Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Cycling Australia reverses decision to not send full female team to world championships

Recently withdrew funding from the Orica-AIS women's pro team...

Cycling Australia has bowed to pressure and will now fill its female selection quota for the upcoming road world championships. Only five female riders had initially been selected despite seven available places.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Chloe Hosking and Rachel Neylan successfully appealed their omissions to an independent panel on Wednesday.

Hosking – Australia’s top-ranked rider – said: "The only thing you can appeal is the process and the independent review panel found there was a flaw in process of selecting a team of five and because of that they had to go back and re-select.

"The whole idea behind the appeal wasn't because I was angry that I wasn't in the five, it was the principal that they weren't filling a full team. When I found out the appeal had been allowed and selectors would have to go back and fill the team, for me that was enough, but luckily I didn't stop training.

"It's not a process I would wish upon anyone, it's really quite stressful and definitely not geared towards optimal performances for athletes but I have a great team around me."

Australian Sports Commission (ASC) boss Kate Palmer said she believed the original decision had not been gender based but performance based. This was despite Australia’s women having earned the right to select seven riders through being ranked third in the world. The men’s team, in contrast, included Heinrich Haussler despite his only having raced eight race days this year due to a knee injury.

Cycling Australia gets funding from the ASC and Palmer did say that this would be affected if there were concerns around inequality.

Hosking welcomed the review panel’s decision, but said: "There's still more money going into men's sport, but there are big moves being made and accessibility to women's sport is becoming more readily available and that's what we need."

Cycling Australia has also recently pulled support for the Orica-AIS women's pro team as well as the men’s under-23 Mitchelton-Scott development team. Cycling Tips reports that the teams’ management company, GreenEdge Cycling, will make up the shortfall.

Cycling Australia CEO Nick Green explained: “From next year, Cycling Australia will focus on individual athletes, domestic development of road cycling and our role in the Australian Cycling Team at World Championships and Olympic Games. This is an amicable ending to a long and successful partnership and we look forward to working with GreenEdge in the future.”

GreenEdge Cycling owner, Gerry Ryan, said that the women’s team had been “one of our shining lights this year.”

He added: “The decision of others is out of our hands but we believe [the riders] deserve our support, and a lot more.”

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.

Add new comment

3 comments

Avatar
antigee | 7 years ago
0 likes

a well written background article here:

http://www.ridemedia.com.au/features/what-is-australian-cyclings-real-qu...

sadly the individual athletes stories are just the tip of the elitism iceberg - there should be more funding "under the water" at grass roots level to get more kids and more women into cycling and other sports - big money on olympic outcomes may generate interest but the system has to work  at all levels, saw similar a few years ago with Aus' soccer determined to improve world outcome and reduced the number of teams clubs could field - clubs had to choose between being in the elite leagues or welcoming all aspiring players 

meanwhile back in the UK not sure if road.cc covered similar in BMX - a sport which should be attracting kids by the zillion: 

http://www.themixedzone.co.uk/misery-sports-funding-cuts-victim/

(slow to load) 

 

 

Avatar
Valbrona | 7 years ago
1 like

And yes, anyone found guilty of gender bias should be publicly flogged.

Avatar
keirik | 7 years ago
1 like

and Cycling Australia demonstrate they are as neanderthal as the average male australian by concentrating on the mens team to the detriment fo the womens team.

 

Hands up who's surprised?

Latest Comments

  • whosatthewheel 2 min 54 sec ago

    A woman who had been crossing a road got severly injured by a self-driving Cruise taxi in SF. The car had "seen" her and activated emergency...

  • Velophaart_95 6 min 26 sec ago

    All these drivers complaining about congestion - when they're the problem causing it - but it never seems to register with them.

  • Simon14 1 hour 10 min ago

    Anyone 6'3 here? Torn on sizing. I ride size 58 in Specialized and Cannondale, Large in Giant, Large in Canyon, saddle height 82cm. I really like...

  • luk 1 hour 57 min ago

    WTF is wrong with those jerseys?  look where are the pockets ! a few cm above elbows.... how the hell do you want to access them ???

  • msackman 2 hours 10 min ago

    I'm glad to find I'm not the only one still running an ancient Bolt - mine's from 2017, and I paid £190 for it back then (which apparently is £250...

  • mdavidford 2 hours 36 min ago

    Not being familiar with the area, I can't hazard a guess at what local factors might be at play there. But if that's the case, it does rather...

  • David9694 4 hours 32 min ago

    Traffic wardens across Tonbridge and Malling only visit schools in pairs for fear of assault by parents...

  • David9694 4 hours 35 min ago

    Car flips after crash on Honicknowle Lane in Plymouth...

  • Daniel Elvebak 9 hours 31 min ago

    Yes, that's what I meant.  But Global Nomad is spot-on as well.

  • RoubaixCube 9 hours 45 min ago

    They absolutely put their foot in it with that one!