Women’s Pro Teams Struggle for Recognition

[SadieKate]

Interesting article from the NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/sp...ewanted=1&_r=1

[salsabike]

Yeah, it is interesting. Thanks.

[SadieKate]

I really like this statement from Linda Jackson: “When I’m 80 or 90 years old, am I going to remember some I.P.O. or M. & A. deal? No, I’m going to remember the Olympics,” she said. “I’m trying to help these women have the same chance.”

It should be heard by so many recreational riders on internet forums. Fostering competition between total strangers for total miles ridden per year is just incomprehensible to me. When I'm 80 or 90, I'm sure not going to look back and fondly remember a year when I rode X miles, but I sure will remember the special events or epic rides or people I rode with. And I'll remember those people who encouraged me to attempt those events.

With their education and non-racing career experience, it would also be interesting to compare post-racing lives between the men and the women - stable careers and domestic partnerships, drug use, health, etc.

[Eden]

With their education and non-racing career experience, it would also be interesting to compare post-racing lives between the men and the women - stable careers and domestic partnerships, drug use, health, etc.

Many of the women have to have stable lives outside of cycling while they are doing it.... unless you are at the very top tiers of the pros, as a woman you can't really live off of it... A lot of women, even those near the top of the domestic sport have day jobs (I think the woman who won Nature Valley last year is a school teacher if I remember properly...) Many have jobs in the sport industry with employers sympathetic to the amount of time they are away... To be able to hold everything together - regular life and top competition, I would think you would have to already be a very stable and together person...

[Zen]

Fostering competition between total strangers for total miles ridden per year is just incomprehensible to me. When I'm 80 or 90, I'm sure not going to look back and fondly remember a year when I rode X miles, but I sure will remember the special events or epic rides or people I rode with. And I'll remember those people who encouraged me to attempt those events.

Hallelujah, amen.

[tulip]

Women have been struggling for racing money and recognition for decades. When I raced, the top tier racers all (except Connie Carpenter and Rebecca Twigg) had other jobs. Even the Olympians. Unfortunately for the likes of me, the fields were so small that all women raced together in one big group. I never raced against Twigg, but I did race against other top women racers of the 80s. Or rather, we started at the starting line together and they finished and I usually did not. It's very discouraging to be lapped in every race, and I was far from the only one being lapped, too.

[SadieKate]

I was just thinking about this! One of the other things that occurs with small fields is that all the classes are together so, for instance, a crit contains pros and newbies. More sh!t happens when all these skills are mixed in difficult and fast conditions.

[AllezGirl]

I was just thinking about this! One of the other things that occurs with small fields is that all the classes are together so, for instance, a crit contains pros and newbies. More sh!t happens when all these skills are mixed in difficult and fast conditions.

Interesting that you bring this up. I just took over as women's coordinator of the Pennsylvania Women's Racing organization, (http://www.pawomenscycling.org/) which is a division of Cycling Made Real (http://cyclingmadereal.wordpress.com/).

Often times it's like swimming up steam to get promoters to offer one women's race, let alone two (an elite and beginner), but with the support of local organizations, it is happening! If anyone would like more information, feel free to send me a PM.

[maillotpois]

I love how well educated these women are - and that most have/had a "day job". It's inspirational - though the fact they have to have a "day job" is a bit sad.

[Eden]

Interesting that you bring this up. I just took over as women's coordinator of the Pennsylvania Women's Racing organization, (http://www.pawomenscycling.org/) which is a division of Cycling Made Real (http://cyclingmadereal.wordpress.com/).

Often times it's like swimming up steam to get promoters to offer one women's race, let alone two (an elite and beginner), but with the support of local organizations, it is happening! If anyone would like more information, feel free to send me a PM.

Don't give up hope - things really can change. Before I started racing it was the same out here. Fields too small to support different categories - everyone always mixed together. By the time I started (I'll have been racing for 4 years this year) there was almost always a separate cat 4 field. Last year, for the first time we had a series of separate cat 3 races, and this year we will have more. Promoters do eventually come around, as long as you can bring out the numbers to support the races they will get behind you.

[smilingcat]

It would be nice if pro women athletes could retire in comfort like the men in basketball, baseball etc. I didn't include football cause many of them have permanent disabilities.

Things have changed A LOT in some respects. For one, I see young girls/women training without getting sneered at. Or getting nasty comments. my mother-in-law, "you shouldn't be running/jogging because your uterus is going to drop out!" or being labeled tom boy as soemthing really bad.

Today's women don't nearly face the same hostilities. They can go surfing, cycling, skiing and go one on one against the boys. When they turn 20 maybe even 30 maybe there will be more prizes and more recognition from the public.

As I read this thread, I think of Title IX for collegiate athletics. Thank goodness for that in some ways. Just sad that places like Michigan State and other power house, it is a big $$ business while women's sports just can't attract the paying public.

Even in Europe, women's pro cycling don't get the attention like the mens. There's women's version of the Giro but have any of you seen it or what the standing is? I sure haven't seen it and don't know the standings...

I've heard years ago that women are supposed to supersceed the men in endurance sports. I guess marathon will be the first sport where women are goingt to outperform the men... Still

Women's race used to be more of an after thought like oh I guess we better have something for the "ladies" kind of thing... and not being taken too seriously. Just my jaded view of the racing world.

I'm just rambling...
Smilingcat

[TrekTheKaty]

YEP! We've been watching the coverage of the Tour De California on TV--only when you go to the website do you realize the women are there also! I've been lucky enough to see women race at my local Tour de Winghaven and I was inspired (the King of the Hill winner was a new mom, just back to racing without a sponsor). That's what it's all about--encouraging the next generation of women. My husband frequently points out the little girls that watch me go by on my bike in awe--like they'd never thought of that! (A neighborhood girl was struggling on her training wheels with her Dad in tow. When I rolled up, she got the biggest grin on her face and pedaled her heart out to ride next to me. Still brings tears to my eyes............)

[WindingRoad]

I actually didn't even know they were racing at all until I logged on here and looked at this thread. Disturbing.