Whoa Wiggins

[false_Aest]

Ok, I don't like Wiggin.

I think the name nickname Wiggo is stupid. I think his chops are stupid. I think he needs a sandwich, etc.

But this is effin rad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SI7zcHjBTM

Why? Because the dude has the mod-balls to say women are the sh#t and the lame ass excuses for not giving women a chance are stupid.

Just like 25mm tires have become pro... supporting women's cycling will become pro.

Imagine the future? When someone like Emma Pooley is paid attention to... not because she's totally hot or in CyclePassion but because she's considered a powerhouse.

[d_douglas]

I think he is more likeable than the average Tour winner, to be honest.

Thumbs up to 'Wiggo' ;)



PS yes, he needs a sandwich or two.

[Rueda Tropical]

Cipo doing his part with the MCipollini-Giambenini-Gauss squad

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[FlashUNC]

Wiggo continues to be awesome.

[Lewis Moon]

Cudos to Wiggo...and yes, he needs to eat a sammich.

If the American women's olympic contingent where a country of their own, they would have finished third in the medal count. Thank you Title IX.

When are broadcasters and journalists going to give adequate coverage to women's sports?...I mean besides beack volleyball.

Poll: who here watched the women's Olympic roadrace start to finish?

[malcolm]

Cudos to Wiggo...and yes, he needs to eat a sammich.

If the American women's olympic contingent where a country of their own, they would have finished third in the medal count. Thank you Title IX.

When are broadcasters and journalists going to give adequate coverage to women's sports?...I mean besides beack volleyball.

Poll: who here watched the women's Olympic roadrace start to finish?

Beyond the number of medals, I thought the women were very articulate and did very well in front of the camera, especially some of the track athletes, Allison Felix and Sanya Richards Ross in particular. Overall I thought most of the athletes I saw on camera seemed much less showboat than in years past.

[Liv2RideHard]

Spot on assessment by Wiggo. Very valid points. More needs to be done for the women.

[firerescuefin]

When are broadcasters and journalists going to give adequate coverage to women's sports?

When people want to see it and it's profitable for media to show it/put it out front....

Men's coverage in a fringe sport (which cycling is)....is barely profitable except for Grand Tours...which isn't making anyone rich either.

If women's sports in college had to pay for themselves, they would be gone (along with many men's sports)...they are subsidized by the schools themselves. No one is obligated to do so in the real world. It's no one's "right" to be able to make a living as a pro cyclist....male or female.

My good friend's daughter (Kirsten Williams) just won the track national championships for her age group after winning the NC in the road time trial a year ago. We go to her races to support her when we can ...It's nothing against the sport.

Even at 15, her ambitions are olympic and amateur...and she's fine with it. She'll ride it out as long as it'll take her.

[dekindy]

I remember when the first women's pro basketball seemed vastly inferior to the men. Watching recently I was amazed at how women have gotten very much more athletic than just a few years ago. Gone are the days of poor free throw shooting because of physical inability to shoot from that distance. I am amazed at the moves they make and the range and athleticism they display.

[false_Aest]

I remember when the first women's pro basketball seemed vastly inferior to the men. Watching recently I was amazed at how women have gotten very much more athletic than just a few years ago. Gone are the days of poor free throw shooting because of physical inability to shoot from that distance. I am amazed at the moves they make and the range and athleticism they display.

if you build it they will come.

[firerescuefin]

if you build it they will come.

Extrapolating on that....you would say that if media pushed women's cycling for a period of time (realizing that it would take time to gain traction) that it would be financially viable...for TV, Teams, and Individuals...correct.

[monkeybanana86]

very cool!

[false_Aest]

there are women out there dreaming


this will only lead to fast improvements in women's bicycles.


specifically, Trek, Specialized and Cannondale will stop hiring overweight Flatlandian males to choose the design + colors for their bikes.

Seriously, in August I built up almost every single ladies model Trek makes. And I've had the pleasure of speaking with a bunch of customers about the colors. They all say roughly the same thing "This looks like it was designed by a guy."

[Ti Designs]

Spot on assessment by Wiggo. Very valid points. More needs to be done for the women.

It's 5:15am, I'm heading out the door to work with the team captain of the Harvard women's team for next season. What are you doing???

[ClutchCargo]

Well, as a pro sport, men's cycling is fringe, at best. Its like lacrosse; exciting to those who know the game, but just not on the radar of most, and the field, so to speak, is already very crowded.

Women's pro cycling is simply not gonna get any air time. Don't get me wrong, I watched the women's Olympic road and mtb races and found them exciting. But other than the Olympics, you will see women's pro cycling about as often as you'll see synchronized diving.

[Bob Loblaw]

Sometimes women's sports are better. I feel that way about tennis, because it seems like it's more athletic and strategic, where the men just try to overpower one another.

I do hope women's cycling takes off. It seems to be gaining more and more support, and the racing, to Wiggo's point, is just as dynamic and engaging as men's. The women's olympic road race was outstanding, and so was the TT.

BL

[Lewis Moon]

Women's pro cycling is simply not gonna get any air time. Don't get me wrong, I watched the women's Olympic road and mtb races and found them exciting. But other than the Olympics, you will see women's pro cycling about as often as you'll see synchronized diving.

