Oceana Zarco

Oceana Zarco (12 April 1911 – 11 January 2008) was the first professional female cyclist in Portugal.

Oceana Rosa de Sousa Zarco was born on 12 April 1911 in the parish of Santa Maria da Graça in Setúbal, Portugal.

Her stepfather, João Duarte, owned a bicycle shop in Setúbal and encouraged her to ride, despite the fact that this was a very unusual activity for girls and women in Portugal at that time, as were most sports.

[1][2] Zarco became a professional in 1925 at the age of 14, registering with the Federação Portuguesa de Ciclismo as Number 227.

It was won by Cesina Bermudes, who went on to become a well-known obstetrician, with the other two competitors being her sister Clara and Estela de Oliveira.