Our Tour de France Femmes Adventure at Côte de La Redoute
That’s how the Cheer Squad was born—a celebration of women’s cycling and the incredible achievements of the pro women cyclists in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. This year, with the race starting in our home country and Stage 4 featuring some of Belgium’s most iconic climbs, we knew we had to find the perfect spot to cheer our hearts out.
After some debate, Côte de La Redoute became our hill of choice. We found the ideal camping spot for our soon-to-be Cheer Squad members. Next, we rallied the IRIS community (and anyone else willing to listen), asking if they wanted to join our cheering party. The response was overwhelming! 50 enthusiastic community members committed to joining us, either camping the night before or meeting us on the hill for the big event.
What always amazes us about these gatherings is how the vibe feels like a reunion of old friends, even though many have never met before. Despite the less-than-ideal weather conditions—storms and torrential rain—the night before the big event, our two-wheeled adventurers braved the elements to set up camp. We welcomed travellers from all over Europe and took refuge under the umbrellas at the bar (what else could we do in a downpour?).
As night fell, we hatched a creative plan to show our support on the asphalt of Côte de La Redoute. Our pals from HeyHeydeHaas, who handled all the cool event branding, took on the role of creative directors. With our merry band of Van Goghs, we hit the hill to make some noise—this time with paint and brushes!
Before we knew it, we were unzipping our tents and peeking out at a slightly less rainy morning. Fueled by coffee (thanks to seasoned campers and those in camping cars), some of our group set off to explore the local area with Carola from komoot leading the charge, while the rest of us packed up and staked out our spot on the hill.
And wow, did we nail it! Unbeknownst to us, we had painted the road just 500 meters from the QOM line. Armed with flags, deck chairs, cowbells, and our snazzy Cheer Squad T-shirts and bidons, we cheered our hearts out. With riders tackling the hill throughout the day and the caravan passing by, we had plenty of time to make some noise and attract new friends to our Cheer Squad party. We even gained some additional pals from across Europe, all before our Cyclits crew from Germany arrived in full force!
As anticipation built, we were amazed by the amount of support! It was incredible to see so many people lining the roadside, cheering on the women’s peloton. We like to think that on this super tough day in the saddle, our cheering eased the pain of the climb just a little for the riders.
Watch the video below for the full Cheer Squad experience…
And then just like that, it was over. Flags were packed away, deck chairs folded, and everyone said their goodbyes as the rain continued to fall. But we left with unforgettable memories, knowing that the Cheer Squad will be back in full force to support the women’s peloton at the next opportunity.
This incredible adventure came to life thanks to you and our amazing friends at HeyHeydeHaas and komoot. We can’t wait to do it all again! In the meantime, check out the Cheer Squad aftermovie to experience the adventure.