6 best Tour de France Femmes kit: We tried the best women’s cycling kit

Slowly taking over the cycling sphere, SunGod, founded in 2013, is a British performance eyewear brand with sunglasses worn by elite athletes and teams around the world. Their tagline is “see better” – which means they aim to create lenses that physically help you to, well, see better out on the bike (or run, or sail, or ski), but also aim to “see a better future” in terms of giving women equal chances to succeed in sport and caring for our planet (they’re carbon neutral and committed to giving 1 per cent of revenue to sustainable-focused charities).

The momentum limited edition velans, worn by the Liv Racing Xstra team during the Tour de Femmes, were designed specifically to mark the inaugural Tour de Femmes and celebrate the step forward in gender equality in cycling.

With a standout lilac and turquoise coloured frame, the Velans are lightweight and offer unobstructed peripheral vision. Slightly smaller than the vulcans or airas, the wraparound design still offers complete coverage and 100 per cent UV protection. You can also change the frame and either wear them with just the top frame or full frame, depending on your personal style. Plus, they come with a lifetime guarantee – so if you break them, SunGod will repair the velans free of charge. Nifty.

Ride in the exact same kit as the pros with this 2022 Canyon//SRAM racing jersey. Arguably our favourite cycling team kit worn at the Tour de Femmes, the Canyon//SRAM team jersey is eye-catching and full of clashing colours.

Inspired by the hazard tape from the 2015 team jersey, the 2022 Canyon//SRAM kit – made by Canyon in partnership with Basque bike clothing manufacturer Etxeond – features diagonal shapes positioned along the shoulder line and layered meteorological data and wind patterns. There’s not a hideous extra-large sponsor logo in sight. Instead, the design –  dubbed “astral burn” – captures the chaos of the elements.

Of course, as it’s been designed for the pros, this jersey has a tight, race-fit and includes all the high-spec elements you’d expect – including aerodynamically optimised sleeves, plenty of storage for fuel and a zipper garage to prevent neck irritation. We felt like we were part of the team when we took to our own bikes wearing this jersey. The only problem? We now want the matching long sleeve thermal jersey, vest and, of course, bike, too.

Worn by the Trek-Segafredo team at the Tour de Femmes, the velocis MIPS road bike helmet not only looks great but effortlessly manages to couple performance with comfort. So it doesn’t matter if you’re looking to break Strava segments or pootle around the park – this lightweight, premium cycling helmet looks sleek enough to be worn by serious cyclists looking for those extra aerodynamic features while also comfortable enough to be worn as an everyday helmet.

On testing, we were particularly impressed with the helmet’s clever ventilation system – it’s one of the coolest helmets we’ve tested, which means you can stay cool and avoid overheating even when cycling in heat of France in the summertime.

With a nifty sunglass port to store your sunnies when you’re not wearing them, and a dedicated cutout at the back of the helmet through which you can thread your ponytail (which really is a no-brainer for female cyclists), the white colour means it will really go with any kit you fancy.

With the Rapha and Palace Skateboards limited edition kit – as worn by the EF Education-TIBCO-SVB riders in the Tour de Femmes – already sold out, the next best Rapha jersey to get your hands on is this one from the Ellen Paige Leach collaboration.

The new women’s capsule collection with digital designer, Ellen Paige Leach, was designed to celebrate women’s cycling and features colourful, distorted designs inspired by the Yorkshire coastline. “Hopefully it inspires women to get outside,” she says. “Cycling is such a wonderful way to experience the world around you and this collection highlights that things traditionally seen as ‘imperfect’ can be beautiful too.”

This jersey is modelled on Rapha’s core lightweight jersey – so it still has Rapha’s distinctive look and feel (just in a brighter, bolder print). With lightweight mesh panels to keep you cool in humid conditions, it’s ideal for summer. We particularly like the length of this jersey (it’s longer in the torso than other brands we’ve tried) and the nice wide band at the bottom of the jersey with a silicone gripper to hold it securely in place.

Ridden by the Le Col Wahoo women’s team during the Tour de Femmes, these race-day bib shorts are made for racing and long training days and they’re some of the most comfortable bib shorts we’ve ever worn.

The women’s-specific chamois is supportive, the material is lightweight, soft and compressive, and the mesh bib straps are breathable. We especially liked how wide the shoulder straps are – they sit nice and flat under your jersey and don’t bunch up – while the silicone leg grippers ensure the shorts hold firmly in place with less pull. The high waist is also rather flattering and finishes well above the stomach. The only thing not to like is the price.

We put the Whoop 4.0 fitness tracker to the test earlier this year – it monitors recovery, “strain” (elevated heart rate), and sleep, so it’s perfect for athletes looking to fully understand how well recovered and rested they are. The main difference between this fitness tracker and others on the market? There’s no screen. But a lack of screen means you can switch out the super knit bands for any colour you fancy – meaning it’s more of a smart bracelet than a watch.

Worn by the EF pro cycling team, Whoop created a limited-edition, multi-coloured band called the “Champs-Élysées” to mark the Tour de Femmes. So if you already own a Whoop 4.0 (and, luckily, we do) you can just switch out your current band for this one and feel immediately part of the team.