Kathryn Bertine Interview: Fighting For Gender Equality In Cycling

Kathryn Bertine is a warrior for gender equality in the world of professional cycling. As a former pro cyclist herself, Kathryn has spent more than a decade advocating for pay equality and the inclusion of women in the Tour de France. She is also an author, journalist, and the CEO of the Homestretch Foundation, which provides free temporary housing and other support for working women (primarily professional cyclists) living or earning below the poverty line.

A few years ago, I read her book Stand: A Memoir on Activism* and have wanted to get her on the podcast ever since. In this interview, Kathryn shares her remarkable story of becoming a professional cyclist later in life, advocating for equality for women, and creating the Homestretch Foundation. She also shares advice on how we can all work to make cycling more inclusive.

Listen To The Interview

Or Watch On YouTube

Connect With Kathryn

• Instagram: @kathryn_bertine
• Home Stretch Foundation: homestretchfoundation.org/
• Documentary: HalfTheRoad.com

From ESPN Assignment to Professional Cyclist

Kathryn Bertine’s path to professional cycling began in an unexpected way – through a journalism assignment with ESPN. As she explains, “I got into road cycling through a journalism assignment with ESPN. The assignment that I was tasked with was to see if I could get to the Summer Olympics in any sport possible.”

This life-changing assignment led her to discover that cycling was her strongest discipline from her background in triathlon. “By this time in the journey, the ESPN journey, I only had about a year to see if I could make the 2008 games. And I did not qualify in road cycling. But what’s crazy is that I came very, very close,” Bertine shares.

What began as a reporting assignment evolved into a passion for the sport. “I personally fell in love with the sport. I’m like, oh, this cycling thing is awesome. And I wanted to keep doing it well after the assignment ended.”

Witnessing Inequality in Women’s Cycling

As Bertine began competing internationally, she quickly recognized the stark inequalities between men’s and women’s cycling:

“I saw firsthand how many inequities there were in women’s cycling. Women usually raced half the distance that the men had, the prize money was pennies on the dollar to the men’s prize purse. And the crazy part that women weren’t even invited to all the major races that men dominated in cycling.”

Having competed in sports like triathlon where men and women race equal distances for equal prize money, Bertine was stunned. “Stepping over into cycling, I was like, this is nuts. How antiquated is this sport?”

The Fight for a Women’s Tour de France

Perhaps Bertine’s most significant contribution to women’s cycling has been her instrumental role in bringing women back to the Tour de France. She explains how this mission began:

“The fact that women weren’t there [at the Tour de France] was astounding to me. And I looked deeper into it, and I saw that we had a women’s field in the Tour de France from 1984 to 1989. And we also had a women’s Tour de France in 1955. So this now more than ever didn’t add up. Where has it gone?”

After unsuccessful attempts to contact ASO (the organization that runs the Tour de France), Bertine took a different approach. She made a documentary called “Half the Road” about women’s cycling and formed a committee with cycling stars like Emma Pooley, Marianne Vos, and triathlete Chrissie Wellington.

“If we form a little bit of a subcommittee, a union, a group of pressure – what if we now go after ASO to create this change to bring women into the Tour de France?”

Creating Change Through Collaboration

Their strategy was clear. “We launched a petition on change.org for women’s reinclusion. We would also launch a website with a manifesto of how we were going to go about fighting for this change. And why it was smart and the right thing to do,” Bertine explains.

Importantly, they didn’t just demand change – they offered solutions. “The most important part of our petition was, yes, asking for a women’s race at the tour. But also saying we would like to help you build this. Can we sit down and have a meeting with you?”

Bertine emphasizes this collaborative approach: “If you’re trying to create change, don’t put it all on the other person. If you’re really invested, you make it happen together and you form that pathway.”

Progress and Continued Challenges

The petition went viral during the 2013 Tour de France, forcing ASO to respond. After negotiations, they agreed to a one-day women’s event in 2014, which was broadcast in approximately 57 networks across 125 countries.

While progress has been made with the Tour de France Femmes expanding to nine stages by 2025, Bertine notes there’s still work to be done:

“We’re happy about the name being there, but we are not happy at the very slow progress. It’s gone from seven days to nine days. Does this mean that we then have to wait another 10, 11 years until it’s equal?”

She also points out ongoing inequalities: “The women have nine days. The distances are still shorter than the men’s… And then here’s the worst part. The prize money for the women is 29 percent of the men’s prize money.”

The Homestretch Foundation

Beyond advocacy, Bertine founded the Homestretch Foundation to address the financial disparities in women’s cycling:

“I would manage Homestretch and live in the guest house and in the main house, we would open applications for six pro athletes to come in. They had to apply. They already had to be seasoned athletes at the World Tour or pro Conti or at least domestic elite level, struggling with that gender pay gap.”

The foundation provides free housing for female cyclists facing financial barriers. “It’s now been 10 years. We have had 104 athletes through the program from 18 different countries and seven Olympians.”

Advice for Advocates

For those wanting to advocate for equality in cycling but feeling limited by other life commitments, Bertine offers practical advice:

“I encourage anyone to get involved if they’re feeling that internal call of, I want to do something. Having a small committee, four people is great. If you have four people that share the same vision as you and you can divide that workload equally, then that’s the best way to go.”

She also warns about the challenges: “Fighting for change will often blur the lines of public and private. You’re going to encounter people who push back. You will have to grow a thick skin or find a way to have this roll off your back.”

More Podcast Episodes You Might Enjoy

• Black Girls Do Bike With Founder Monica Garrison
• Marley Blonsky Interview: Building Size Inclusive Communities
• Breaking Down Barriers With Brooke Goudy

About The Host