Manic golf buggy driver chases cyclist and tries to ram him off trail while shouting “we’re going to go for a ride” in bizarre video; “Women are tired of that”: Demi Vollering slams Sydney Sweeney ad; Pogačar still up for Roubaix + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
“There were a lot of slurs, a lot of hate speech”: Manic, aggressive golf buggy driver chases cyclist and tries to ram him off trail while shouting “we’re going to go for a ride” in bizarre video
Here’s something you don’t see everyday on your morning commute. Or maybe you do, who knows?
Across the pond in Pennsylvania, cyclist Matt Dianna’s ride to work on Tuesday took a frightening, and frankly bizarre, turn when an aggressive golf cart driver chased him and attempted to ram him off a trail while allegedly shouting slurs at the cyclist.
Dianna posted a short clip of the incident, which took place on a popular off-road path near Reading, Berks County, on the Friends of the Schuylkill River Trail Facebook page.
The video shows a man driving a golf buggy approaching Dianna from behind at speed. As he nears the cyclist, the driver can be heard laughing and shouting something along the lines of: “Let’s go for a ride, we’re going to go for a ride!”
He then appears to drive into the cyclist’s back wheel (while a dog barks somewhere in the background), causing him to wobble, before speeding off into the distance, his cart’s red flag fluttering in the early morning breeze.
According to Dianna, the confrontation occurred after he told the buggy driver that he’s not allowed to drive the vehicle (normally reserved for long par fives on leafy courses) on the Schuylkill River Trail, leading to some pushing and shoving before the off-road chase sequence took place.
“I travel the SRT to work in the morning and today I had a man in a golf cart try to run me off the trail,” Dianna told the Facebook group.
“Upon telling him he can’t be on the trail with a golf cart, he stopped and laid his hands on me. I pushed him back and got on my bike and tried to continue to my job in West Reading. This is when he started to pursue me and try to run me over.
“Authorities have been contacted. Just thought I’d send a warning to other riders.”
Speaking to NBC10 Philadelphia, Dianna also claimed that the buggy driver had directed “a lot of slurs, a lot of hate speech” in his direction during the attack.
“You can hear it in the video a little bit. But he was laughing and really just trying to scare me,” he said.
“He almost ran me off the trail first and he stopped and basically pulled in front of me and started screaming at me and I started screaming back at him. He comes up and put his hands on me. I just pushed him away,” Dianna continued, adding that the subsequent chase lasted for several minutes.
“There was another encounter after the video too. He again pulled in front of me. He was basically standing in the middle of the trail in an assault position,” he said.
Reading Police have since been shown the video and said they were concerned about the behaviour depicted, while confirming that golf buggies are not permitted on the trail.
Since Dianna posted the video, other locals say they have experienced similar encounters with the trail’s manic golf enthusiast.
“We have encountered this guy multiple times while on our Wednesday taco rides and I can agree he is aggressive when told he is not to be on the trail!” Aaron Widmer said.
According to a report published in Philadelphia Magazine at the weekend, two days before Dianna’s golf buggy chase, complaints have been made in recent months about people on illegal high-speed bikes, motorbike riders, and cyclists in “Lycra onesies” riding “well above the speed limit” on the Schuylkill River Trail, creating conflict with fellow trail users.
There was nothing, oddly enough, about eejits in golf buggies in the article, though. Maybe it needs an update.
Ultra-cycling world in mourning following death of Hellenic Mountain Race champion and triple Everesting record breaker Max Riese in crash
One of ultra-cycling’s biggest names, Max Riese, has died following a crash on Tuesday, it was confirmed last night.
Riese was a veteran of the ultra-endurance scene, taking part in the likes of the Tour Divide and Hellenic Mountain Race, which he won in May. Just three weeks ago, the 33-year-old Austrian finished second at the Silk Road Mountain Race, finishing the 1,900km epic through Kyrgyzstan in eight days and 14 hours.
Last year, Riese made headlines when he set a new triple Everesting world record, taking 37 hours and 37 minutes to complete the 26,553m of vertical ascent, over a distance of 491km on his local climb of Gaisberg, just outside of Salzburg.
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According to his colleagues in the ultra-endurance scene, Riese was descending at speed on Tuesday when he collided with a deer and was killed.
Gravgrav, the gravel and bikepacking site he founded, confirmed the horrible news last night in a statement on social media.
“It is with extremely heavy hearts that we share the news that Max Riese passed away in a fatal accident on the 15.09.2026,” the statement read.
