Copenhagen World Championships: Elite Women Road Race, 140km

[taiwan]

Surely they still need to have the eveningwear and the swimwear races and say they like animals and do charity work before a winner can be chosen?

(Attempt at irony, I'll delete if taken the wrong way.)

 

[Galic Ho]

Dont see what looks got to do with their cycling. Maybe the knuckle-draggers could post pics of them selfs and let us have a go?

Marketing champ. Go watch womens tennis. Oh that's right, nobody watches womens tennis for the sport. They go for grunting and womens bodies in short skirts and tank tops. Do you seriously think that joke of a race compares to the mens efforts? Sure it was mostly the course but it was bad racing all round apart from two nations on a horrible course. Then a woman (no offense to her she can't help it) with a mug like that wins for the second year in a row. This is the one womens event most regular viewers will watch all year.

Get the picture yet? It's about image and it always has been in pro sports. Todays image ain't appealing regardless of how you can spin it. Advertisers would run screaming in the opposite direction if given this spectacle to sell womens cycling, which does need more support. This event isn't selling something I liked too much. Personally if it weren't for the Dutch I was saying to those I watched with that womens cycling would have been a joke had they not pulled in the lone break.

 

[el chava]

I rather have an interesting race than big crowds outside.

I might be biased as I live in Copenhagen, but I seem to remember previous Worlds on quite hard courses being boring as well. I do agree that they should have organized this around Vejle instead, but this World is all about the dubious concept of "City Branding" and not about a quality cycling race. In this perspective it is pretty interesting to hear that people find the images of Copenhagen to be dull.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Marketing champ. Go watch womens tennis. Oh that's right, nobody watches womens tennis for the sport. They go for grunting and womens bodies in short skirts and tank tops. Do you seriously think that joke of a race compares to the mens efforts? Sure it was mostly the course but it was bad racing all round apart from two nations on a horrible course. Then a woman (no offense to her she can't help it) with a mug like that wins for the second year in a row. This is the one womens event most regular viewers will watch all year.

Get the picture yet? It's about image and it always has been in pro sports. Todays image ain't appealing regardless of how you can spin it. Advertisers would run screaming in the opposite direction if given this spectacle to sell womens cycling, which does need more support. This event isn't selling something I liked too much. Personally if it weren't for the Dutch I was saying to those I watched with that womens cycling would have been a joke had they not pulled in the lone break.

women cycling is quite entertaining, but I'm sure it is easy for you to be objective when you watch one race a year.

 

[Skip Madness]

Marketing champ. Go watch womens tennis. Oh that's right, nobody watches womens tennis for the sport. They go for grunting and womens bodies in short skirts and tank tops. Do you seriously think that joke of a race compares to the mens efforts? Sure it was mostly the course but it was bad racing all round apart from two nations on a horrible course. Then a woman (no offense to her she can't help it) with a mug like that wins for the second year in a row. This is the one womens event most regular viewers will watch all year.

Get the picture yet? It's about image and it always has been in pro sports. Todays image ain't appealing regardless of how you can spin it. Advertisers would run screaming in the opposite direction if given this spectacle to sell womens cycling, which does need more support. This event isn't selling something I liked too much. Personally if it weren't for the Dutch I was saying to those I watched with that womens cycling would have been a joke had they not pulled in the lone break.

Normally the women's road races tend to be at least as (and often more) exciting than the men's, one crappy year doesn't change that.

And advertisers should be being drawn into women's cycling for the cycling, not for whether the competitors match up to your tastes. If women's cycling goes the latter way then it's hardly worth bothering with at all.

I also don't see what was so great about the Dutch team, all they did was pull back a one-rider break and lead out a sprint. Tactical overload!

 

[taiwan]

Marketing champ. Go watch womens tennis. Oh that's right, nobody watches womens tennis for the sport. They go for grunting and womens bodies in short skirts and tank tops. Do you seriously think that joke of a race compares to the mens efforts? Sure it was mostly the course but it was bad racing all round apart from two nations on a horrible course. Then a woman (no offense to her she can't help it) with a mug like that wins for the second year in a row. This is the one womens event most regular viewers will watch all year.

Get the picture yet? It's about image and it always has been in pro sports. Todays image ain't appealing regardless of how you can spin it. Advertisers would run screaming in the opposite direction if given this spectacle to sell womens cycling, which does need more support. This event isn't selling something I liked too much. Personally if it weren't for the Dutch I was saying to those I watched with that womens cycling would have been a joke had they not pulled in the lone break.

You can't seriously want the race to be fixed in favour of someone pretty (subjective anyway). Are you saying this from the point of view of financial viability or personal preference? It's unclear.

