The race organisers of the Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge have announced that there will be no women’s race in 2023. They have blamed this on a lack of funding. The men’s race will continue in the 2023 season, however. The organisers don’t rule out hosting a women’s race again in the future and hope to have secured enough funding for it to take place in 2024.
The first edition of the race that finished at the summit of Mont Ventoux took place in 2022. Held at the lowest level of UCI one-day race (1.2) it attracted the strongest French teams in FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope, Cofidis, Arkéa and Stade Rochelais. Canyon SRAM was the other Women’s WorldTour team in attendance. Being a summit finish on a major mountain with a famed history, it gave a rare chance for the purest of climbers in the women’s peloton to show their skills.
Marta Cavalli took the win, proving that she was still in fine form at that point heading towards the Tour de France Femmes. Clara Koppenburg was 2nd for Cofidis and after impressing in the Giro Donne ultimately would crash and break her hip. The final spot on the podium was Evita Muzic, a teammate of Marta Cavalli. The standout ride came from New Zealander Kim Cadzow, then of the smaller team Torelli-Cayman Islands-Scimitar who finished 5th. She has been signed by Jumbo Visma for the 2023 season.
“Everyone was happy after the first edition. There had the same TV broadcast as for the men’s race and it had worked well. So we have shown that we know how to do it, and that we know how to do it well. Maybe it will be different in 2024. Last year, we financed with 80% of the total out of our own pocket.
Nicolas Garcera, the organizer of the event.
