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Peter Kennaugh apologises for wording of Emma Pooley ‘get over it’ tweet

Pooley had questioned the lack of a women’s equivalent to Team Sky

British road race champion Peter Kennaugh has admitted he came across ‘like a total idiot’ in tweets aimed at Emma Pooley. Pooley questioned why no women’s Team Sky had been set up and in a subsequently deleted tweet, Kennaugh responded that she should “Stop being so self-centred and get over it.”

Speaking to The Guardian about Shane Sutton, Pooley said she wished more questions had been asked of Dave Brailsford too, as it was while he was running British Cycling that Team Sky had been created for the men but with no equivalent for the women.

“Why didn’t anyone ask how it could be that a publicly funded body like British Cycling joined together with a privately funded team – Sky – on a mission to get a British winner of the Tour de France within five years? Why wasn’t there a similar plan for the women? The women’s Giro d’Italia was the most important race for women but where was the funding for that? I came second twice and no one from British Cycling offered to put together a team to help me win it.”

Sky Italia originally owned 25 per cent of Team Sky but sold its holding to 21st Century Fox in 2013. A major sports broadcaster in Italy, it may be that even Sky Italia didn’t see commercial value in setting up a team to compete in the women’s Giro.

This was essentially the point made by Kennaugh in another deleted tweet – although he seems entirely unaware of Sky Italia’s involvement. “Emma pooley why would sky put money into the women’s giro that absolutely noone in the uk has absolutely no idea about,” he said.

After removing both tweets, Kennaugh has since said:

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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15 comments

Avatar
WolfieSmith | 7 years ago
2 likes

To follow on from Nniff the Olympic women's race was a better race - especially on TV. Unfortunately for the 4 years in between each race it's the old chicken and egg. Until women's sport is televised more there won't be the sponsor investment and it won't be televised more. I'd love proper coverage of the women's Giro.  I'd love to see the women racing the classics too. Not just a 5 minute synopsis before the blokes start. 

Optimistically it is getting better. Rabobank may have dumped the men's team but not the women's. UHC have run  a team at the Women's Tour of Britain with a proper team bus. What Women's cycling needs is proper promotion and coverage of a couple more big stage races to build upon. Not a two hour dash around Paris but at least a two week women's TDF.

I don't understand all this bloody feminists should seek funding from other women as if only women are interested in women's sport.  As someone said earlier it's not 'he' or 'she' it's we.  I wonder whether some of those writing have ever lived with a woman..? Your mum doesn't count - especially if you're still living with her.yes

 

 

 

 

 

Avatar
1961BikiE | 7 years ago
1 like

The only comment I am going to make on this whole sorry mess is - read "The Breakaway" by Nicole Cooke. Yes it's one person's side of the story but it makes a challenging read and a much needed counterpoint to the religiously positive reporting of BC, it's achievements & behaviour. Sadly we & I include myself here, have been dazzled by the results of the last few years. Yes there have been some excellent results and racing from the female contingent. The question raised by Nicole's book is how many more fantastic results and female riders would "we"have if the same support had been offered to the ladies. Innumerable opportunities have been missed. And to be honest I suspect this also applies to a number of male prospects too who didn't fit.

Avatar
nniff | 7 years ago
6 likes

I watched both the Olympic men's and women's road races in 2012.  The men's was on Saturday in decent weather; the women on Sunday in pouring rain - the women's race was by far the better spectacle and the demonstrations of sheer determination and effort were hugely impressive.  I particularly remember someone who had gone off into a ditch - covered in blood, snot and mud, absolutely burying herself to catch back up, and getting closer with every lap.  On Saturday, there was hardly a spare space on the course, but on Sunday there was masses.  Shame, that.

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Jimmy Ray Will | 7 years ago
0 likes

I don't see why it is Sky's or indeed Brailsford's job to develop / support women's cycling.

It would be great if they did, but I can see no reason why they are obligated to do so. 

My thoughts on Pete's tweets..

I think the first tweet was a fair enough point. Womens cycling at the time, had neither the coverage, or sporting challenge to warrant significant additional investment from a corporate already heavily investing in the sport. 