There are more ways than one to market sportspeople of either gender IMO.

 

[Sørensen]

Marketing champ. Go watch womens tennis. Oh that's right, nobody watches womens tennis for the sport. They go for grunting and womens bodies in short skirts and tank tops. Do you seriously think that joke of a race compares to the mens efforts? Sure it was mostly the course but it was bad racing all round apart from two nations on a horrible course. Then a woman (no offense to her she can't help it) with a mug like that wins for the second year in a row. This is the one womens event most regular viewers will watch all year.

Get the picture yet? It's about image and it always has been in pro sports. Todays image ain't appealing regardless of how you can spin it. Advertisers would run screaming in the opposite direction if given this spectacle to sell womens cycling, which does need more support. This event isn't selling something I liked too much. Personally if it weren't for the Dutch I was saying to those I watched with that womens cycling would have been a joke had they not pulled in the lone break.

Lies! Kournikova become popular solely due to her ace tennis skills!! Also how can it be a chock to someone that men like to look at pretty girls...

 

[Skip Madness]

Lies! Kournikova become popular solely due to her ace tennis skills!! Also how can it be a chock to someone that men like to look at pretty girls...

Men are allowed to look at pretty girls if they want. But as pantsarefortheold said...

Dont see what looks got to do with their cycling.

 

[pantsarefortheold]

Marketing champ. Go watch womens tennis. Oh that's right, nobody watches womens tennis for the sport. They go for grunting and womens bodies in short skirts and tank tops. Do you seriously think that joke of a race compares to the mens efforts? Sure it was mostly the course but it was bad racing all round apart from two nations on a horrible course. Then a woman (no offense to her she can't help it) with a mug like that wins for the second year in a row. This is the one womens event most regular viewers will watch all year.

Get the picture yet? It's about image and it always has been in pro sports. Todays image ain't appealing regardless of how you can spin it. Advertisers would run screaming in the opposite direction if given this spectacle to sell womens cycling, which does need more support. This event isn't selling something I liked too much. Personally if it weren't for the Dutch I was saying to those I watched with that womens cycling would have been a joke had they not pulled in the lone break.

You sure read a lot of my short post. I am not going to defend todays race, it was patetic. I just think constant comments on their looks is even more patetic. I watch sports if I find it entertaining( I dont like tennis), if your in to the grunts and the moans there are films for that.

 

[canyonball]

I don't know about others, but it hurts my eyes everytime I have to see Serena Williams play.

Not much to add regarding today's race. You could cut 100 km and half the peloton, no one would notice, it wouldn't have an impact. Elite women must take their part of the blame. But the course...If you join this parcour with last years', I would say UCI pushed the envelope (even though Geelong was much better, no doubt) If it came in another time, maybe I'll just let it pass.

 

[Anonymous]

You sure read a lot of my short post. I am not going to defend todays race, it was patetic. I just think constant comments on their looks is even more patetic. I watch sports if I find it entertaining( I dont like tennis), if your in to the grunts and the moans there are films for that.

stormy daniels is great

 

[Sørensen]

Men are allowed to look at pretty girls if they want. But as pantsarefortheold said...

But it would be sweet if we can combine our passion for cycling with our passion for pretty girls no?

Also as a female friend told me not so long ago, that she loved looking at men cycling in those tight shorts, where you can see it "all" moving around down there.. so works both ways i guess. Only difference is no one gets offended by that.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

But it would be sweet if we can combine our passion for cycling with our passion for pretty girls no?

Also as a female friend told me not so long ago, that she loved looking at men cycling in those tight shorts, where you can see it "all" moving around down there.. so works both ways i guess. Only difference is no one gets offended by that.

Plenty of female cycling fans like some of the cyclists, sure. But they don't feel the need to complain every time one that isn't so attractive wins a race.

 

[taiwan]

I don't know about others, but it hurts my eyes everytime I have to see Serena Williams play.

Poor you. Watch fashion TV instead of tennis if you get offended by looking at sportswomen. And if there's a racial dimension to your post then **** you. That is all.

 

[Descender]

Vos second again hahaha.

 

[Galic Ho]

women cycling is quite entertaining, but I'm sure it is easy for you to be objective when you watch one race a year.

Where did I say I watch one event a year? I was talking about selling a sport that I made the distinction needs more support. Something I do almost everytime I post about womens cycling. Womens cycling needs more help and advertising wise, this aint what it needs. I was talking about advertising, nothing more.

Put it this way, if Liz Hatch was a lot more talented and had the results Berzini had, this conversation would be over. Not that it matters to me, but to those you want to sell your sport to yes it does matter. It's about the stats and this spectacle ain't prospective. As for the posrting effots, at least some of the women tried...can't ask more than that only that more did. Which brings us to the men...hope some of them do.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

women cycling is quite entertaining, but I'm sure it is easy for you to be objective when you watch one race a year.

