Quote Originally Posted by AllezGirl View Post
My team's bike sponsor, a major brand, just pulled out. It has nothing to do with the company's financials.
Actually, it always does. A commercial entity that decides to act as a sponsor is, in a way, making an investment. It is a publicitary investment - or a PR investment if you like.
The more people know and watch the athletes sponsored - the more likely it is that the company will see a return for the investment.

How many people watch the Giro d'Italia or the Tour the France on TV? How many actually plan their travel to go and follow the races?
Take those numbers and compare them to the number of people that watch the Giro Donne. Not much of a match, right?
How big was the audience for the men road race or TT in Mendrisio? How many watched the women race? This is what counts for the company making the investment.

If the men team is followed by more fans, then the likelihood of some of those fans purchasing the company products (bicycles, kits, helmets, clothes, cars, whatever) is higher. I am not at all suprised that a company may decide to drop a women semi-pro or pro team and sponsor a men amateur team - if this is more likely to generate a return on the investment. The audience is bigger for men cycling than for women races, it's a demonstrated fact. If you invest on a men team you make a bigger return than investing on a women team, period.

You may get angry because your male colleagues receive one or more bikes and kits etc - and you only receive 10% off retail. But the truth of the matter is that probably in the eyes of the company your productivity as investment is even less than the 10% you are given.
How many items (bicycles or whatever they are) are sold because of your team? And how many because of the men team? That is the question we should ask. And the related question would be - how do we promote women cycling so that in time the popularity of the women races will match the popularity of men races? If you want the same sponsor benefit - the only way is to be in a situation where the company perceives the same return on investment by sponsoring men and women. And we are definitely not there yet.

I agree with Tulip - there's not been much progress. More women ride, more women race - but women races are not very popular yet. I am sure that if we all do our part, it will come with time, but it will really take time.
Until that time comes - we must not be surprised that company decide to do what is best for them, which is: invest in something that guarantees a better return. Men cycling guarantess a certain audience and certain sales, women does not at this time. That's pretty much it. it has nothing to do with discrimination - and everything to do with financials.