Serena Williams had 8 million viewers when she won Wimbledon last year. Remember when women's tennis was just a distraction? Things can change.

Market driven sexism is still sexism.

[firerescuefin]

Market driven sexism is still sexism.

Women's tennis was popular long before Serena Williams. Like Bob mentioned, I find Women's tennis a completely different game...and I enjoy the difference.

Not wanting to watch something isn't sexism. I find the WNBA unwatchable....I watched every (USA) game of the Women's World Cup as well as many others.

I find mens MLS unwatchable, yet watch the Premiership, La Liga...etc. regularly.

I would be really careful before I go the sexism route. If women's cycling reasonates with you...great. I'm comfortable with people choosing what they want to watch.

[LesMiner]

I remember when the first women's pro basketball seemed vastly inferior to the men. Watching recently I was amazed at how women have gotten very much more athletic than just a few years ago. Gone are the days of poor free throw shooting because of physical inability to shoot from that distance. I am amazed at the moves they make and the range and athleticism they display.

The Minnesota Lynx are at the top of league. 3 of their players were on the olympic team. They practice with a squad of much bigger and taller men. With training like that it should be no surprise that they can get those outside 3 pointers as well as any NBA player. They also make some amazing moves in the inside to score. The Lynx games are now as good for spectators as anything in the NBA.

[Lewis Moon]

Women's tennis was popular long before Serena Williams. Like Bob mentioned, I find Women's tennis a completely different game...and I enjoy the difference.

Not wanting to watch something isn't sexism. I find the WNBA unwatchable....I watched every (USA) game of the Women's World Cup as well as many others.

I find mens MLS unwatchable, yet watch the Premiership, La Liga...etc. regularly.

I would be really careful before I go the sexism route. If women's cycling reasonates with you...great. I'm comfortable with people choosing what they want to watch.

Sorry if that touched a nerve. What I meant was that there is a decided feedback loop that broadcast television doesn't seem to want to explore. It's a bit of the "build it and they will come" idea, in that, if you show an exciting sport, often the viewership will expand. Sometimes it takes a bit of showmanship; ride along cameras, spetacular scenery, quality vidiography and editing, but broadcasters have to be committed. Sometimes you have to create a market. Playing it safe gets you another "American Idol".
Let's face it, cycling is a "fringe" sport, but is it any more fringe than NASCAR? I mean...really? Think about it: NASCAR is a bunch of family cars turning left.

[firerescuefin]

Sorry if that touched a nerve. What I meant was that there is a decided feedback loop that broadcast television doesn't seem to want to explore. It's a bit of the "build it and they will come" idea, in that, if you show an exciting sport, often the viewership will expand. Sometimes it takes a bit of showmanship; ride along cameras, spetacular scenery, quality vidiography and editing, but broadcasters have to be committed. Sometimes you have to create a market. Playing it safe gets you another "American Idol".
Let's face it, cycling is a "fringe" sport, but is it any more fringe than NASCAR? I mean...really? Think about it: NASCAR is a bunch of family cars turning left.

Nothing to be sorry about....you make some valid points, but unlike Tennis and Basketball...men's cycling isn't making anyone rich. I learned all I needed to know about mens cycling 2 years ago, when the TOC was in the last 1.5K of the queen stage and Vs. cut to the hour long NHL pregame show.

As a racing fan... even I can't explain Nascar.

[FlashUNC]

Sorry if that touched a nerve. What I meant was that there is a decided feedback loop that broadcast television doesn't seem to want to explore. It's a bit of the "build it and they will come" idea, in that, if you show an exciting sport, often the viewership will expand. Sometimes it takes a bit of showmanship; ride along cameras, spetacular scenery, quality vidiography and editing, but broadcasters have to be committed. Sometimes you have to create a market. Playing it safe gets you another "American Idol".
Let's face it, cycling is a "fringe" sport, but is it any more fringe than NASCAR? I mean...really? Think about it: NASCAR is a bunch of family cars turning left.

That's about as apples and oranges as you can get in a comparison. One is a fringe sport, the other is the most popular spectator sport in the United States.

FWIW, I'm a huge fan of Marianne Vos. She's been Merckxian the last two years.

[Lewis Moon]

That's about as apples and oranges as you can get in a comparison. One is a fringe sport, the other is the most popular spectator sport in the United States.

FWIW, I'm a huge fan of Marianne Vos. She's been Merckxian the last two years.

Yes, NASCAR is popular, but why? I cannot, for the life of me, think of anything concrete that recommends NASCAR over, say, F1....except that F1 is percieved as elitist and full of well spoken foreign college graduates...and I surely cannot explain why it might be more attractive than cycling, women's or men's. I also can't explain "American Idol", "Jersey Shore", "2 1/2 Men"...
Perhaps it's the "foreign-ness" of cycling that makes it less attractive to the American public? If so, explain Major Taylor.

[Ti Designs]

Ah, you're talking about watching, not actually doing or being involved.

Never mind.

[ao4392]

Cipo doing his part with the MCipollini-Giambenini-Gauss squad

http://cdn3.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net/2012/03/27/2/m_5_1332494105_600.jpg

http://cdn1.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net/2012/03/27/2/m_3_1332494046_600.jpg

http://cdn3.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net/2012/03/27/2/m_4_1332496147_600.jpg

Gotta love Super Mario