Feminization of Roles in the 2023 Women’s Tour de France: Mechanic, Sports Director, Assistant, Coach, and More While many positions within the teams participating in the Tour de France are still predominantly held by men, various roles are gradually becoming more diverse year by year. Women are now assuming roles as mechanics, sports directors, assistants, coaches, and even bus drivers. These positions were traditionally occupied exclusively by men not long ago. However, since the inaugural edition of the Women’s Tour de France in 2022, numerous teams have embarked on a journey to diversify their staff.
Among these trailblazers is Charlotte Bravard, who has been serving as a Sports Director (DS) for the Saint-Michel-Mavic-Auber 93 continental team since last year. Her role involves overseeing race strategy during stages, and it’s a position that required carving out space. “One needs a certain amount of determination to establish oneself in this field, which is still quite male-dominated. However, changes are happening in women’s cycling. On the other hand, there are still very few women in similar roles within men’s cycling,” admits the 31-year-old former professional cyclist.
Carving a Niche in a Male-Dominated Domain “Being a woman, it’s not always easy since these positions are not what people expect us to occupy,” confirms Delphine Deschamps, an assistant at Arkea Pro Cycling in the men’s team, also involved in the women’s Tour. Every day, she organizes the replenishment of riders’ supplies during the stage, sometimes managing up to 80 water bottles, before providing them with massages in the evenings. “It’s true that we often still encounter this barrier—these men so engrossed in their roles,” agrees Solène Le Douairon Lahaye, a coach with Cofidis. “It’s not about mentality or sexism; it’s just that it’s so ingrained that these positions are occupied by men that it’s tough to establish ourselves.” Over the past two years, she joined the team’s performance unit, managing athletes’ physical conditions during high-intensity periods like the Tour. Cofidis has taken steps toward gender diversification. Yet, Solène Le Douairon Lahaye laments that progress is “a very slow process.” She also serves as a lecturer in Staps (Physical and Sports Activities Sciences) in Rennes.
Tour de France as an Accelerator The landscape changed significantly following the inaugural Women’s Tour de France last year. “This change was brought about by the Tour’s media coverage. Back in my time, we would only see five minutes of the race on television; that was it. Nowadays, the stages are broadcasted, and there’s an audience. That changes everything. Everyone wants to see more women’s races,” notes Delphine Deschamps, a former rider who participated in the Tour de France in 1999 and finished 120th.
“There are more and more women joining the teams. The staff has grown to the extent that there are hardly any differences compared to the men’s teams.”
Delphine Deschamps, Assistant at Arkea Pro Cycling, franceinfo: sport “Just two or three years ago, there were few women sports directors, even within women’s teams. Now we’re seeing it develop. Moreover, most of them are former riders, which is an advantage in passing on our experience,” observes Charlotte Bravard. In the Saint-Michel-Mavic-Auber 93 team, out of 14 members, four are women, holding positions such as DS, assistant, bus driver, and communication intern.
Increased Women’s Presence in Teams as an Asset Gender diversification has become an asset for teams: “Having women in teams can change everything. Female riders can more easily discuss certain topics that might be considered taboo, like menstruation or pill usage, with other women rather than men. They’ll feel more comfortable and confident,” notes Solène Le Douairon Lahaye. This is especially crucial as factors like menstrual cycles can influence athletes’ performance. However, for the DS at Saint-Michel, excessively feminizing the team isn’t the solution either: “I believe in diversity within the team and a mix of men and women. Each person brings their own experience and background. Whether male or female, we all have things to share and learn. That’s what enriches a team,” justifies Charlotte Bravard, whose team aims for a top 15 spot in the general ranking with leader Coralie Demay.
Seeking More Women Mechanics On the other hand, some roles still struggle to see greater gender diversity. This is particularly true for mechanics. Even within the paddock, finding a female mechanic is a challenge. Janine Buschmeyer from Germany is the only woman in this role on the Tour, working with the Ceratizit-WNT German team. “For a woman to occupy the role of a mechanic is rare. I haven’t encountered any others in this position. We might be around 5% of the field,” she observes. She emphasizes that men often doubt women’s capabilities in this role, despite women being just as competent. Janine joined the team last March and is participating in her first Tour. “A few years ago, I decided to become a mechanic. It was my dream to work in cycling,” she shares. “I started in a workshop in Hamburg, and I aimed to work with a women’s team to support the development of women’s cycling. I decided to apply, and one day, I received a call from Ceratizit offering me a place on their team. I seized the opportunity,” Janine Buschmeyer recalls.
Education as the Solution Throughout the Grand Boucle, Janine is responsible for cleaning and inspecting the bikes, ensuring they’re in optimal condition, inflating the tires, preparing them for the next stage, and customizing them for each rider. “We’re in constant communication with the riders to see how they’re feeling after each stage and if there’s anything they want to change. Every day, the bike needs to be perfect,” explains the Ceratizit mechanic. Integrating more women into these behind-the-scenes roles is crucial, she believes: “It’s important for more women to occupy these roles to show other women and young girls that they can do it, that they can have self-confidence. This is important for athletes, for the team, and for cycling as a whole.”
To further gender diversify both men’s and women’s teams, education and media coverage are key. “This year, in our cycling specialization, there were no female students out of about ten,” observes Solène Le Douairon Lahaye, who teaches future coaches. “Certainly, if they’re not present, we can’t recruit them. And if there are no role models, they won’t think, ‘I’d like to join a professional team.’ There’s a duty of representation.”
