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Just saw this in VeloNews -- Emma Pooley will leave bike racing to finish her PhD:
http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/...-career_248030
I have to say the description of her being "bitter" with the sport irks me Her "complaints" about the UCI not promoting women's racing and about how the salaries are low, are facts that needed and need to be stated.
I have no idea who she is. However, the tone of the article implies that she's quitting because she didn't do well enough and is taking the easy way out with a "less demanding career." The words from the coach don't help. I don't think it's the case. She can't keep doing this forever, and there's no real money in women's cycling, which she points out. And the coach is saying "Shut up, we don't need that kind of talk 'round here."
Here she is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Pooley
She was the 2010 world champion in time trialing, and British road and time trialing champion in that same year. And I would not dare call a career in academia "less demanding".
Seriously. It doesn't have the physical demands, sure, but it's just as mentally demanding, if not more so, IMHO.Quote:
Originally Posted by pll
Emma Pooley is a cycling heroine here in Britain. From the viewpoint of cycling fans, it is certainly NOT a case of "not doing well enough". The problem isn't just the salaries but the fact that the womens cycling team keeps losing its sponsors, putting the whole programme at risk. Over and over and over again. That has got to be almost impossible to deal with mentally and emotionally, on top of all the demands of training and competing. More power to her, I say!