In 2016, the inaugural Tour de Femme, a ladies-only multi-day mountain bike experience,was hosted by Gondwana Game Reserve in the magnificent Garden Route in South Africa. A small group of women enjoyed the luxurious experience of being treated like royalty, while they spent three days riding amongst the Big 5 in Five-star luxury.
The concept of the Tour de Femme was born when Jackie Lange and Jenni Green, co-directors of Titanium Sports Events, the company that owns and manages the Tour De Femme, saw a very real desire of women to have a more relaxed environment, with like-minded friends and acquaintances, to ride their bikes and explore nature.
The concept of the Tour de Femme is unique, and as such the venue and experience will change each year, in an effort to create new riding experiences, as well as to avoid the monotony of doing the same thing year in and year out. “Often we find that women want something different. Doing the same events year in and year out can prove a little boring for a lot of women. This allows us to offer a standard level of superior service, while delivering different venues and trails every year”, comments Lange.
This year, our experience movesto the beautiful town of Plettenberg Bay, a jewel in the Western Cape. It offers incredible vistas, superb riding in indigenous forests and plantations, and being in August, the possibility of whale-sightings off the coast are incredibly high.
As always, the accommodation is Five Star, and this year is at the super-luxurious Plettenberg Park Hotel and Spa, nestled on the cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean.
2017 sees the introduction of a new partner in the event, Bia. Bia is a brand created by Jenni Green, over the last couple of years, that is centered around a mantra, and a philosophy. “Bia is the Greek goddess of strength and raw energy. Bia stands for the internal strength you find within yourself, while riding, that seeps into the rest of your life and how you conduct yourself” comments Green. The brand is centered around the four pillars, relating to the ‘I’: Integrity, Inspiration, Independence, Inner strength. Bia is all about ‘the power of I’ and what you can achieve by engaging the “Power of I”.
“It’s a natural fit, and almost an extension of the brand, to be involved in the Tour de Femme”. Being a part of the groups that rode the inaugural event last year, I saw first-hand how women engaged that next level of trust within themselves, and how, when they backed themselves, they pulled through some tricky situations. It’s an incredible thing to feel personally, but even more awesome when you are able to witness it in others. The women who joined us last year went home different people. They were empowered by their own strength, by their learnings from the three days, and by the upliftment of the group dynamic. It was inspiring. It was awesome!” comments Green.
When discussing the ‘women’s only’ concept and event, Lange comments “It’s not about creating a gender gap, it’s about creating an environment for women that is relaxed and familiar, with no pressure. Often, in these multi-stage events, women don’t necessarily want to race for time, and are learning about their abilities, their bikes and their environments, and they don’t want the pressure that comes with a timed event. Most men can’t help themselves when they pin a race number on – the testosterone kicks in, it’s game on, and the strongest will rise. This event is about the journey, and the experience, and about being spoilt while you’re about it.”
The Bia Tour de Femme is all about the experience and is not intended as a race, and therefore the three days won’t be timed. Choosing between two groups, based on strength, you can expect café stops, mechanical back up and a top drawer experience. A reasonable level of experience is required, however, the riding is not overly technical.
Planned Distances:
Day 1: 60km
Day 2: 50-55km
Day 3: 40km
Entries are open today and are limited to 20. Full payment secures your spot. Entries are in teams of 2, not from a racing point of view, but rather as a ‘buddy system’. Information and entry forms can be found at www.tourdefemme.co.za.
For more information on the Tour de Femme, visit www.tourdefemme.co.za
For insight on Plettenberg Park Hotel & Spa, visit www.plettenbergpark.co.za
For more about Bia, visit www.jennig.sg-host.com
For further media enquiries, mail Jenni Green on jenni@titaniumevents.co.za