I don't think marketing for a minority sport tends to be focused on people who already watch more than 1 race a year.

 

[canyonball]

Poor you. Watch fashion TV instead of tennis if you get offended by looking at sportswomen. And if there's a racial dimension to your post then **** you. That is all.

Easy man. It was a joke/light sentence. Don't get defensive and assume there's racism into it. I was just saying I don't find her attractive at all and yet she has no problems with popularity amongst tennis fans. I do like women tennis.It's unpredictable. The fact we have Stosur or Schiavone winning slams is seen as a negative thing by a lot of fans... But for me that drama is part of the sport.

But it's the internet...I should have none better. I'll remove the sentence if you wish or if it offended you. Just say the word.

 

[Galic Ho]

Plenty of female cycling fans like some of the cyclists, sure. But they don't feel the need to complain every time one that isn't so attractive wins a race.

My mum complains about them all the time. Especially Kohl. He's ranked lowest. Only a face a mother could love.

 

[Zoetemelk-fan]

UCI should just say f*ck you to crappy bids like this. Not worthy of a World championship imo. Thank god next year in Valkenburg and the year after in Firenze are going to be decent races. Especially next year as no one will want to go with Phil to the foot of the Cauberg.

Now, what a delight it would be if the elite men will be able to close your mouth tomorrow and make a race of the century.

But, frankly, I don't see that. Small hills with ascent of max. 20-30m and a long, long middle-section before the finish to close any gap of escapers, that is just pure crap. So I totally agree with you. Apart from the visual beauty, the route is a disgrace from a pure competitive point of view.

Apart from that, I don't think there are so many alternatives for harder routes near Copenhagen. Next year the Giro will visit Denmark, 1st and 2nd stages around Herning should be pretty flat and windy, but 3rd stage around Horsens could make opportunities for a petite AGR.

 

[Sørensen]

Plenty of female cycling fans like some of the cyclists, sure. But they don't feel the need to complain every time one that isn't so attractive wins a race.

Well is that some kind of fact? This forum is largely male dominated if i'm not mistaken, but iirc. a certain picture of Michael Rasmussen wasent so well received by some posters here. Can't say if they were male or female, nor should it matter..

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

As someone pointed out, a person's looks have nothing to do with their athletic abilties.

Take it to the BAbes on Bikes thread or the Clinic. Or open a thread where you can rationally discuss (fat chance) the effects of physical attractiveness on sports marketing strategies.

Otherwise, leave it alone. It is disgusting.

Susan

 

[Mellow Velo]

*** edited by mod ***

 

[Galic Ho]

You can't seriously want the race to be fixed in favour of someone pretty (subjective anyway). Are you saying this from the point of view of financial viability or personal preference? It's unclear.

There are more ways than one to market sportspeople of either gender IMO.

Where did I say the race should be fixed? Let alone for a pretty woman to win? Heck if that were the case I'd have one of the podium girls win.

Cut out the head of the winner, heck the upper body and ask a random stranger whether this was a mens or womens winner. Catching my drift? I've seen her before so clearly I don't watch womens cycling to check out the aesthetic qualitty I watch for the bike racing. Sure any person cannot really help how they look but given the sad predicament of a course and the lack of enthusiasm shown by many teams (that's why I liked the Dutch, they had a go) iI would hate to be the person selling the event to the masses. Womens tennis has the best formula. So does womens golf. Pretty them up and slap em in a bikini in a sports mag.

So where does that leave me with this as an adveriser and marketer? The sport which this thread has shown wasn't very good. If the sex doesn't sell, then you've gotta go on substance and this had llittle. With neither how do I pitch this as a must watch event and sport? Also don't act like women don't go nuts over male sports stars. They do, especially for footy players. Women have a harder sell to make in their respective sports, hence why both image and quality are needed. All I was saying todays event had neither. UCI can take the blame for the quality...that's the course.

 

[taiwan]

Easy man. It was a joke. Don't get defensive and assume there's racism into it. I was just saying I don't find her attractive at all and yet she has no problems with popularity amongst tennis fans. I do like women tennis.It's unpredictable. The fact we have Stosur or Schiavone winning slams is seen as a negative thing by a lot of fans... But for me that drama is part of the sport.

But it's the internet...I should have none better. I'll remove the sentence if you wish or if it offended you. Just say the word.

Obviously that's not the only touchy statement on the internet or even this thread, and I don't expect you to delete it or anything, but of course I can reply. That's that though - I have no opinions on tennis. Don't watch it.