About Uphill Climb: The Women Who Conquered the Impossible Race
On July, 1984, three dozen pioneering women stood on the starting line in France to contest the first-ever Tour de France Féminin, the world’s first Tour de France for women. These courageous women rode versions of the same leg-breaking courses on the same day as the men, climbing some of the highest mountains in Europe, and descending at speeds of over 50 miles per hour to the cheers of fans who weren’t expecting to see women in the Tour de France.
Join Jill Yesko, director of the documentary Uphill Climb: The Women Who Conquered the Impossible Race, as she speaks to the women who rode the world’s toughest cycling race, as well as some of the most influential women cyclists from the 1980s and today. Through these conversations, this series shines a light on how these amazing women led the way in shaping women’s professional cycling.
Kate Veronneau was one of the catalysts behind the debut of the 2022 Tour de Femmes Avec Zwift. As Director of Strategy at Zwift, Veronneau wants more women in cycling, whether as racers or as recreational riders. Ashleigh Moolman Pasio has been a professional rider since 2010. In 2020 she won the first edition of the Cycling Esports World Championships organized by Zwift.
16 Jul 2023
She Wore the Yellow Jersey
Marianne Martin holds the distinction of being the first American — man or woman—to win the Tour de France. Her epic victory at the 1984 debut of the Tour de France Féminin proved that women could not just survive the rigors of the Tour de France, but could compete in cycling’s toughest race. Martin talks about what it was like to win the Tour de France, and what it means, almost 40 years later, for the return of a Tour de France for women.
16 Jul 2023
Bumps in the Roads
The women who raced the Tour de France Féminin faced many obstacles including lack of equipment, bad food, and misogyny from the male Tour de France riders who didn’t believe women should be in their race. While the men had mechanics, extra bicycles and were paid for their efforts, the women were left to fend for themselves. Retired racer Janelle Parks Graham recounts the hurdles she faced as a woman cyclist, including having to sew her own jersey, to being served wild boar for dinner--quills and all.
16 Jul 2023
The Queen of 1980s Cycling
Connie Carpenter-Phinney is the most decorated cyclists of the 1980s. In 1984 she became first woman to win a cycling Olympic gold medal at the inaugural road race, and her string of victories in the US and Europe inspired a generation of women athletes. Married to professional cyclist Davis Phinney, she is the co-founder of the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s.
12 Jul 2023
Welcome to the Uphill Climb
The Tour de France is the world’s toughest cycling race. In 1984, 36 pioneering women rode in the first-ever Tour de France Féminin. Though their experiences on and off the bike were a far cry from the men’s, their heroic efforts set the stage for the 2022 debut of the Tour de Femmes Avec Zwift. Through conversations with these women and others, this series shines a light on how these women from the 1980s led the way in shaping women’s professional cycling.
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