Kasia Niewiadoma argued against a three-week grand tour saying that one "cannot deceive nature."GETTY IMAGES
La Course by Le Tour, the women's race organized by the Tour de France which was held on Tuesday, "led to renewed calls for the race to be expanded into a longer format," according to Tom Cary of the London TELEGRAPH. However, Kasia Niewiadoma, "one of the leading riders in women's peloton," said that it would be "impossible for a woman" to do a full three-week grand tour like the men, arguing that you "cannot deceive nature." Annemiek van Vleuten won Tuesday’s 112.5km race from Annecy to Le Grand-Bornand, which used the same roads the men used in stage 10 of the Tour de France later in the day, "albeit with two big climbs taken out." The "general consensus" afterward was that the race had been an "excellent showcase for women's cycling." Many riders used the exposure afforded by La Course to urge the Amaury Sport Organisation to introduce a proper multi-stage "women's Tour de France." Niewiadoma, who finished fifth, said, "That was brutal. Seriously brutal. I am so happy that it is all over. I know there are a few girls who are fighting to have a three-week grand tour but it is impossible for a woman. I don't know. Maybe they want to be brave, and 'big girls,' but it's not for our bodies. We cannot deceive nature." Briton Dani Rowe said, "I don't think it needs to be three weeks. I don't think the stages need to be as long as the men's. But to have the infrastructure that we have here, and all the crowds, is great" (TELEGRAPH, 7/17).
