Carbon bike frames and electronic gear shifting: it seems that technology has moved the sport of cycling far from the days when someone like Eugène Christophe rode a heavy, single-geared bike and had to repair his broken steel frame himself at a nearby blacksmith.
However, when it comes to gender equality, cycling is very much still stuck firmly in the dark ages.
I love the Tour de France and this year I hope to take a family trip to France to watch a couple of stages in the Alps, but when my daughter asked me if women will be racing, I was at a loss for words.I could have fobbed her off with the lame old excuses about a lack of interest from fans and a lack of sponsorship from business, but I knew they were red herrings. Where there is a will there is a way, but sadly the will of race organisers and the media is deplorably lacking. In recent weeks that has been blatantly obvious, and those who should know better have revealed their true colours.
Currently, Tour de France organisers ASO hold a token, one-day race for women in July called La Course, but any hopes of that expanding to a full “Tour” have been quashed by the event director, Christian Prudhomme.
He told reporters: “I would not know how to organise such an event in July”. But surely organising a women’s Tour de France to run concurrently with the men’s event wouldn’t be a big stretch for an organisation such as ASO – all the infrastructure is in place, the world’s media is watching and the fans are lining the road.
Of course, the event could be run outside of July, but the already-packed calendar would restrict this and it is also then effectively a separate event that, from my experience, would be more of a challenge to organise than a combined event.
The gender inequality in cycling is shamefully backed up by depressing and repeated acts of misogyny and discriminatory behaviour. A very recent example was when Belgian cyclist, Iljo Keisse and his team-mates, were asked by a female fan to pose for a photograph with her. Keisse stood behind her, posing in an extremely degrading manner. That behaviour was unacceptable, but even more depressing was the reaction from Keisse’s team manager, Patrick Lefevre, who got the team to boycott the podium presentation in protest to the £60 fine his rider received for his behaviour.
The culture of misogyny is ignored in sport and a way forward out of the pit of inequality is pushed to the side as tradition and logistical difficulties are given as feeble excuses for business as usual.
When a women’s three week Tour de France is even suggested the wolfpack coming howling at the door of social media and those in power turn the other way. Mainstream media ignores the women blazing trails for their sport, such as Sanne Cant who has just won her third consecutive Cyclocross World Championship. Whilst those who are confronting the issues that face them are held up as agitators and troublemakers for the sport.
I want my daughter to grow up with the values and beliefs that her input into society is as valid and valued as that of any other person, regardless of gender. At the moment I am deeply disappointed that the sport of cycling does not seem to share these beliefs.
