Watch: Why Anne-Marije Rook is biking the Tour de France route one day ahead of the men

Automated transcript (.txt)

It's the year 2020, and the world's most famous bike race does not have a comparable event for women.

That's why women have biked the route of the Tour de France one day ahead of the men for half a decade now. They aren't only demonstrating that women can ride the grueling 21-day, 2,200-mile route, but also that there is interest in a women's race.

Anne-Marije Rook is a biking journalist who worked for Cascade Bicycle Club, the Ballard News Tribune and even wrote a freelance piece for Seattle Bike Blog before moving to Portland. Now she's joining the Dutch team Peloton Orange (website in Dutch) to bike ahead of the 2020 Tour.

We spoke via video chat recently, and you can watch our conversation in the video above.

Of course, it is quite expensive and logistically complicated to ride the route as a team of amateurs without the massive sponsorship deals and official support that Tour racers get. So that's where you come in. Peloton Orange is seeking sponsors and crowdfunding to help with their costs. You can contribute via GoFundMe.

And be sure to follow Anne-Marije's writing on her website and on Twitter at @amrook.