Cinglés measure

Fiona Broome shows there are no limits to ambition in cycling

This was the year the Lionesses showed the nation that women could play great football and the year I joined the Club des Cinglés du Mont Ventoux at the age of 60. So, what's the connection? Well, it got me thinking about the underrepresentation of women in the many sports that we are so capable of performing well.

As a member of two local cycling clubs, I know that women are very much in the minority, making up around 12% of members. Most of the big sportives have a similar percentage of female participants. Why is this? Little girls or boys will be given their first bike at a similar age, so when do women decide that cycling is a sport for men? Rather than a lack of ability, could women be suffering from a lack of self-belief? This might include having the confidence to buy their first bike, the knowledge to cope with a roadside puncture or believing we can become strong enough to keep up with the group, which, with club numbers like mine, are full of blokes.