STORY OF TRAILBLAZING WOMEN OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE IN 1980S – AVAILABLE NOW EXCLUSIVELY ON PEACOCK
“Uphill Climb” Presented by Shimano Companion Podcast Series Available Now on NBCSports.com/podcasts and All Major Podcast Platforms
Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Begins Sunday, July 23, Live on Peacock; 110th Tour de France Continues with Live Coverage on Peacock — Final Round Sunday, July 23, at 10 a.m. ET Exclusively on Peacock
“Uphill Climb: The Women Who Conquered The Impossible Race,” presented by Shimano, an original documentary about one of the most significant yet lesser-known stories in sports, is available now exclusively on Peacock in the United States. The story was produced in conjunction with NBC Sports, the U.S. home of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
Additionally, an original podcast series of the same name is available now on NBCSports.com/podcasts and all major podcast platforms, featuring interviews with key women in cycling to provide further insight into the original race. European audiences can watch the documentary on Discovery Plus.
Executive Producer Allyson J. Davis, Impakt Partners, emphasizes the imperative of telling this story: “These pioneering women athletes faced enormous obstacles, dug deep, gave it their all and triumphed in the world’s toughest race, the Tour de France,” she says. “By telling the stories of these incredible competitors from the 1980s, viewers will be able to see the current women’s live race, resurrected in 2022 after 33 years, from an entirely new perspective.”
While Greg LeMond is touted as the first American to win the Tour de France, the honor actually goes to Marianne Martin for her victory in the 1984 Tour de France Féminin. “They didn’t think women would finish the race,” recalls Martin. “That’s what we were up against.”
The racers navigated the same courses as their male counterparts, defying immense odds and shattering stereotypes of female athletes. These “hidden figures” of cycling paved the way for the return of women to the race in the 2022 Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift.
Directed by Jill Yesko, “Uphill Climb” chronicles the struggle of riders who fought for equality in cycling when then odds were stacked against them. “Uphill Climb” includes rare footage of the 1984 Tour de France Féminin, behind the scenes interviews with NBC Sports commentator, universally known as “voice of cycling,” Phil Liggett, and narration by Kate Veronneau, Director of Women’s Strategy at Zwift — an integral figure in the return of the women’s Tour. Says Veronneau, “By sharing stories like Uphill Climb, we connect the past with the present, raise awareness about women’s cycling and forge a path for progress.”
In less than one week, NBC Sports presents coverage of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift beginning Sunday, July 23, with all eight stages of the race streaming live on Peacock (July 23-30). NBC Sports’ coverage of the 110th Tour de France continues across Peacock, NBC, USA Network, concluding with the final stage on Sunday, July 23, live on Peacock at 10 a.m. ET. NBC will present encore coverage of the final stage at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday.