“As we all know, Max is a special soul. Although ultra-racing is an individual pursuit, Max cared deeply about the people and the community around it.
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“He leaves behind an irreplaceable space, in the larger community, for gravgrav, but mostly for his family, for Lisa, and his closest ones.
“Let’s all continue riding, exploring, bringing people together, and keep connecting the community Max cared about so deeply.
“Your spirit will live on in our hearts, in our ideas, and in our actions. You will be missed more than words can express. See you around, Max.”
Our thoughts are with Max’s family and friends at this immensely difficult time.
“You did everything with a big smile. Thank you for the inspiration, support, and for the privilege of knowing you”
Tributes are continuing to pour in following the death this week of ultra-racing star Max Riese.
In a post on Instagram, former pro race-turned-pundit Iris Slappendel wrote: “I still don’t what to say after hearing the terrible news that Max is no longer with us. I knew him as someone full of enthusiasm, energy, and positivity – someone for whom no challenge was too great and who always found a solution, even if it required a long detour (which was never a problem on a bike).
“You did everything with a big smile. Thank you for the inspiration, support, and for the privilege of knowing you. Our Lynx trail project is one of the many special projects you initiated, and it will live on – just like our memories of you. My thoughts are with your loved ones.”
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The Austrian’s shoe sponsor Quoc said: “We are heartbroken by the loss of ultra-endurance cyclist Max Riese – our longest-standing ambassador, product tester, and above all, dear friend.
“Over eight years together, Max inspired us with extraordinary feats and relentless dedication, putting our shoes through the most punishing races imaginable, then sending back some of the most thoughtfully detailed feedback we’ve ever received.
“What shone through every interaction was not just his speed and skill; it was his genuine warmth, his humility, and his kindness. Everyone on our team who worked with him felt it.
“The community has lost a remarkable rider and an even more remarkable person. Our deepest thoughts and condolences are with his family, partner, and loved ones.”
Riese’s friend and fellow ultra-racer Sofiane Sehili also paid tribute to someone he said would leave an “unfillable void” in the bikepacking community.
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“Yesterday I lost a friend. And the bikepacking community lost one of its most valuable members. Max was one of my closest companions in this tightly knit community of crazy and amazing people that is ultra-cycling,” Sehili said.
“I met him six years ago and, through numerous adventures in remote places, I got to know him very well. We rode the entire length of South Africa and Namibia together, creating a bond that only ultra-racers can understand. I visited him in Salzburg, he came to say hi in Paris. He was a true friend, someone I knew I could always count on.
“But what struck me the most, was how passionate he was about bikepacking. Very few people, if any, are as involved as he was in the community. We all know Max the racer, but through gravgrav he was also a route maker and an organiser.
“Always bringing people together, never apart. And of course, he was a passionate advocate for what unites us all: bike riding. He was never afraid to take charge, because he believed preserving the ethos of bikepacking was of the highest importance. I always admired how full of initiative he was and how much he cared about doing things the right way. His integrity was unmatched.
“As for Max the racer, by winning Hellenic and finishing second at Silk Road despite being sick, he proved to the world, he belonged with the best. He had so much to live, so much to accomplish, so much to achieve still. And now he’s gone…
“His absence will leave an unfillable void in our community. Everyone knew him and everyone liked him. He was Max. Maybe not the most well-known to the outsiders, but a true pillar for those who live and breathe bikepacking.
“My thoughts go to his partner, Lisa, and to his mother. Know that he was loved and that he will be dearly missed.”
Adidas snaps up Mathieu van der Poel on personal sponsorship deal (complete with obligatory golf photos)
Goes to show what a Tour of Luxembourg stage win can do for your bank balance.
The day after his hard-fight victory in Luxembourg-Fëschmaart, Mathieu van der Poel joined the Adidas stable of elite athletes, the German mega brand announcing what appears to be a personal (and almost certainly lucrative) deal with the Dutch superstar.
“Will the real MV(D)P please stand up,” Adidas posted on its cycling Instagram page at lunchtime.
The corresponding photo shoot didn’t just include Van der Poel on his bike, of course. There were also shots of him ready to head out on a run, sitting on a chair David Brent-style and – naturally – playing his true sporting love, golf.
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“Some play sports, he masters them,” the post continued. “Road, rock gardens, routine trips to the fairway. That’s MVDP. Welcome to the three stripes, Mathieu.”
