Do You Care About Woman Cycling?

[Zora_DB]

Surely Brad could twist a few arms at Sky. I'd love to start following women's racing since watching the Olympic road race, and it's really disappointing to find it's in such a bad state.

 

[Slava101]

well the sideburned one cares
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/9549351/Bradley-Wiggins-wants-to-invest-in-a-cycling-team-for-Britains-women.html
Have a word with Stef Wyman at onethedrops.com then wiggo

Apparently Dave Brailsford cares too. “As it currently exists,” he explains, “you’ve got Laura Trott, Jo Rowsell and Dani King, then you’ve got three or four very good Welsh riders, including Lucy Garner, and that’s where there is something to be done.There’s a development model, and we’ve identified it as potentially an area where we could do something.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...he-eyes-yet-more-British-cycling-success.html

 

[Leadbelly]

"If you build it, they will come" or if we change that to the current discussion "If you screen it, they will watch", but would they? I dunno.

Despite the fact that I'm going to be watching the TT today and the RR later in the week I've voted no to the poll question, but if Eurosport or whoever took the plunge and screened more of the women's races then no doubt I might start taking a bigger interest. I guess like most things it comes down to $$$$$. It's going to be a brave tv company that in this current economic situation invests money and screen time into something that might not initially give much return.

It might be interesting to find out the viewing figures for the races this week and to see how they compare. Maybe even compare the crowds at the side of the road.

One more point of interest. Sixty six people have voted "yes", but no-one as of yet has created a thread for today's TT.

 

[benny_profane]

Apparently Dave Brailsford cares too. “As it currently exists,” he explains, “you’ve got Laura Trott, Jo Rowsell and Dani King, then you’ve got three or four very good Welsh riders, including Lucy Garner, and that’s where there is something to be done.There’s a development model, and we’ve identified it as potentially an area where we could do something.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ot...he-eyes-yet-more-British-cycling-success.html

"we’ve identified it as potentially an area where we could do something" is a true Brailsfordism.

 

[cineteq]

Yes I care, I just watched the last 10 minutes of the World's ITT.
1º Judith Arndt (GER)
2º Evelyn Stevens (USA) +33"
3º Linda Villumsen (NZL) +40"

 

[l.Harm]

I watched from 15.30. Nice to see them riding the Cauberg at TT bikes. Tomorrow will be fun.

 

[RedheadDane]

Yes I care, I just watched the last 10 minutes of the World's ITT.
1º Judith Arndt (GER)
2º Evelyn Stevens (USA) +33"
3º Linda Villumsen (DEN) +40"

There! Fixed it for you!
I know she's riding for NZL!

 

[jens_attacks]

caring would mean i would follow it like i follow men's pro cycling.
so no i don't

still i watch it whenever it's on tv and i have time
glad to see judith taking the win,very impressive how she rode the cauberg.the only one who went fast there.

 

[Miburo]

caring would mean i would follow it like i follow men's pro cycling.
so no i don't

still i watch it whenever it's on tv and i have time
glad to see judith taking the win,very impressive how he rode the cauberg.the only one who went fast there.

I see what you did there

 

[jens_attacks]

I see what you did there

well that probably showed how much i care....
sorry,fixed it now

 

[Libertine Seguros]

People don't care about women's cycling => people don't read the reports on women's cycling => cyclingnews stops writing reports on women's cycling => people care even less about women's cycling

I don't think it's cyclingnews job to write reports that almost no one reads, about races almost no ones following.

It's a sad state of affairs that people finds men's sport so much better than women's sport, but it's not cyclingnews' fault.

Actually, there was discussion at one point about something tied to Pisti's response:

50% of CN articles are from Australian/English crit races or whatever no one has ever heard about.

Now, Pisti and I have locked horns a few times in our stints at this forum, but you've got to bear this in mind. This argument was about how highly-rated women's events (Emakumeen Bira and Giro del Trentino, both 2.1-rated) were placed on the main site below North American .2 races, amateur events and .NE races in the US and UK. A lot of people who look at the main site do not scroll all the way down to find relatively obscure races. THAT is something that is cyclingnews' fault, because even those who may WANT to find things out aren't able to find it, buried under an avalanche of other races they care less about. I can assure you I care a lot less about the Tour de Alice Springs, the Giro de la Panhandle or the Truth Or Consequences New Mexico Criterium Series Presented By Sonny's Bar-B-Q than I do about the major women's races, but when I have to stumble through much of the above to find the race report, it's not surprising if I give up and start looking elsewhere for women's cycling news.

