I’m standing on the hairpin bend of Col de Granier, baguette in hand, heart racing as the peloton approaches. The sound is deafening, cowbells, whistles, cheers, and the squad in full swing! We’ve painted the road with rider names the night before, including a giant “AJ” for Alison Jackson, Canadian National champion and queen of fun on two wheels.

Then I see her. Alison spots me, laughs at the sight of the baguette, and in a flash, the handover is complete. The whole Cheer Squad erupts. It’s a surreal, unforgettable moment that perfectly captures the spirit of women’s cycling.

My Cheer Squad adventure started earlier at the Cheer Squad campsite, where I pitched my tent, built my bike, and shared dinner with old friends from the Sleepover in January. We swapped stories, cooked together, and welcomed new faces experiencing their first IRIS event. By dusk, paint cans and spray paint were out, and the tarmac was transformed into a canvas of names and colour for the riders.

The next morning, I rode into Chambéry to meet up with Rhian, Lara, and Lou who are collecting their rider info for the L’étape du Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Together, we cycled the last part of the stage in reverse before arriving at the Cheer Squad corner. The music was already pumping, flags waving, and women from around the world arriving. I got to reconnect with my colleagues from The Cyclists’ Alliance, meet inspiring women in person from Uplift Mentoring, and catch up with friends from all the cycling communities I’ve been part of in Amsterdam, London and Girona.

The Tour de France Femmes is more than a race. And the Cheer Squad was a celebration of progress, visibility, and unity in women’s cycling.

We still can’t stop smiling when we think about the atmosphere on the Col du Granier. The scenes were electric — full of colour, noise, and pure joy. To everyone who came out, THANK YOU for making it as epic as it was. Thanks to Petra Vroomen and Beardy McBeard for capturing the energy perfectly.

We’re already counting down to the next one, and can’t wait to see even more of you on the sidelines!

The 2025 Cheer Squad was a HeyHeydeHaas x IRIS creation, proudly supported by Zwift