“Proud to join such an iconic brand,” Van der Poel added in the comments, presumably from his team bus at the Tour of Luxembourg, as he changed out of his Adidas tracksuit.
Just to illustrate both Adidas and MVDP’s reach, the post has already amassed over 20,000 likes in an hour, including one from Wout van Aert. Well, the more money in cycling the better, right? Even when it’s heading to your Lambo-driving lifelong rival.
Van der Poel’s personal deal with Adidas (does this mean he’s mates with David Beckham now?) isn’t much of a surprise, coming as it does two months after his Alpecin-Premier Tech agreed a deal with the German sporting giant to make them their official off-bike clothing partner. Yes, apparently that’s a thing now.
“We are excited to partner with both the Alpecin-Premier Tech and Fenix-Premier Tech cycling teams, and proud to see the brand represented by two teams growing in confidence on the international circuit, with a shining light on their world class cyclists such as Mathieu van der Poel, Jasper Philipsen, Charlotte Kool, and Puck Pieterse,” Adidas’ GM sports specialist Kerryn Foster said at the time.
“The three stripes brand has a longstanding legacy in cycling that we are looking forward to building on both now through this partnership and in the future.”
Last year, Nike – the Wout to Adidas’ Mathieu – agreed a similar dual team and personal deal with FDJ United-Suez and the French squad’s leader Demi Vollering.
Like that arrangement, Adidas’ role with Van der Poel and Alpecin appears to be limited to off-bike clothing. So don’t expect to see a return of the early 2010s Sky look just yet.
Near Miss of the Day, bike race edition
Some impromptu rally driving from the Swatt Club DS at the Giro d’Abruzzo this afternoon, as he tried – and failed – to give his rider in the breakaway a bottle:
Close 😳
The Swatt Club team car clips a curb while trying to deliver a bidon to their rider at the Giro d’Abruzzo! pic.twitter.com/5ZwkZoon49
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) September 17, 2026
What is it with bottles and this race? It’s like there’s a curse or something.
Thankfully, that display of motoring shenanigans in the break didn’t put off Filippo D’Aiuto, the 24-year-old attacking solo from the escape to hold off the peloton for a stunning win, the second of his young career:
From the breakaway! 🔥
Filippo D’Aiuto holds on to win Stage 3 of Giro d’Abruzzo! 👏 pic.twitter.com/Qe7SA5Swa7
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) September 17, 2026
Podcast Klaxon!
On this week’s episode, Callum takes a trip to rainy Lincoln for the Tour of Britain Men, and to chat to 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas (on a giant sofa bike) and Olympic team pursuit champion-turned-active travel commissioner Ed Clancy about cycling’s safety issues, encouraging active travel, and why British domestic racing is still in the doldrums.
Plus, we dissect the Vuelta, including its neutralisation debacle, Enric Mas’s win, and Matthew Brennan’s meteoric rise to the top. Oh, and we also bicker about Callum’s strange obsession with Primož Roglič…
“I am going to contact Phil and give him a piece of my mind”: Tim Wellens isn’t taking Philippe Gilbert’s “out of touch with reality” world championships criticism lying down
It’s all kicking off in Belgium at the minute.
Yesterday, we reported on the blog that Philippe Gilbert publicly criticised Tim Wellens’ refusal to race for the national team at next week’s worlds in Canada, after Wellens made a late-season agreement with his UAE Team Emirates squad to stay in Europe.
According to Gilbert, by prioritising his trade team over Belgium, Wellens was being “disloyal” to his national teammates, with the former world champion even claiming that the UAE rider was “completely out of touch with reality”.
Ouch. And it turns out Wellens isn’t going to take that scathing criticism lying down.
“I was quite shocked by Phil’s statement. I am going to send him a message to find out exactly why he used those words,” the Tour of Britain winner told Het Nieuwsblad.
“Well, apparently an analyst gets more attention when he presents a negative narrative. In that regard, I am more of a fan of Tom Boonen’s approach, who often takes a more positive stance.
“But once again, I am going to contact Phil and give him a piece of my mind.”
Get the popcorn ready…
Derek Gee-West set to miss time trial at home world championships after injuring ribs in crash – with road race appearance still in doubt
Talk about bad timing. A week out from the start of a home world championships, Derek Gee-West – one of Canada’s biggest hopes for success in Montreal – crashed with around 40km remaining of Sunday’s GP Montreal, injuring his ribs.
