 18, let’s meet at the Cyclotour du Léman with several pelotons, different paces, and, most importantly, a lot more women on the start line. And if you haven’t registered yet, women joining the women’s starting block can get 10% off their Cyclotour entry.
Keep reading, choose your group, and sign up using the form at the bottom of the page.
For years, the Cyclotour du Léman took place in the spring. For a lot of us, that meant spending the winter staring at 176 km on the calendar with equal parts motivation and panic. How am I supposed to ride that far in May when my season has just barely started?
This year, things are different. The Cyclotour is on October 18, and that changes everything….
We’ve already ridden all summer. We’ve climbed mountain passes, done long rides, probably spent at least one day getting soaked, eaten too many gels, and stacked up kilometers almost without noticing. Some women have done their first group ride this year, others their first event, their first bike trip, or their first really big day on the bike.
I’ve often talked about the Cyclotour as a challenge that can feel intimidating, especially for women who are newer to cycling. I know that feeling very well: my first attempt in 2008 ended in the broom wagon.
But today, when I look at the women I ride with, I see something very different. I see women who have spent an entire season getting stronger. Beginners who, back in March, weren’t sure they could keep up with a group are now riding regularly. I see cyclists discovering that they’re capable of days they once thought were out of reach.
After a season like this, we’ve got the legs. So let’s use them and meet at the start of the Cyclotour!
The Big Finale to the Season
Over the last few years, I’ve had the chance to lead several groups of women around Lake Geneva. The idea has always been pretty simple: give women who might hesitate to take on 176 km alone the chance to do it in a welcoming group, where the goal isn’t to chase a time but to make it back to Lausanne together.
This year, I want to take that idea further. Not by riding faster, but by bringing a lot more women.
On March 8, nearly 260 women from across French-speaking Switzerland came together in Lausanne. A few years ago, I still had to actively look for other women to ride with. Today, there are active women’s cycling communities all over the region.
So on October 18, I want to bring that energy to the Cyclotour.
I don’t want to see one small group of women lost in a sea of men. I want to see a real women’s starting block, with several pelotons, different paces, and women coming from all over Suisse romande and beyond.
Around the Lake, Cycling Heidi Style
I’ll be leading my usual peloton again this year, together with Katia from Morges Bike Ladies.
Our plan is the same as always: complete the full 176 km in about 8 hours, riding at roughly 22–25 km/h.
That means riding at a pace that works for the group, taking advantage of the draft, stopping at the feed stations, eating enough, talking a lot, and hopefully still having enough energy left to smile when we get back to Lausanne.
This isn’t a performance group. It’s for women who still have a little doubt about whether they can make it all the way around the lake, or for women who know they can do the distance but would simply rather do it surrounded by a supportive group.
But this year, our group is only one part of the plan.
Want to Go Faster? Perfect.
Natacha from Fast&Female Nyon will lead another peloton aiming for around 6 to 7 hours, at approximately 25–28 km/h.
And I really hope those won’t be the only two.
The more women who sign up, the more groups we can create and the more pace options we can offer. The whole point is not to make everyone ride at the same speed.
Women from Fast&Female Genève, PSWCC, Morges Bike Ladies, Fast&Female Nyon and other communities around the region will also be taking part.
And that’s exactly what I want to see.
Not one group or community taking center stage, but women who already ride every week in their own clubs and communities coming together for one start.
Get 10% Off Your Cyclotour Entry
Joining the women’s starting block is free. You just need to be registered for the Cyclotour du Léman.
If you haven’t bought your entry yet, you can get 10% off:
- Fill out the form below to join the women’s starting block.
- Let us know that you want the 10% discount code.
- Use the code when you register for the Cyclotour.
If you’re already registered, please fill out the form anyway. It helps us know how many people are joining and lets us organize the different pelotons properly.
Could You Help Lead a Group?
If we want to make the starting block bigger, we also need women who are willing to help.
If you’re comfortable riding in a peloton, can hold a steady pace, and would be happy to support or help lead a group around the lake, just let us know in the form below.
Anyone who commits to helping lead a group can get a free Cyclotour entry.
You don’t need to be a racer, and you definitely don’t need to spend the whole day pulling at the front.
What we really need are reliable people who can help keep a group together, communicate, and deal with the little things that inevitably happen over 176 km.
The more leaders we have, the more pelotons we can create.
Yes, Men Can Ride With Us Too
And just to be clear: this is not about kicking men off the start line.
Men have always been welcome in my peloton, and several have joined us over the last few years.
My husband and life partner has been an incredible source of support through all of my cycling adventures, including the more ridiculous ones. Having supportive men in our lives, men who encourage us, back us up, and help us find our place in this sport, is just as important as having supportive women around us.
So guys, if you want to help create a welcoming space for women, you’re happy to ride at our pace, you can resist turning every false flat into an attack, and you can survive a few hours of women chatting, you are absolutely welcome too.
Join the Women’s Starting Block
Want to ride with us?
Fill out the form below.
You’ll be able to tell us which peloton you’d like to join, whether you already have a Cyclotour entry, and whether you’d be interested in helping lead a group.
If you haven’t registered yet, make sure you request the 10% discount code.
The more of us there are, the more pelotons we can create.
This year, let’s show up in force.
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