The Tour de France is the world’s toughest cycling race. In 1984, 36 pioneering women rode in the first-ever Tour de France Féminin. Though their experiences on and off the bike were a far cry from the men’s, their heroic efforts set the stage for the 2022 debut of the Tour de Femmes Avec Zwift. Through conversations with these women and others, this series shines a light on how these women from the 1980s led the way in shaping women’s professional cycling.