Those injuries have ruled him out of both the mixed relay and the individual time trial, the Lidl-Trek rider confirmed last night, though Gee-West is confident he’ll be fit enough to take part in the road race, where the hilly course should suit him.
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“Small bump on the road to home Worlds Montreal 2026,” the 29-year-old, who finished fifth at this year’s Giro, posted.
“Unfortunately, the ribs didn’t make it out of the crash on Sunday in one piece, so I won’t be lining up for the Individual Time Trial or the Mixed Team Relay.
“I’ll do everything I can to line up next Sunday for the road race in the best shape possible in front of the home crowd, and can’t wait to see the Canadians rip it up across the rest of the events!”
“It’s sad that women still need to have this conversation”: Demi Vollering and women’s peloton hit out at controversial Sydney Sweeney betting ad
“One ad, and the internet went wild,” began Demi Vollering’s Instagram post. So you know what this is going to be about, then.
This week, the discourse surrounding women’s sport has been dominated by US actress Sydney Sweeney’s controversial viral advert for betting company Novig. The provocative ad, which shows the Euphoria star covered by sports equipment while wearing very little else, has provoked widespread backlash from athletes all week, who have accused her of sexualising and belittling women’s sport.
The cycling world has also weighed in on the issue, with Lotto Intermarché joining the now ubiquitous ‘This is what “women in sports” really looks like’ with this video posted last night:
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Meanwhile, Olympic team sprint champion Sophie Capewell told the BBC that the issue demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding among ad companies concerning how women competing in sport want to be represented in media.
“It’s almost like people miss the mark, they don’t fully understand why people are upset about it,” she said.
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And this year’s Tour de France winner Demi Vollering, a passionate advocate for the positive impact of sport on women and girls, has penned her own lengthy take on the subject.
“Maybe it’s good that it started a conversation. But it’s also sad that women still need to have this conversation,” Vollering wrote on Instagram.
“For a very long time, women have fought to be seen for what they can DO, not only for how they look. And I think many women are simply tired of that.
“Especially in sport, because sport can teach us something completely different about our bodies. Not: How do I look? But: What can I do? How strong can I become? How fast can I go? What can I achieve with this body?
“I think this matters in particular for young girls. During puberty, their bodies change, periods start and many become much more conscious of how others look at them. Research from Women in Sport shows that 1.3 million girls in the UK who once loved sport drop out during their teenage years. Only 23 per cent dream of reaching the top in sport, compared with 53 per cent of boys.”
The Dutch superstar continued: “At exactly that age, I want sport to be a place where girls can worry a little less about how their body looks and discover what their body can do. And being strong doesn’t make you less feminine.
“You can race a bike until there is nothing left in your legs and still love putting on a beautiful dress. You can have muscles and feel feminine. You can be powerful and vulnerable.
“Women’s sport is growing incredibly fast. With that comes an opportunity, and I think also a responsibility, for athletes, brands, media and sports organisations.
“What do we want the next generation to see? I know what I hope to show: That your body is so much more than something to look at. It can take you places you never dreamed possible. It all starts with dreaming…”
Looks like the non-compatible cat is finally out of the bag…
This morning, after months of speculation (mostly in our tech group chat), Shimano finally unveiled its completely new SPD-SLR clipless pedal system, with an entirely redesigned pedal platform and cleat, for its high-level Dura-Ace and Ultegra ranges.
Our tech editor Mat has the low-down on new pedals and cleats, and why they’re not cross-compatible (even if they look similar to Shimano’s older models) here:
Meanwhile, Liam has been testing them out on the roads of Somerset. His verdict? Great, but a bit annoying. So quite like Liam himself, then… (only joking, Cahill!)
Guillaume Martin set to ride on thanks to one-year deal with Lotto-Intermarché
The peloton’s resident philosopher Guillaume Martin is set for at least another year in the peloton, after agreeing a one-year deal with Lotto-Intermarché.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for the 33-year-old, who spent four seasons at Wanty-Gobert, the squad later known as Intermarché, which merged with Lotto last winter.
Martin, who has a Masters in philosophy and three rather weighty books to his name, has spent the last two seasons with Groupama-FDJ after moving from Cofidis at the end of 2024, and finished 11th overall at this month’s Vuelta a España.
That result was his 10th top 15 placing at a grand tour, with eighth on GC at the 2021 Tour de France and ninth at the following year’s Vuelta his best placings at three-week races, where he’s been a consistent, attacking presence for much of the past decade.
