The Women’s Tour is launching a crowdfunding campaign to ensure the race goes ahead in 2023
The Women’s Tour was in desperate need of sponsorship last week as it is yet to raise the funds needed to stage the 2023 edition of the race, and is now also turning to crowdfunding to try to bridge the gap.
The British race, which was at the forefront of the transition to prize money parity in 2018 with support from then-title sponsor OVO Energy, has faced a number of financial challenges since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, prize money was reduced when the 2021 Women’s Tour returned after a year-long absence, while in 2022 it launched a successful appeal to fund live TV coverage, which is now a requirement for all Women’s WorldTour races.
For 2023, the race, set to take place from 7th to 11th June, has secured support from cottages.com, Brother UK, Accurist and cycleGuard. However, SKODA, which was announced last year as a partner until 2024, is no longer on board and there are other sponsorship slots to be filled. They include four jersey classifications and individual stage partnership packages, including naming rights for selected days.
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Organizer SweetSpot said it is seeking funds to cover “ever-increasing organizational costs” as well as a lack of sponsorship revenue for the Women’s Tour, which dropped a stage this year to make it a five-day event make.
“We’ve seen fans make a significant impact on elite cycling events from a commercial and emotional perspective in similar campaigns,” said Nick Bull, PR and digital manager for the Women’s Tour. “After being inundated with messages from people wanting to show their support for the race over the past week, it seemed logical to launch a crowdfunding campaign.”
Organizers added that they hoped the crowdfunding campaign will generate additional commercial interest in the race, which was won by Elisa Longo Borghini last year and also has Marianne Vos and Lizzie Deignan – twice – on its list of winners.
Supporters who donate £5 or more will have their name on a Heroes Wall displayed at the start and finish of each stage of the 2023 race and featured in the official race roadbook. In less than a day, £2,831 of the £100,000 target had been raised. If the race does not take place, the donations will be refunded.
It’s not the only British event to have come under pressure this year, as the National Road Series lost two events for the men and one for the women, while SweetSpot last month announced the Tour Series – a team-based collection of criterium races in May has been running since 2009 – will take a year off due to the difficult economic situation.
Lizzie Deignan, for example, is hoping the Women’s Tour will not follow the same path as the two-time race winner plans to use the event as a key element in her return to racing following the birth of her second child The Queen Stage in native Yorkshire is a definite one Goal.
“[The Women’s Tour] that’s on my mind during practice rides,” she told the PA news agency. “If it’s possible, I’ll have to rethink my whole calendar.”
“It will be a huge loss for British teams to race on a stage like this, but also internationally. It’s a really important race because there aren’t many stage races in June so it’s excellent preparation for the national championships and the Tour de France.”
