Hélène Dutrieu began her cycle racing career inspired by her older brother Eugène[3][4]– a professional cyclist.

[5][6] In 1896[7] and 1897[8] she won the women's speed track cycling world championship in Ostend, Belgium, but lost her title in 1898[9] to Louise Roger.

Leopold II of Belgium awarded Dutrieu the Cross of St André with diamonds in honour of her cycling success.

She was also style conscious, wearing the first known high fashion pilot suit, designed by the Paris couturier Bernard et Cie.[20] In September 1910 Dutrieu flew non-stop from Ostend to Bruges, Belgium.

In 1911 she regained the Coupe Femina temporarily with a flight of 254km in 2 hours 58 minutes but that year's cup was eventually won by Marie Marvingt.

Dutrieu was a member of the Aéroclub féminin la Stella, a women's flying club set up by Marie Surcouf in 1909.

She competed for the women's altitude record and the Rodman-Wanamaker trophy, subsequently won by Matilde Moisant, at the Nassau Boulevard airfield meeting in Garden City, New York.

In the same year Dutrieu beat 14 male pilots to win the Coppa del Re (King's Cup) in Florence, Italy.