The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has been a long time coming. While the men’s edition of the legendary Grand Tour has been winding its way through France since 1903, the women’s version of the race didn’t debut in its current form until 2022. Now in its second year, the event is already a major draw for the best women cyclists on the planet – and many of them will be riding bikes designed and built by leading women’s bike brand Liv Cycling.
The 2023 edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift gets underway on Sunday, July 23. The riders will be vying to claim the coveted yellow jersey at the end of an eight-stage race that’ll take them on a 956km route from Clermont-Ferrand to Pau. In this highly competitive environment, the contenders will be looking to capitalise on every advantage they can find, and a bike designed specifically for women, by women, can make a big difference in the pressure cooker of a race.
Liv founder Bonnie Tu established the brand after having challenges in finding a properly fitting bike. Fifteen years later, Liv now specialises in making bikes and cycling gear for women whether they’re new to the sport, or professionals riding at the very top level. Liv also has you covered if you prefer your two-wheeled adventures to take place off-road, with an extensive range of MTBs and gravel bikes, as well as electric models.
Rather than simply making smaller versions of bikes engineered for men, Liv bases its designs on measurements gathered entirely from women riders. The designers then take this data – along with their understanding of the ways a woman’s muscles are used while riding – to build bikes with frame sizing and components that work better with a woman’s physiology. That’s got to be a good thing, because the better you feel in the saddle, the more you’re going to want to get out on your bike and ride.
And beyond the bikes themselves, Liv is committed to growing women’s cycling around the world. That can mean everything from investing in the grassroots of the sport – coaching, clinics, group rides and other events designed to inspire more women to get involved – to Liv’s high-profile involvement in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
As well as being the headline sponsor of the white jersey awarded to the best the best young rider in the race – what better way to celebrate the champions of the future? – Liv sponsors two of the teams in the peloton. And riders from both outfits, Team Jayco AlUla and Liv Racing TeqFind, will ride Liv bikes in the race, proof they’re just as geared to the pros chasing stage wins as they are to enthusiastic amateurs. Indeed, white jersey contender Silke Smulders is likely to be seen riding a Liv Langma Advanced SL Disc, a bike her TeqFind teammate (and Spanish champion) Mavi Garcia describes as a “truly powerful machine”.
“While it’s not my first Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, it’s my first time riding the Tour for Liv Racing TeqFind, and I couldn’t feel more prepared,” says Garcia. “I’ve been training and racing on the Langma Advanced SL Disc all season, and it’s a truly powerful machine. There’s no doubt in my mind it’s the right bike for this race, and I’m so excited to represent Liv and the many women that made the race possible this year.”
Specialist climber Ane Santesteban (Team Jayco AlUla) says her Langma Advanced SL Disc really comes into its own when the gradient gets steeper. “The Langma Advanced SL Disc is built to tackle massive climbs, and it’s amazing to see what we are able to achieve together,” Santesteban explains. “Last year’s climb on La Super Planche des Belle Filles was unlike anything else in the race, and I felt so powerful coming through the finish line. Going into this year’s race and knowing that I have the Langma’s strength under me gives me all the confidence I need.”
And for a specialist sprinter like Rachele Barbieri (Liv Racing TeqFind), an EnviLiv Advanced SL helps supply the extra kick she needs when the finish line beckons. “Participating in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in its first two years is a dream come true,” she says. “This race is the ultimate challenge for a cyclist, and I'm so grateful to everyone who made this global stage a reality for the women's pro-peloton. After experiencing the performance of the EnviLiv Advanced last year, I am now privileged to ride the new EnviLiv Advanced SL, which provides me with so much confidence. As a sprinter, this bike equips me with the speed and agility required to compete at the highest level.”
Not everyone is going to ride the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, of course, but even if you’re a club cyclist, someone who prefers going out with friends at weekends or even on your own, Liv has the right bike for you.
For more information on Liv and their range of bikes, visit liv-cycling.com.
