The first female to compete in the Tour de France was Jeanne Ailloud in 1955. She participated in the race, although officially, women were not allowed to compete in the Tour until 1984 when a women's version of the event was established. Ailloud's entry paved the way for female cyclists and highlighted the need for gender equality in competitive cycling. Since then, the Tour has seen increasing participation from women, culminating in the introduction of the Tour de France Femmes.