International sporting event: the first foreign Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes, showcasing Rotterdam while inspiring women, children, and communities to embrace cycling.
Rotterdam aimed to position itself as a global hub for cycling and major sporting events by hosting the first-ever foreign start of the Tour de France Femmes. The goal was to showcase the city internationally, attract tourism, and stimulate the local economy while accelerating its long-term mission: promoting cycling culture, sustainability, and gender equality. Beyond visibility, the ambition was to inspire women and children to embrace cycling as transport, recreation, or sport. Participants should feel pride, connection, and motivation to engage – by riding to work, joining cycling clubs, or supporting inclusive community initiatives. The event sought not only to entertain but to drive long-term behavioral change, making cycling accessible, aspirational, and transformative for all.
The creative concept “Watch the Femmes” put women at the center of an iconic sports moment. Innovation lay in transforming a traditional race into a city-wide social movement. Cultural programming, city dressing, and side-events fused elite sport with grassroots participation. The Rotterdam Peloton empowered 154 women to learn cycling in 100 days – mirroring the pro peloton. “Time Trial to Work” gamified commuting. The “Pass the Bike” program gave 1,500 bikes a second life. By combining cycling with art, music, and education, Rotterdam redefined what a Grand Départ could be: a platform for inclusion, culture, and sustainable mobility.
