For the month of February, I’ve been diving into topics that we need to be actively holding space for in cycling: representation. I do strongly agree that cycling media needs more diversity, so I’d like to share insights into how you can address representation through influence to influence companies and organizations to address women, femmes, and trans people’s needs in industry and sport. I hope that you are inspired by these insights and stories to think about how you can shape equality and representation in the industry, sport, community, and more.
There is no denial that women’s pro cycling lacks media exposure. While the most unpopular men’s races somehow find their way onto television screens, many high-level women’s races don’t. The argument from the media says that for the sport to become more commercially viable, it needs a bigger audience. However, after years of demanding coverage, I think that the UCI, cyclings very slow-moving governing body, and media plays the role of gatekeeper in preserving the economic power of the mens races over the women’s and really isn’t committed to promoting women’s cycling.
While the focus of lack of representation of women in cycling media and sport may be argued as a lack of demand and economic issue, what is actually indicated to us as fans and consumers is that women’s sport and athletes are trivial. And mostly, women, femmes, and trans people as consumers, fans, and participants of cycling are not important. The fact that the media wants to preserve patriarchal definitions of feminity through podium girls, instagram model influencers, and lack of racially diverse athletes above their athletic ability has ramifications for the potential of women’s sports coverage, equal pay, and participation.
Sport sells mass media and media sells sport, therefore, the cycling media’s biased coverage assumes its consumers are middle aged white men so it aligns its coverage to suit its potential customers. This symbiotic relationship fosters the preservation of masculinity and whiteness as defining characters of cycling so its media creates and reflects this. Just visit the sites and social media of your favorite brands and cycling publications and you’ll see the disparity of representation and coverage.
One may argue that the landscape of equality and representation of women in sports is changing and at the same time, brands are committing to representation within cycling and supporting their athletes in the women’s field through marketing and visibility, although I still argue there lacks real diversity. Example of this are events like Rapha’s Womens 100 event in support of Canyon SRAM for the Women’s Tour. While these are important steps from sponsors, media, and brands to supporting the women’s peloton, grassroots organization such as Little Bellas, Homestreach Foundation, Fast Chance Women’s Cycling Inc, and activists deserve their credit too where they are pushing for support, equal pay, representation, and access to elite cycling opportunities. With the classics season here, organizers, media, and sponsors can do more than pay lip service to coverage and inclusivity if we, fans and consumers, demand them to.
While there are media sites like Vox Women and Cycling Tips that report on the biggest women’s races, there are smaller races that don’t get all the coverage you need. That’s where I come in to guide you to the resources to find out what’s going on as we come to the the big first race of the classics season. Omloop Het Nieuwsblad , March 2nd, anyone?! Below are websites to guide you through where to get news and reports on the current happenings of the women’s peloton races. These outlets also update their twitter feed with current news and racing events so please follow them too!
Women’s UCI Cycling Show Podcast
How to watch women’s peloton races? Some media outlets require subscriptions or a VPN. Some of these links don’t require such. If you’re aware of other means of live streaming women’s races, please share!
Steephill.tv
ITV 4 – vpn required
ProCyclingLive
Cycling Fans
So, how can you as a consumer and fan help support media representation and coverage of women’s in cycling sports and media? There are many ways to help support women’s cycling which Sarah Connolly of Pro Women’s Cycling advises in a lengthier and more resourceful post on how to “Take 5 min to help Women’s Cycling in 2017 … to engage with riders and races, their sponsors and team media and thank them for what they do, and to share media that covers women’s cycling.” You can also use these tips to celebrate brands, media, and organization who are working to making cycling more inclusive and accessible to girls and women. Here are 10 ways we can help:
1. Click through to sponsors
2. Thank the sponsors for supporting the sport
3. Always include the women’s cycling account, and use the official hashtags
4. Consider buying products from companies that support women’s cycling – and then tell the company that you did
5. Include links in your social media
6. Click on women’s cycling media – and share that too!
7. Watch and share official videos
8. Thank media companies for showing women’s races
9. Just sharing or liking other people’s social media helps
10. Take 5 minutes and plan to go to a race in real life or volunteer!
We are in a great time where younger people are becoming more savvy about what they communicate online to each other and where they invest their dollars in cycling brands that represent and support gender and racial diversity. It’s clear that we want to support progress in sport, racial representation in media, and equal pay. Machines For Freedom recently partnered up with Strava this March, to celebrate equality in sport with #MoveEQUAL: a new challenge designed to get people moving in support of equality with The Global Fund for Women. Read more on how to participate on their website.
There’s a whole lot more to push forward with pro cycling like racial and queer representation and I hope this inspires you to take action with your voice, spending power, and influence in how you can participate and represent yourself in cycling while supporting efforts, charities, brands, teams, and organizations that support marginalized people in sport. If you’re interested in the women’s pro cycling field (trust me, it’s more enjoyable, fun, less scandalous, and spicier than the men’s), I strongly recommend pushing cycling media to pay more attention to athletes you want to see in the field. Pro cycling has a long way to go, but we have to keep pushing.