When we talk about any sport, a man almost always comes to mind. In soccer Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi, in tennis Rafa Nadal, in F1 Fernando Alonso… and so it also happens when you talk about cycling. The first thing you probably think of when you start a conversation about cycling is a man with cycling glasses, helmet and tights, climbing a hill or in the middle of a tour.

We’re pretty sure that names like Induráin evoke more than others like Jeannie Longo or Joane Somarriba. This is because cycling (like most sports) has always been understood as a male sport, and it has taken a lot of very capable women cyclists to change the course of the sport.

Here are 5 women who have turned the world of cycling into a cry for equality and respect between men and women, giving voice and image to women’s cycling.

JOANE SOMARRIBA

Born in Vizcaya (Spain), on August 11, 1972. To this day she is considered the best Spanish cyclist in history. Winner of 3 editions of the Tour de France (2000, 2001 and 2003), 2 of the Giro d’Italia (1999 and 2000) and 1 World Time Trial Championship.

In 2005, the Basque athlete retired from professional cycling to devote herself to her family after a successful career. She would have liked to win an Olympic medal, but the trophy never came.

In 1992 he experienced one of the most difficult moments of his life. When she was preparing to participate in the Olympic Games in Barcelona, complications after a herniated disc operation almost put her in a wheelchair. With much sacrifice and effort, Joane overcame that situation.

MARIANNE VOS

Born in Bolduque (Netherlands) on May 13, 1987. She competes in road, track and cyclo-cross cycling.

She is a two-time Olympic champion (Beijing 2008 and London 2012), three-time world champion on the road, two-time world champion on the track and eight-time world champion in cyclo-cross, she is one of the most successful female cyclists in history.

At the age of 26, she was already considered the greatest female cyclist of all time. Dutch Marianne Vos is an insatiable cyclist, with a competitive spirit that is hard to match. Just take a look at her résumé. At the age of six, Vos got on a bike for the first time.

Two decades later, he is a living legend of the sport and dreams of continuing to make history. What is certain is that this athlete has already marked a before and after in the world of cycling.

JEANNIE LONGO

Born in France, October 31, 1958. French sportswoman who competes in cycling, road, track and mountain biking. She is famous for her highly competitive nature and holds four Olympic medals and thirteen world titles in road and track cycling, in addition to 38 world records.

She is an icon in her country, although in spite of everything, the shadow of doping has accompanied this athlete in recent times. In 2011, she was acquitted of a suspension of between three months and two years. At 54, the 54-year-old, considered the best French athlete in history, has four Olympic medals and 59 national titles to her name.

JUDITH ARNDT

Born in Germany in 1976, she is the world queen of the time trial. Arndt was on the verge of saying goodbye to cycling when in 2000, in the middle of the Sydney Olympic Games, she suffered a viral infection. She competed in road and track cycling, specializing in the individual pursuit and scoring events; on the road, she belonged to the Australian GreenEDGE team. She has been three times world champion on the road (in 2004, 2011 and 2012) and once world champion on the track.

Her three Olympic medals and nine world titles stand out. The last of these she won in 2012, after winning by 34 seconds in the individual time trial at the World Championships.

OLGA ZABELINSKAYA

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on September 10, 1980. She made her professional debut in 2001. At the London 2012 Olympic Games she won the bronze medal in the two disciplines of road cycling (time trial and road) after hardly having stood out in international competitions until that date with “only” some very isolated good results.

She is the daughter of another Olympic medalist, the Russian cyclist Sergéi Sukhoruchenkov, who won gold at the 1980 Moscow Games. The Russian even retired twice from professional sport due to the births of her two children. But she decided to continue cycling, despite suffering from a heart disease that has not prevented her from dedicating herself body and soul to the sport she loves most.