Worst. Kit. Ever.

[ultraman6970]

Don't get why the black lines, no camel toes or anything.

[1centaur]

So the BBC story says the kit was designed by one of the women on the team. I suspect it's a combination of the way the picture looks vs. the way real life looks and a genuine failure of design concept. It may have been designed on the screen and not placed on bodies and contemplated. I would like to think a design pro is incapable of making this mistake.

The more I looked at it the more I thought that it looks like it was designed from a template and the designer's focus was on the top and on the bottom and the middle part was left alone. Whether the designer picked that brownish shade to be different from boring old black or that was the default color of the pre-dyed fabric is an open question.

As for the UCI's role, they refer to a code number the kit might violate. They either do or should have the right to reject kit that reflects badly on their sport, as should all "leagues."

[Dead Man]

Are they NOT shaded in the nether region, to give the impression of nudity? Is that only real shadowing giving the illusion? I suppose it could be a trick of lighting in the photo, but it SURE looks like they designed to look like trimmed/shaved vulvas.

[unterhausen]

pretty sure the flesh color is uniform, and any shading is actually a shadow.

[nooneline]

It's not a flesh color. It's gold. It photographs poorly.

[CunegoFan]

Originally Posted by 1centaur

As for the UCI's role, they refer to a code number the kit might violate. They either do or should have the right to reject kit that reflects badly on their sport, as should all "leagues."

Then it should have a formal set of rules and a process for approval. It should not be El Presidente puffing himself up by placating the social media mob.

One of the biggest problems with the UCI is that is has been run like a dictatorship where rules are made up on the spot without consultation with all the stakeholders, where rules are bent or circumvented, and where policies are implemented through backchannels outside of the rules. Thus we got McQuaid blackballing riders like Rasmussen and Landis, telling teams not to hire them with the threat that a team's Pro Tour status might be in jeopardy if it disobeyed. Cookson was supposed to change this. Instead we got the Kreuziger fiasco, and now he needs to decide on the appropriateness of a non-Anglo country's idea of kit design.

[1centaur]

Originally Posted by CunegoFan

Then it should have a formal set of rules and a process for approval. It should not be El Presidente puffing himself up by placating the social media mob.

One of the biggest problems with the UCI is that is has been run like a dictatorship where rules are made up on the spot without consultation with all the stakeholders, where rules are bent or circumvented, and where policies are implemented through backchannels outside of the rules. Thus we got McQuaid blackballing riders like Rasmussen and Landis, telling teams not to hire them with the threat that a team's Pro Tour status might be in jeopardy if it disobeyed. Cookson was supposed to change this. Instead we got the Kreuziger fiasco, and now he needs to decide on the appropriateness of a non-Anglo country's idea of kit design.

I am certainly no fan of executive whim. If the UCI does indeed have a code number related to this issue then I hope they have a procedures manual related to code violations that is well considered - I just don't know their manual. If they do have such procedures, I have no problem with a social media response to a social media problem, just to start the ball rolling. That's viewed as "getting it" these days. I think we agree we don't want some "burn the witch" Twitter process becoming official action at the UCI.

[mistermo]

Originally Posted by 1centaur

I am certainly no fan of executive whim. If the UCI does indeed have a code number related to this issue then I hope they have a procedures manual related to code violations that is well considered - I just don't know their manual. If they do have such procedures, I have no problem with a social media response to a social media problem, just to start the ball rolling. That's viewed as "getting it" these days. I think we agree we don't want some "burn the witch" Twitter process becoming official action at the UCI.

Ask the NFL how this has been working for them this week.

[1centaur]

Originally Posted by mistermo

Ask the NFL how this has been working for them this week.

Yeah, this is turning into a bit of a thing these days. Old farts are listening to young people saying social media is (are?) SO important and believing them for fear of looking not with it. Good decisions are better made on well considered principles then under mob pressure, and social media is not much different from a mob quite often - half informed and emotional, truth longer than 140 characters is too complex to get behind.

[plattyjo]

Here's a good blog post on the kit controversy, with one important quote:

"You can be outraged by the fact that the people running the sport still haven’t bought forward meaningful change to ensure that women are not on the end of enduring sexism in the sport where their right to a fair wage for a professional job is still considered less important than the design of their kit."

[rustychisel]

Originally Posted by plattyjo

Here's a good blog post on the kit controversy, with one important quote:

"You can be outraged by the fact that the people running the sport still haven’t bought forward meaningful change to ensure that women are not on the end of enduring sexism in the sport where their right to a fair wage for a professional job is still considered less important than the design of their kit."

Fair and reasonable by any standard, and almost entirely beside the point unless you also link in exploitation in all its forms. Now read the comments/rebuttal by 'afterthepeakoilcomes' on that very page.

[Mr. Pink]

This is leaking into local news. I saw it in between weather and traffic this morning.

[nooneline]

Originally Posted by rustychisel

Now read the comments

Hell no!

[fiamme red]

Originally Posted by plattyjo

Here's a good blog post on the kit controversy, with one important quote:

"You can be outraged by the fact that the people running the sport still haven’t bought forward meaningful change to ensure that women are not on the end of enduring sexism in the sport where their right to a fair wage for a professional job is still considered less important than the design of their kit."

What would be considered a "fair wage" for women cyclists? It's not as if sponsors are making huge profits on women's teams and exploiting the cyclists.

[CunegoFan]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

What would be considered a "fair wage" for women cyclists? It's not as if sponsors are making huge profits on women's teams and exploiting the cyclists.

Yup. Men's cycling is barely viable. Take away the billionaires funding a team as a toy and the sport would face a major crisis.