Serious problems with women's cycling

Bart Roberts

Etrusa race was canceled completely. We lost Brissago, Grimpers, lost Montreal Cup and the Tour, lost AgmenTOC women's races. What will be next? There is a decent start to a three part blog/post/reply about problems with women's cycling here, if you have something interesting to add there, or here too.

http://www.kerry-litka.com/main/word...omens-cycling/
http://www.kerry-litka.com/main/word...cling-part-ii/
http://www.kerry-litka.com/main/word...ycling-part-3/

Bart

Bart Roberts

Sorry guys and girls, I screwed up the links. This is the root link, then part 2,3 and 4 are off on the side panel.

http://www.kerry-litka.com/main/wordpre ... s-cycling/

Bart

Kléber

It's the recession.

Women's cycling struggles because it's not as fast, as epic and as historical as the men's racing. Plus don't forget that men's cycling is massively dominated by the Tour de France, this keeps a large part of the calendar afloat: teams are racing in Qatar largely to satisfy ASO. Women's cycling doesn't have this.

Monty Dog

Event organisers could do a lot more to promote a women's race alongside existing established events - the incremental costs are far less. The likes of DeRonde and Fleche Wallonne come to mind. They have a captive audence too.

I'll get flamed for this, but the women riders could do a lot more to make the events more exciting by at least riding as though they are trying to win it!

Tom Butcher

Agreed - I suppose the problem is what is in it for the organisers ? When football with all its money can't do much to support the women's game what hope is there for cycling ?

greasedscotsman

Agreed that running a women's event alongside a more established men's event needs to be done more, but not sure about some of the other comments. I don't see what speed has to do with it. I'm quite happy watching lower category men's events. It's just a bike race, isn't it?

Monty Dog wrote:

I'll get flamed for this, but the women riders could do a lot more to make the events more exciting by at least riding as though they are trying to win it!

Sorry MD, but really not sure what your getting at here at all. Every race I've been too they look like they're trying to me...

(not trying to flame anyone here, just don't really understand)

jibberjim

greasedscotsman wrote:

Agreed that running a women's event alongside a more established men's event needs to be done more, but not sure about some of the other comments.

I actually think you need fewer womens races, but more that are actually attractive to riders. Hog Hill every week through the winter for less than 15 people ends up a bit silly. Hog Hill a few times throughout the winter may well lead to larger fields and therefore more competitive riding and riders turning up. Larger fields would also allow it to be run as a Handicap, rather than have the few strong riders shatter the field in the first few laps and everyone riding around alone but for a tiny group at the front.

Most of the women can (and do) race in 3rd or 4th cats mens circuit races without a problem, so removing the large number of women only races wouldn't reduce the opportunity to race for those that want to race every week, but might make the races that actually happen more attractive.

Le Commentateur

I think we are talking about the funding women's racing a bit above the level of the local amateur scene, although I appreciate that more needs to be done at grassroots level to get people hooked.

But with fewer pro/semi-pro women races it's probably even harder to keep sponsors interested in funding women's teams. Part of the problem is almost zero coverage in magazines and on TV.

le_patron

It's sad, but with little interest from either the public or sponsors, it exists in it's rightful place in the sports pecking order...along with most other women's sports and a lot of men's where it's very hard to make a living.

Not sure it deserves to be any higher.

It's all a bit cave-man obviously (but true), a sport requiring a short skirt or bikini and no head covering help enormously, although the lycra ought to help. Or a lifestyle sport you can spin off lots of clothing sales behind it, e.g surfing. And how many girls aspire to be cyclists ? Can't be many.

mididoctors

jibberjim wrote:

Larger fields would also allow it to be run as a Handicap, rather than have the few strong riders shatter the field in the first few laps and everyone riding around alone but for a tiny group at the front.

but might make the races that actually happen more attractive.

yeah something like that makes sense

Tusher

Marathons involve massive organisation for a city, and they run elite men, elite women, para-runners, wheelchairs, and the unwashed hordes on the same day.

I have never understood why cycling can't do the same, (and I do understand the different financial problems involved) because it seems to me as if this is the best way to raise the profile of the women's game. I would love to follow more women racing, but where can I find women racing on TV? Coverage is minimal.

And although it may be true that few women aspire to become pro-racers (and when you can earn more sitting at a check-out till in Tescoids, who can blame then?) there are more and more women cycling to work/for fun/to get fit. And therefore there should be a greater opportunity to follow our heroines. Just as lots of fat, middle aged women jog around the park dreaming of being Paula, there are lots of fat, middle aged women peddling (very slowly) to work and dreaming of being Nicole or Victoria.

Bart Roberts

Part 5 is up...

http://www.kerry-litka.com/main/wordpre ... ng-part-v/