Emma Pooley is excited at the opportunity for women’s cycling to showcase itself in tomorrow’s La Course by Le Tour on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

Keen to capitalise on the growing appeal of women’s racing, Tour de France organisers Amaury Sports Organisation decided to stage the 89-kilometre race on the final day of the 101st Tour de France.

The women’s race at the London 2012 Olympics was more thrilling than the men’s, with Holland’s Marianne Vos beating Lizzie Armitstead in a two-up sprint finish on The Mall.

Vos is the clear favourite for La Course by Le Tour and is part of a wider campaign group, Le Tour Entier, seeking equality in women’s cycling which also features Olympic medallist Pooley, United States’ Kathryn Bertine and Chrissie Wellington, the four-time Ironman triathlon world champion.

Pooley said: “It’s a chance for women’s cycling to show how exciting it is.”

La Course is part of a longer-term goal, which includes a full women’s Tour de France, and to develop the sport.

There are huge imbalances between men’s and women’s cycling, with Pooley’s main frustration the lack of opportunity — something she is hoping to help to rectify, beginning with La Course.

Lotto-Belisol rider Pooley, who hopes to shake off a throat infection to be in peak form for tomorrow’s race, added: “It’s about building a more sustainable sport and there’s lots of things that need to change for that but I think women’s cycling’s definitely moving in the right direction.

“To me the disparity is in racing opportunities. Obviously there is a massive disparity in earnings, prize money and recognition but that’s not what this was about.

“What’s really important is that there’s the opportunity for women to compete at the same level as the men, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the same race length, although I don’t see why not.

“There are different opinions on that, but I just think there should be more opportunities for women to race.

“I know the prize money at La Course is the highest of any women’s race all year but I can assure you that every single team would go, whether there was prize money or not, because we’re racing for the racing, not the prize money.”