"If you build it, they will come" or if we change that to the current discussion "If you screen it, they will watch", but would they? I dunno.

Despite the fact that I'm going to be watching the TT today and the RR later in the week I've voted no to the poll question, but if Eurosport or whoever took the plunge and screened more of the women's races then no doubt I might start taking a bigger interest. I guess like most things it comes down to $$$$$. It's going to be a brave tv company that in this current economic situation invests money and screen time into something that might not initially give much return.

It might be interesting to find out the viewing figures for the races this week and to see how they compare. Maybe even compare the crowds at the side of the road.

One more point of interest. Sixty six people have voted "yes", but no-one as of yet has created a thread for today's TT.

It's probably something that will need packaging in order to get it started. Start with packaging at least the highlights of the women's edition together with the re-broadcasts of the Ronde and Flèche, for example. Even throwing together a series of 15 minute videos of the women's WC races and appending them to a relevant WT race at the time could be a UCI-mandated way of getting things.

glad to see judith taking the win,very impressive how she rode the cauberg.the only one who went fast there.

I haven't seen it yet, but most comments I've seen suggest that Pooley made the Cauberg look pretty easy too, she was just too far down for it to make a difference overall.

 

[cineteq]

There! Fixed it for you!
I know she's riding for NZL!

Thanks, she certainly looks Danish.

 

[RedheadDane]

Thanks, she certainly looks Danish.

She is! She just changed nationality.

That traitor!

 

[Zora_DB]

Some folks are trying to kickstart funding for a women's team. Not wholly, but partly fan-funded. http://www.onthedrops.cc/fanbackedwomensteam/

 

[GPdesAmeriques]

Article in today's Guardian:

Lizzie Armitstead and Marianne Vos united in fighting prejudice

 

[gooner]

I was watching CBS news tonight with Scott Pelley like I do most nights and was surprised to see them doing a nice report and interview with Evelyn Stevens. She talked about her late coming into the sport and showed her win against Vos in Fleche Wallonne on the Mur de Huy with commentary from Harmon in the background. She also spoke about her recent crash and said it made her love the sport even more.

Refreshing when you consider the non-existent coverage we have today.

EDIT: It's up on their website now.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_1...-street-to-the-road-cyclists-unusual-journey/

 

[movingtarget]

I should care more and I read the results but it's the time factor as well. I spend a lot of time watching men's events and other sports. That said I prefer a good women's tennis match over three sets than 5 hours over 5 sets in a men's match when both men start to display extra terrestrial levels of endurance. Women's football is pretty good at the elite level. Maybe the question should be how many women are watching female sports ?

 

[greenedge]

I found last years' WC RR very exciting and if the opportunity to watch the aces continue to be given that is great.

Also congrats to each woman pro cyclist. They are very talented, hardworking and fighting an uphill battle in some regards.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Not much media exposure. Therefore difficult to follow & out of site is out of mind. Don't follow Track either

 

[nowhereman]

Not much media exposure. Therefore difficult to follow & out of site is out of mind. Don't follow Track either

Out of sight? Check out the babes on bikes thread. Lots of racer "babes" featured there lately. I, for one, love them. They're as competitive as the men, and they're beautiful women at the same time. Can't ask for much more!

 

[movingtarget]

I try to but lose attention. I can watch women's hockey sometimes or tennis. I refuse to watch a men's tennis match that goes for four hours or whatever. Women's track running I don't mind but the cycling kinda can't hold my interest.

 

[TheEnoculator]

I'm a Giant bike fan, so I follow all the athletes who ride Giant, men or women. So I only started following women's cycling when Vos started riding Giant in 2012. Then I started following Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, mainly because of her multi-talents (her beauty was a factor too, not going to lie), then I started following the whole Rabo women's team. So I guess I care about women's cycling to a certain extent.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I'm a Giant bike fan, so I follow all the athletes who ride Giant, men or women. So I only started following women's cycling when Vos started riding Giant in 2012. Then I started following Pauline Ferrand-Prevot, mainly because of her multi-talents (her beauty was a factor too, not going to lie), then I started following the whole Rabo women's team. So I guess I care about women's cycling to a certain extent.

Interesting concept. Other than a group with inherent interest in the brand, this way of following the sport is news to me. Are there others around?