Women cyclists petition to race in Tour de France

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Marianne Vos has Olympic gold medals and the road race world champion’s rainbow jersey in her trophy cabinet. Now she wants the chance to add a yellow jersey.

The Olympic road race champion is among a group of cyclists, including British Olympian Emma Pooley, that has launched an online petition urging Tour de France organizers to let women participate in next year’s race.

In an online letter to Tour director Christian Prudhomme, the riders say that after a century “it is about time women are allowed to race the Tour de France, too.”

A “Tour Feminin” women’s race in France that was staged in the past, but not since 2009, “lacked parity, media coverage, and sponsorship” the letter to Prudhomme says.

Pooley won the 2009 race, known as the Grande Boucle Feminine, and Vos placed third.