A much debated subject, with various opinions and reasons behind certain actions. Women’s cycling was definitely late to the party: yes, cycling originated as a male-dominated sport… but didn’t most sports? Because that’s the way society used to be!
Generally speaking, men will naturally produce more power, more watts per kilo and have a bigger VO2 capacity than your average woman simply because they are bigger than your average woman. That, and the fact that they have huge globs of testosterone pulsing through their bodies, which are composed differently: all those frogs and snails and puppy-dogs’ tails.
However, women’s endurance is known to better than men’s after a certain distance… pros and cons to each gender, right? And I mean, why are we trying to compare ourselves to men? Who cares that your bog-standard man is stronger than a female… that only makes them ‘superior’ if we allow it to. Why throw petty tantrums over the clear distinctions between men and women? Physiologically we are different and there is very little you can do about that, but we all have strengths to play to, and we don’t all need to be as good as Jimbob over there.
I know most men at my level will be stronger than me on a bike, but I also know that it’s not relevant. I don’t think I have ever felt the need to compare my cycling to a man, despite the sneaky secret pleasure of seeing the male-dominated group I’m riding in diminish in size over time…
Women’s cycling is forever a growing industry, and it’s incredible to witness its growth from the inside and be a part of it. However, I understand why race organisers are wary about putting women’s races on. Two years ago - well minus the pandemic year - women’s races probably got about 50% of the turnout they do now. Races are very expensive to put on – circuit fees, British Cycling (BC) fees, payment for commissaires and First Aiders etc - and if people don’t turn up, or there are fewer than ten entries to a race, there is almost no point in putting it on, because the entrants can’t get BC points, and the organisers lose money.
Also, I couldn’t think of much worse than being a race organiser trying to keep everybody happy. We all know women can moan like there’s no tomorrow - can I say that? Well, we all love a little moan at someone to help with our anxiety and frustration.
Imagine, those poor organisers and all their volunteer helpers trying to please everyone by running women’s races alongside men’s races, and all they get is an earful about how ‘the men passed too close’ or ‘the track was too busy’. You can’t have everything, and you certainly can’t please all the people all the time.
You either race and suck it up, or you don’t race, and fewer women’s events are put on – it’s as simple as that. If you go into a race and you’re concerned about someone passing you too close, chances are you probably shouldn’t be racing because you’re not ready. Don’t get me wrong, it is scary when someone comes very close to you at speed, but if you’re riding in a bunch of up to 100 people (pre-Covid) then that’s something you need to be ready for.
I actually think BC road racing should have some sort of accreditation process, like they do for track racing, something to make sure people are ready to race and safe to do so. It’s wonderful people want to race, but I’ve met some people who have said ‘I’ve never ridden in a bunch before, so that race was too busy for me’ and it’s a bunch of 30… Yes, you learn from doing, but surely that’s putting themselves and other riders at risk. It’s not their fault mind, there are no other ways for them to learn, so why can’t we accredit riders and teach how to ride in a bunch before being thrown into the deep end?
With women’s racing finally growing, tv coverage will hopefully also grow, which will create a larger income for the sport and create funding for bigger prizes. And who knows, one day women’s races will have the same prize money as men’s.
Yes, women’s cycling is on the up and it’s amazing, no I don’t agree with all the moaning that occurs, but I do agree with some of it. Yes, I understand why organisers are sceptical over putting women’s events on, but they do need to understand times have changed. It’s a complex discussion with many different viewpoints, but it’s one that needs to be considered in more depth by everybody.
Maybe, we should have more meetings that include potential racers so that we can come up with plans for the future, provide more opportunities for novices to get into racing, and continue the growth of women in cycling. Because everyone knows, a woman’s place is in the peloton.
Rides bikes, eat cake, be happy :)
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