Best case, they would get no coverage...worst case they'd get loads of negative coverage being the big corporate backed team that totally dominates the womens sport. 

Has that situation changed since 2010, I'd arguably say yes. 

second tweet - unnecessary, and devalues his first.

I find it frustrating that people can't state fairly reasonable opinions through fear of backlash from the PC brigade.

Kennaugh was stating an opinion about the commercial state of womens cycling in 2010... there are far more serious twitter crimes being committed out there! 

 

Avatar
Hoester | 7 years ago
4 likes

There's a lot of stuff Brailsford hasn't done. He isn't Jesus.

It could be argued that what he has done is help to create the foundations of a cycling culture in which the sustained development of womens cycling is more likely to succeed.

But hey, that's far too positive an opinion to be posting on the internet.

Avatar
JeevesBath | 7 years ago
3 likes

Winning the TDF requires a huge level of focus, commitment and resources. I really cannot envisage Dave Brailsford or any other senior CEO going, "I know, let's dilute our efforts by running another completely separate team." It just wouldn't add anything to the objective.

  

Avatar
handlebarcam | 7 years ago
2 likes

A person who broadcasts their daily activities to the entire world via Twitter using that same medium to call another person "self-centred"? That, Alanis Morissette, is ironic.

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TheHound replied to handlebarcam | 7 years ago
1 like
Quote:

Why didn’t anyone ask how it could be that a publicly funded body like British Cycling joined together with a privately funded team – Sky – on a mission to get a British winner of the Tour de France within five years? Why wasn’t there a similar plan for the women? The women’s Giro d’Italia was the most important race for women but where was the funding for that? I came second twice and no one from British Cycling offered to put together a team to help me win it.

Because no woman in an executive position wanted to fund a female cycling team, and women would rather complain about not getting handouts from men rather than go and get something for themselves.

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maevans replied to TheHound | 7 years ago
5 likes
TheHound wrote:

"women would rather complain about not getting handouts from men rather than go and get something for themselves".

 

You sound nice! Probably time to check you privilege.

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TheHound replied to maevans | 7 years ago
0 likes

 

You sound nice! Probably time to check you privilege.

[/quote]

And you've nothing else to say. All I hear spouted from Feminists in various fields is "why aren't women this, why aren't women that... Men should promote women more"

How about a company owned by a woman (there's plenty out there), bank rolls a women's team or fronts up the money for tv time? Rather than complaining that a male team isn't promoting female sport.

Avatar
Rapha Nadal | 7 years ago
3 likes

I think Pissy Pete should apologise for being an idiot in general, not just in his deleted tweet.

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dawguk replied to Rapha Nadal | 7 years ago
5 likes
Rapha Nadal wrote:

I think Pissy Pete should apologise for being an idiot in general, not just in his deleted tweet.

 

Name calling isn't idiotic at all though...

Avatar
Rapha Nadal replied to dawguk | 7 years ago
0 likes

dawguk wrote:

Rapha Nadal wrote:

I think Pissy Pete should apologise for being an idiot in general, not just in his deleted tweet.

 

Name calling isn't idiotic at all though...

Awwwww, did i hurt your feelings?  Precious about Team Sky, are we?

Avatar
stenmeister | 7 years ago
4 likes

Remember when men's cycling wasn't even on the TV in this country?

I've gone to watch womens races in this country and they are just as exciting but they still don't get the tv exposure.

Start with that to generate more interest and it might just motivate some big corporation to invest to the extent that Sky did in the men.

 

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Edgeley | 7 years ago
1 like

Well, I can see why Sky might not have wanted to invest in a female team. 

 

But it is a bit chicken and egg - if they built a decent team and publicised it, they would get publicity.   Are they going to get as much publicity as the men?  No.  Is that sufficient reason not to support women's cycling?  No.

 

Another viewpoint is that there is a deep strain of male chauvinism in British cycling.   Maybe Wiggins' "descending like a girl" comment wasn't just a throw-away line.

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