More background has emerged over the origin of the Colombian women's team kit that has been the centre of probably the biggest cycling-gear-related social media furore ever, and UCI president Brian Cookson announced yesterday that the organisation was "on the case."
A report from Spanish website ABC.es says that the IDRD-Bogota Humana-San Mateo-Solgar kit was designed by team rider Angie Rojas, according to Bogota Cycling League president Carlos Orlando Ferreira Pinzón.
Ferreira said that the team had been competing in this clothing without comment until this image from the team presentation at the women's Tour of Tuscany went whizzing round the world.
Yesterday evening, cycling's world governing body weighed in with this tweet from president Brian Cookson:
To the many who have raised the issue of a certain women's team kit, we are on the case. It is unacceptable by any standard of decency.
— Brian Cookson OBE (@BrianCooksonUCI) September 14, 2014
A few people responded that there were bigger problems in women's cycling than this kit. Marcos Marín said: "I think there are lots of more important issues in #womenscycling to fix than a brown kit. That race i.e."
Last year the Giro Toscana saw over half the field abandon on the final day because of safety issues, which Marín clearly thinks is rather more important than how a few skinsuits look on a presentation podium.
It also turns out that the problem could be, quite literally, a trick of the light. Cycling journalist Ben Atkins, who follows women's racing closely, tweeted:
@BrianCooksonUCI Can I suggest a response like: "OMG you won't believe this, but in some lights the GOLD bits on your kit look a bit flesh."
— Ben Atkins (@benatkins_uk) September 14, 2014
Meanwhile, the fuss has even made the BBC news, though to spare Middle England's blushes, Aunty has carefully modified the image, as you can see here:
24 thoughts on “Brian Cookson says UCI “on the case” over Colombian women’s team kit”
It is only the skinsuit that
It is only the skinsuit that has the GOLD patch
Here is a close up selfie
Here is a close up selfie from Angie of the kit. Doesn’t look bad in this photo. It is only that one from Italy that makes it look bad. They have been racing this kit for months, nearly 9, but the only issue has been when they come to Europe.
Cookson, get your finger out of your arse and sort out the real problems, teams stealing from their own riders and then not paying them
Gkam84 wrote:Cookson, get
QFT
This is their previous kit
This is their previous kit and I believe the gold from this kit was supposed to be the same on the skinsuit, both designed by Angie.
What would the UCI rather have, that or one with a bottle of pills on it…..
Gkam84 wrote:This is their
Im not sure why the UCI would have a problem with vitamins? Or are *all* pills evil?
An absolute dick move from
An absolute dick move from Cookson, perhaps he should step away from Twitter, or at least be better advised before he goes swinging in and publicly bullying a small cycling team.
Did the BBC really blank out
Did the BBC really blank out the groins? Seriously? Fools.
Yes they did just saw it on
Yes they did just saw it on News 24 – they have to lets face it they look like they have their shorts down! Sorry but this kit is degrading to women. Even the selfie is downright dangerous. Light colours around personal areas should be a complete no-no.
hairyairey wrote: Light
That definitely should be a rule – no more white shorts, not a good look (even on world champions).
hairyairey wrote:Yes they did
Yes, absolutely! In fact one of the riders designed it. She must be into degrading herself!
Let’s help them all by banning light colored clothing under the waistline. While we’re at it, they should also wear long skirts that go down to their ankles to protect their modesty from their own wicked desires!
And ban all dangerous selfies!
We know best what they really want, right?
hairyairey wrote:Yes they did
It was designed by a woman!
I think a lot of the indignation around the kit degrading woman is daft. IN the photo it makes them look like they are partially undressed and that’s why peopleare laughing at it. If it was a team of men in a similar kit people would be lqaughing at them too and I doubt if we would hear anything about it being degrading to men.
More stuff has been posted on
More stuff has been posted on here since I commented on the other article on this. Might be wrong but one pic that Angie posted up showed the skinsuit gold has a distinctive darker pattern very similar in design to the engraving on one exhibit at the Bogota Gold Museum called the San Agustin armband.
Bit of a variation on her previous design as posted up by Gkam84. I wonder whether she was influenced by the museum’s exhibit(s) or maybe Bogota Humana’s inclusion as a sponsor required some kind of identification with a major tourist attraction in the city. Just guessing.
Odd that there is no uproar
Odd that there is no uproar when the bulge in the men’s shorts are in view, yet there is drama over this !?
Good grief
Do the women racing in the
Do the women racing in the kit have a problem with it ? If not then what is the problem ? Outraged on behalf of someone else is a modern phenomenon that makes me feel sad for humanity.
Seems to me people see what
Seems to me people see what they want to see, and forget that photos can easily give a wrong impression – especially on a screen. This kit’s been in use all year without anyone getting their knickers in a twist about it. And several men’s teams’ kit has been far, far worse – especially when wet!
Maybe it’s just me, but I
Maybe it’s just me, but I thought the issue was that there appeared to be dark pubic hair where, er, pubic hair is. Combined with what seemed to be (“trick of the light”) flesh colour in the midriff area, for a split second the women appear to be wearing see through clothing from groin upwards to the white bit.
You can’t see this in the photo above because of the black strip.
So there is an issue. There may well be other issues (safety of the race, status of women’s cycling etc.) But still an issue.
the moral indignation
the moral indignation surrounding this photo has distinct echos of that edwardian ‘advice for lady cyclists’ article that does the rounds every so often, the one about not having a ‘bicycle face’ and so on…
Will Brian be personally
Will Brian be personally checking the crotch of every female rider for acceptable and decent standards?
I dont think the outrage has
I dont think the outrage has anything to do with morality . Its about the traditional view of women as objects to be rated for their looks, not for what they do.
Nor is it solely down to what those individual women say about it, as it impacts all racing.
As for being outraged on someone elses behalf, you cant be, but you can be outraged on your own behalf. I find discrimination outrageous, whomever its aimed at.
Otherwise any wrong you can mention should be ignored by everyone not the direct target, so for example lets disband the police right now, as whatever happens,its nothing to do with anyone else.
robert posts child wrote:Nor
Please, do enlighten us all as to what impact this kit has had on all racing, given that this kit has been ridden in for pretty much a full season now.
Alex Murray has fired his
Alex Murray has fired his FACT CANNON: http://www.chasingwheels.com/road-racing/professional-road-racing/5-things-you-should-know-about-that-colombian-cycling-kit
I wish the UCI put the same
I wish the UCI put the same effort into growing Womans cycling. Really, I just don’t think this is a big deal, i’ve seen far worse on the streets in this country.
I’m not sure what’s worse.
I’m not sure what’s worse. People being outraged by the kit or people being outraged at people being outraged at the kit.
Meh. I’m off to ride my bike.
and people think the photos
and people think the photos of those ladies were indecent, have you been seen the rowers photos….wonder how much furore happened their photos were published