Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman yesterday called for a women's cycle race to be held alongside the opening stages of the 2014 Tour de France when the "Grand Depart" comes to the UK next year.
In a letter to Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme, Ms Harman added her voice to calls for the establishment of a women's version of the event, days after Chris Froome became the second successive British winner of the men's race.
More than 70,000 people have now signed a petition for a women's Tour de France, launched earlier this month by Britain's former world champion and 2008 Olympic time trial silver medallist Emma Pooley, Olympic road race champion Marianne Vos, US national champion Kathryn Bertine and British ironman triathlon champion Chrissie Wellington.
A women's version of the Tour was held in France between 1984 and 2009, but has not been run in recent years, largely due to problems finding sponsors.
Ms Harman said the success of Britain's women cyclists in last year's London Olympics made it an ideal time to stage a female race alongside the opening stages of the 101st Tour, which runs between Leeds, Harrogate, York and Sheffield on July 5 and 6 next year before moving on to Cambridge and London on July 7.
In her letter to Mr Prudhomme, the Labour deputy leader wrote: "Britain has some of the best women cyclists in the world – but for years they had to compete for foreign teams as there was no investment in an elite women's team.
"Overall, women's sport misses out compared to men's sport: women's sport only receives 0.5% of total sports sponsorship in the UK and only 4% of sports coverage in national and local newspapers is dedicated to women's sport.
"The Grand Depart being held in Yorkshire and from Cambridge to London in 2014 presents a great opportunity to hold a women's event."
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