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“Grandiose. Emotion. Learning.” Three words. Three simple, yet meaningful, bursts. Three words that condense the intensity of a first Tour de France Femmes experienced in the spotlight, amidst the cheers of the crowd and the tumult of the peloton. Three words like a seal engraved in the heart of a 20-year-old cyclist, already capable of astonishing with her freshness, authenticity, and inner strength. For 3bikes, we followed in the wheel of Titia Ryo, this young Breton who is making her way with passion and humility. Here is the story of a champion in the making, who has not finished surprising us.
By Jeff Tatard – Photos: All rights reserved
The shock of emotions in Vannes
It all begins in Vannes, on this morning where the Breton sun illuminates the cobblestones, the flags, and the smiles. On the team presentation podium, Titia stands tall. She looks at the dense crowd, her eyes wide. Beside her, Maurenne, her friend, whispers a phrase that will stick: “We’re going to cry, it’s so incredible.”
And it’s no exaggeration. Because for Titia, this moment is a double thrill: the apprehension of a first Tour de France, and the jubilation of discovering the most grandiose aspects of cycling. Brittany, her Brittany, offers her a spectacular entry into a world she dreamed of without ever daring to admit it.
The next part unfolds on the Côte de Cadoudal. Titia’s words snap like a photo taken mid-effort: “During my first pass on this climb, I looked for all the faces I knew to give myself maximum energy.”
Her name painted on the asphalt. Cries from faces known forever. And this immense wave that pushes harder than any gulp of energy gel. Cycling, here, is no longer just a sport. It’s a communion.
Roots, childhood, family
Behind this intensity, there are roots. And for Titia, they smell of fruit jellies. Yes, because her very first cycling memory is there: “When we ate fruit jellies with my brother as soon as my father finished his race.”
Cycling is a family affair, a common thread connecting every member of the Ryo clan. A passionate father, an tireless transmitter; a confidante mother, an invisible pillar; a calm brother, reassuring in his tranquility. “I can never thank my parents and my brother enough for what they do for me.” In the Ryo household, there’s no need to repeat a thousand times that “cycling will be your life”. Things come gently, like an obvious truth woven over kilometers, pinned race numbers, and roads devoured.
The ascent to the high level
There was no lightning bolt from the sky, no magical race that suddenly opened all doors. Titia’s story was built in stages, step by step. Her time with Breizh Ladies, her selections for the French national team, her title as French junior champion in 2022… All of this forged her path.
“Joining Breizh Ladies, with higher-level races, and racing with the French national team greatly helped me evolve.”
The pro contract with Arkéa-B&B Hotels Women did not come as a surprise. It was the result of progression, hard work, and an unforced love for this demanding sport.
The joy of sharing
At 20, Titia lives in a world where every performance is coupled with live sharing on social media. Many wonder if this digital freshness is calculated. For her, the answer comes quickly, clear and sincere: “I think I go with the flow. I just like to share a few moments.”
And it works. Because it’s natural, unfiltered. Because it gives fans the impression of following a friend, not an untouchable athlete. And because she knows that this support also counts when the going gets tough: “Feeling supported definitely helps you push yourself.”
Arkéa-B&B Hotels, an extended family
The team, for Titia, is not just a jersey. It’s a tribe. She speaks of it with warmth, almost tenderness: “Grand Tours, like the Vuelta and the Tour de France this year, were significant moments that unite us all, with the girls and the staff.”
In this atmosphere, she learns every day, not to copy the more experienced riders, but to find her own way. “Each girl is different and brings something different, and that’s what’s good. That you must never give up: a defeat one day can become a victory later.” This is the philosophy that allows her to move forward, without excessive pressure, but with a rare lucidity for her age.
The Tour de France Femmes: pain and magic
There’s stage 2, at home, in Quimper. A physically terrible ordeal. And yet… “I suffered a lot physically but with all my family and friends gathered at this event, it was magical.” This is the essence of sport: pain transcended by emotion, suffering magnified by the love of one’s own.
The Tour, for Titia, is a springboard. A baptism of fire. A clash of images and sensations that forge a new identity. “Grandiose. Emotion. Learning.” These three words resonate like a promise. The promise that this first Tour is just the beginning, that it opens up an immense road, made of dreams and challenges.
And now?
Titia doesn’t need to shout her ambitions. She moves forward, stage by stage. Cycling has never been a sudden revelation for her, but a slow maturation. And that is undoubtedly what makes her so strong: she is not a prisoner of destiny, she is its artisan.
The Breton public has already adopted her as a local hero. The peloton has identified her as a fighter. And her loved ones know that beyond the results, Titia embodies something rare: raw authenticity, intact joy, contagious energy.
So, when asked where she wants to go, she smiles, she dreams, and she sets off again. Because the best is yet to be written.
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