The 33-year-old has been drafted in by Lotto to guide the Belgian squad’s young line-up, though he will also free to chase GC results and perhaps add to his haul of 11 pro victories so far.
“I may have flown a little under the radar over the past two years. I still believe I have what it takes to fight for a top ten finish in a Grand Tour,” he said in a statement published by his team. “Finishing eleventh in the recent Vuelta reinforces that belief.
“The WorldTour remains my terrain, and I feel I still have something to achieve there. The Giro d’Italia is the only Grand Tour in which I haven’t finished in the top ten yet, so that remains a dream of mine.
“But of course, the Tour de France is also on my mind. For every French rider – and really for every rider – it remains a very special race.”
You can’t park there, mate! #2,387,901
The pun’s almost as bad as the parking itself:
Park? More like PARKing space!
Urgh
— David Gregory-Kumar (@drdavidgk.bsky.social) September 17, 2026 at 12:49 PM
Almost.
“We still have the same confidence in Tadej”: Pogačar won’t give up on Paris-Roubaix until he wins it, as UAE Team Emirates boss insists “we can’t think about avoiding falls”
Phew, that was a close one.
For a brief window this month, it looked like we were going to miss out on another Tadej Pogačar Roubaix attempt next spring.
Rumours were swirling a few days ago that the five-time Tour de France winner – back on the turbo trainer this week following his season-ending Vuelta crash – was contemplating skipping Paris-Roubaix in 2027 to concentrate on other goals. And to avoid the argy-bargy crash fest that characterises the Hell of the North.
Those rumours have been quashed, however, by Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates principal Mauro Gianetti, who insists that winning Roubaix (and completing the monuments set) remains high on the Slovenian’s list of priorities for next season.
Pogačar has only raced in ‘Hell’ twice, in the past two years, finishing second on both occasions to Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, respectively. And Gianetti says his team leader’s brutal Vuelta crash has not changed their approach to a race traditionally deemed too risky for the sport’s grand tour contenders.
“We still have the same confidence in Tadej,” Gianetti told Radio Corsa. “Roubaix may seem more risky than other races, but when you look at it, the worst crashes with the most serious consequences lately don’t happen there.
“They happen in races and situations like the one where Tadej crashed [at the Vuelta]. Situations where the speed is extremely high, and the whole peloton is packed very closely together.
“High-speed crashes are more devastating than what might happen at Roubaix. If you crash on the pavé, you may be traveling at a lower speed. Roubaix is a difficult race, but we’ve seen that it’s not the only place where you can fall.
“We’ll have to think about the calendar, but we can’t think about avoiding falls. Rather, we must try to get to the race fresh, so that the riders have maximum concentration. That is the most important thing.”
Is this the best use of an exercise bike ever?
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“Was she dicking about in the way like the rest of them?”
In case you missed it last night, the Daily Mail’s readership is at it again:
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A sad end to the original company. I've certainly spent a lot of money there over the years. What concerns me most is the total lack of any mention of support those who've lost their jobs. Companies are usually at pains to say they will do their utmost to assist those made redundant to find new jobs - here it is "heartbroken that more of our people... could not come with us" and "colleagues who will not be joining us on this next chapter, and my thoughts are very much with them." All very hollow sounding and zero consolation to those discarded staff members.
Based on comments, it seems I’ve messed up big time here… a few weeks ago I did some volunteer marshalling at our local Ironman event - riding in front of the lead runner to clear the way. I rode my gravel bike with its 38mm 30psi tyres and suspended headset because it’s so comfortable at 16km/h rather than any of my road bikes - but it was all on the road 😩. Perhaps road rides aren’t all “head down arse up”, sometimes it’s just a really enjoyable bike ride.
It's been a while since I've seen a production bike that looks this good. And with a geometry I can understand. But the icing on the cake is the seatpost - a regular 27.2 round post?!! On a bike that costs this much?! It's just plain nuts to have a superbike that makes this much common sense. Well done, Look. You remain one of my favourite brands.
@Surreyrider Most roads around the world are compacted dirt or gravel / aggregate, go back to asphalt.cc
But Police farces up and down the country are keen to crow about sending small armies to catch cyclists on ebikes doing 17mph which must therefore be an illegally modified bike or riding antisocially, then stealing those bikes and "crushing" them (or selling them to fund the Policemans Ball)
Tradesman ridicules suggestion of carrying tools by bike by.... [checks notes] successfully carrying tools by bike. That'll learn them.
