Carrying on the Tour de France theme, La Course was history in the making. After a hard fight from a group of passionate riders who included Marianne Vos and Emma Pooley, ASO (the organisers of the Tour de France) and the UCI agreed to host a single stage race in conjunction with the Tour de France.

119 riders in 20 teams representing 12 countries lined up at the start of the route. The women of the pro peloton completed the 90km circuit in just under 2 hours, passing landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe before finishing on the iconic Champs Elysee, also the location of the Tour de France finish annually. The prize money awarded at the finish line was equal to that of a single stage of the Tour de France.