TAKING ON THE RAPHA WOMEN'S 100

Get on your bike and join a worldwide, two-wheeled movement inspiring women to push their limits

It was euphoric. For someone who once upon a time didn’t think that road cycling was something I’d be good at or interested in, it was a special kind of feeling.”

Founded nearly a decade ago to boost women’s participation at L’Etape, the Rapha Women’s 100 challenge has quickly become a staple in riders’ calendars around the world, with an incredible 70,000 sign-ups last year.

The concept is simple: ride 100 kilometres in a single day, wherever and however you like; pedalling in solidarity as a global celebration of women’s cycling. And as Jools Walker’s quote demonstrates, it’s a special thing to be a part of.

Ahead of this year’s edition, we caught up with multi-discipline racer Dalila Lecky along with utility and leisure cyclist Jools at the Lee Valley Velopark to hear their Women’s 100 experiences.

My first W100

“To me, 100 kilometres is a long ride,” says Jools, “My first Women’s 100 actually looped around Richmond Park.” This approach gave her a kind of ‘comfortable-uncomfortable zone’, concentrating on the physical challenge while remaining on familiar roads.

“There were points on that ride when I thought I was done, my legs were not happy with me. I was stopping, I was eating, I was hydrating, but I felt like I was cooked. I’d never done anything like it.”