The first comment on the Facebore post linked above is basically "what about when it's raining? Or if your job is far away? Ha! Checkmate, cyclists!" Well, er, no. That's when you use a van. The hard of thinking seem to believe that once you've used a bike you can never, ever go back to using a motor vehicle, for any reason ever.
Is that for giving a different kind of signal to drivers?
@Steve K You're more charitable than I: although Ofcom does impose a requirement for balance on his type of show, it's not a news programme, he doesn't have to be absolutely strictly impartial. I suspect he's well aware of the fact that the majority of his audience likely lean towards the anti-cyclist end of the spectrum and doesn't want them turning off/over by being too much the other way.
@Surreyrider Just wondering, how do you feel about gravel roads and bikes designed for same?
12 thoughts on “Manic golf buggy driver chases cyclist and tries to ram him off trail while shouting “we’re going to go for a ride” in bizarre video; “Women are tired of that”: Demi Vollering slams Sydney Sweeney ad; Pogačar still up for Roubaix + more on the live blog”
Article on BBC News today (well apparently published yesterday, but I saw it today): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmdx0jzzpd89o
Pretty good for the BBC, if a little insipid. Only comment that I had an issue with was David Kennedy of the Scottish Police Federation saying “If you are on an e-bike and you are wearing a face covering, the concern I have got is you are not wearing a helmet”. Yeah, that’s definitely the main concern…
@OnYerBike Better than most, for including a little explainer of e-bikes. Though I don’t actually agree with “strictly speaking [e-bike] refers to an EAPC” – if it did, we wouldn’t need ‘EAPC’. I also don’t agree with “then there are electric dirt bikes from manufacturers such as Sur-Ron which look like mountain bikes”. Erm, no, they don’t, not least as they don’t have pedals – they look much more like petrol-engined dirt bikes.
@quiff And not all EAPCs comply with the EAPC regulations:
Viz; fitted with pedals, have max 250W motor, 15mph cut off, etc..
An EAPC that does not comply with the regulations, is treated as a motor vehicle, etc..
To paraphrase the DVSA & DoT guidance. 🙂
South America (South Park) put out an episode on eBikes overnight. Who’s watched it?
Cartman wants an eBike, you know, one of the ugly fast ones, then every other kid gets one. Turns out Randy is in a cycling club. Somehow they’re all riding retro frames with downtube shifters yet they’re wearing modern SPD-SL pedals.
I’m not sure what to make of it, it certainly made me laugh. I think the drivers getting angry at Randy and co while riding was pretty funny and reasonable (They *were* in the middle of the *road*, not the lane!). I also appreciated Stan and Kyle pointed out they were more autonomous with their bikes. Maybe doesn’t usually apply specifically to eBikes.
@Boopop South Park is still going?!
@AidanR Uhh…yep. It never stopped, really.
@the infamous grouse I think a calendar with shots of women cyclists competing or training would be much better.
I am still on tablets as a result of seeing the cycling video for Ariana Grande’s “Side To Side” a few years ago. I later found out that the lyrics were even ruder than the video 😯
@Mr Blackbird i find it all quite laughable, the person being targeted isn’t pretending to be a sportsperson … she’s being eyecandy.
surely the women in sport don’t care about or aren’t interested in male recognition?
@the infamous grouse I would imagine most women in sport’s priorities are the same as men in sport, in no particular order:
Sporting success (titles, medals etc),
Personal satisfaction,
Respect from fellow professionals,
Respect from the media (much less important than that from fellow professionals),
The feeling of belonging and contributing to a team,
Fair renumeration and being able to make a living from the sport.
I do think that women’s sport (and men’s to a lesser extent) is still sometimes patronised by parts of the media, where there is total ignorance of the talent, efforts and sacrifices required to get to the top. One example of this was the past heralding of Katy Price aiming to make the GB Olympic Equestrian squad. I’m not sure whether things like this calendar contributes to the patronisation.
Got to take issue with “traditionally” there, Coppi, Anquetil, Merckx, Moser, Hinault, Fignon all rode it (all bar Anquetil and Fignon winning at least one) and further back GT winners like Garin, Lapize, Pelissier, Maes etc all won, one could go as far as to say that traditionally grand tour contenders frequently rode it and frequently won, it’s only in the modern era that teams have decided that they shouldn’t risk their golden geese.
Honestly, the backlash to the Novig advert is not wide enough.
For future reference:
https://www.thisgirlcan.co.uk/