As mentioned before, the information about Portuguese female cycling is very scarce, however, through existing sources it is possible to recognize some of the pioneers of Portuguese female cycling racing. 
During the 1920’s, there are several records of women doing leisure cycling. However, the first female cyclists who advanced from casual promenades to competitions were few. Cesina Bermudes was champion in 1924, in the first “Volta a Lisboa”, defeating her only two female opponents, her sister Clara Bermudes and Estela de Oliveira. 
In 1925, Cesina Bermudes, once more won the competition, however, that year she had a very strong opponent, Oceana Zarco from Setubal. Oceana Zarco, improved so much that she won the third edition of the Volta a Lisboa, the first Volta ao Porto, and the first Volta a Setubal. She abandoned competing due to a surgery a couple years later, at the age of 18. She came to be a very important cyclist of her time.
After a long period of inexistent female participation in Portuguese cycling competitions, in the 1990’s, Portugal gained one more female star, Ana Barros. The cyclist from Viana do Castelo participated in the main international competitions of the 1990’s, she won thirty-nine competitions between 1989 and 1996 in Portugal and in Galicia, and for six consecutive years she assumed the title of national champion. In Atlanta she registered number 23 in a difference of three seconds from the French Olympic champion, Jeannie Longo.
Unfortunately, female cycling in Portugal has throughout its existence been in a critical position and it is realistic to question the future survival of the sport.

Icônes Révolutionnaires : Les championnes du cyclisme féminin. 

Des championnes portugaises ignorées