Athletes and events are supporting women cyclists
Kate Courtney, Haley Smith, and others are helping support women riders and racers find success
Haley Smith recently announced she would race as a privateer this season with support from MAAP and Factor bikes. As a part of that, the 2022 Life Time Grand Prix overall winner also launched Competere, a community-building and mentorship program for women and girl cyclists.
Competere will host in-person events this year in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax, as well as build community through online platforms like Strava. In addition, Smith will offer free 1:1 mentorship relationships for cyclists looking for help with their goals.
“Applicants will be considered based on need and whether or not Haley believes she will be able to help you work towards your goals,” according to Competere. “ALL women aged 16 or over, of any ability and experience level in cycling, are welcome to apply.”
Applications for the mentorship program are open until February 4.
Smith’s Competere isn’t the only program designed to help women cyclists. More and more support opportunities are popping up across the gravel and mountain bike landscape.
A high-profile example is the She Sends Foundation, founded by world champion mountain biker Kate Courtney. The non-profit is “dedicated to empowering and connecting women and girls through mountain biking.”
The foundation’s 2025 report outlines several initiatives, including the Strive For More grant funded by Strava. The $5,000 grants are awarded to U23 women racers who are dedicated to a career in off-road cycling. Over two rounds, Bailey Cioppa, Makena Kellerman, Elsa Westenfelder, Alexandra Charles, Terese Martens, Landrie McLain, Ruth Holcomb, and Alice Hoskins were awarded the grants.
“Every next level of competition demands a next level of support,” Courtney said in the grant announcement. “With women’s cycling on the rise, there’s a vibrant pipeline of young athletes dreaming of reaching that top tier. We are grateful for the chance to work with Strava to help fuel those ambitions and bridge the gap between junior and elite competition. We hope these grants will encourage the next generation of female cyclists to aim high and send it.”
In the Appalachia and Mid-Atlantic region, pro mountain biker Abigail Snyder offers the Ride Fierce Women’s Race Scholarship that pays race entry fees to select events for 20 women.
“Each of these women have committed to training for and showing up at one of these eight races in 2026, and I am so excited to see their stories unfold,” Snyder wrote.
In 2026, the scholarship recipients will compete across eight events such as The Shed Enduro in Maryland and the ORAMM 100k mountain bike race in Old Fort, North Carolina.
The most popular gravel races on the calendar are supporting women participants as well.
Unbound Gravel has the More Women More Miles initiative, which opens additional registration spots in Unbound’s 100 and 200-mile events specifically for women riders.
At SBT GRVL, the GRVL Femmes program is a team competition that encourages amateur women teams of 3 riders or more to compete together.
“This event redefines amateur women’s racing by prioritizing collaboration, inclusion, and fun—whether you’re chasing a podium or riding for unity,” the SBT website reads. “It’s about inspiring, motivating, and celebrating women on bikes.”
For 2026, a $3,000 prize purse will be awarded to the top 3 teams. In addition, the Best Team Theme GRVL Femmes Challenge awards jerseys and sponsor swag to the most cohesive or creative team name, strategy, kit, or theme.
What other initiatives are empowering people to ride and race bikes? Let me know in the comments.
Check out Monarch Racing in NorCal. They’re doing ride/race mentorships, where they pair girls up with a mentee racer, to help get more girls comfortable racing bikes.
Competere's structure seems really smart, pairing mentorship with that in-person comunity piece. The 1:1 setup probably filters for people who'll actually follow through vs just signing up for free stuff. I've noticed programs work better when theres a personal conection element rather than purely transactional support.