Worst. Kit. Ever.

[CunegoFan]

Evidently the beach volleyball approach to improving the appeal of women's racing:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BxbPf46CQAAAw1b.jpg:large

[Elefantino]

Wow. That's worse than the Footon-Servetto squad or the Polish Nation Erection team.

[Dead Man]

I have mixed feelings

[makoti]

I, um, well...that's bad. Clearly, the team had no input. Or any woman, period.

[Shortsocks]

I, um, well...that's bad. Clearly, the team had no input. Or any woman, period.

Lol. Or not made to be wornwhile on one's period, period. :banana:

[cinema]

whiskey tango foxtrot

[ultraman6970]

That brown color in cycling clothing just doesn't work. If one of the sponsors use that color well... they did not have any other choice?? Wonder how were the other samples, probably even worse?

Swap the brown by black (or just white) and the thing at least will be more presentable. The other detail is that the TT kits are just too big for the girls, wrinkles all over the place and the brown is not helping either.

Since the pictures are all over the place hope they do a change soon.

[Saint Vitus]

Designed by the Nevada State Men's Correctional Facility, Sexual Predator block. That is seriously wrong.

[oldpotatoe]

whiskey tango foxtrot

Yowser, not anatomically correct either...··· were they thinkin???

[Dr Luxurious]

Designed by the Nevada State Men's Correctional Facility, Sexual Predator block. That is seriously wrong.

No doubt! But...

Since the pictures are all over the place

... well, that's the point, ain't it?

[tiretrax]

Hideous. I feel sorry for those ladies.

[tylerbick]

I'm color blind, AND in general, pretty "slow" I stared at the pic for a while, what am I missing?

[hokoman]

Terrible kit. Funny that they match their socks with their sneakers.

[Dead Man]

I'm color blind, AND in general, pretty "slow" I stared at the pic for a while, what am I missing?

Their suits make it appear they are nude from stomach to thigh.

[Saint Vitus]

Their suits make it appear they are nude from stomach to thigh.

Must be suffering from low T... lol

You have a point though about ahem... 'exposure', must have been the designer's thinking. They could have done just the top part, it would less, I dunno creep-tastic?

[Dead Man]

Would have looked better if they'd just use transparent materials there instead

[tele]

I'm color blind, AND in general, pretty "slow" I stared at the pic for a while, what am I missing?

this time its a good thing

[marciero]

Offensive and exploitative.

[etu]

wow, that's pretty bad
thought about it for a second afterwards and found it hard to believe how any self-respecting woman cyclist in America would put herself in such a compromising position?
looked at the photo again which validated my reason for disbelief.

[josephr]

does it make it even worse that it's a onesie? If they win they TdF, do we buy them?

[hokoman]

wow, that's pretty bad
thought about it for a second afterwards and found it hard to believe how any self-respecting woman cyclist in America would put herself in such a compromising position?
looked at the photo again which validated my reason for disbelief.

Pretty sure it is a Colombian team from the bogota on the front.... Regardless, terrible... But those ladies might also have a sense of humor and find it funny... Who knows?

[Llewellyn]

Those poor ladies must have shaken their heads in disbelief when they opened up the packs with that kit in for the first time.

Epic, epic fail. The "designer" should be ashamed.

[regularguy412]

I wonder what the men's team kit looks like, if any.:confused::eek:

Mike in AR:beer:

[numbskull]

Sponsored by a Bikini Wax company, perhaps?

[Dead Man]

I don't understand the assumption that the riders are humiliated...

The US is really nudity conservative and offense-sensitive - most of the rest of the world isn't. They don't look mortified, to me... but I certainly won't presume to know what they're thinking.

[Saint Vitus]

I think I have figured this out, one of the team's sponsors make ladies' depilatory products...

[tiretrax]

The US is really nudity conservative and offense-sensitive - most of the rest of the world isn't.
Actually, the rest of the world is becoming averse to public nudity because of the internet and proliferation of cell phone cameras. It used to be common to see women in the Parc Monceau in central Paris sunbathing without a top. Now, it's rare - women are wearing two piece bathing suits because young french women don't want to have pictures of themselves posted on the internet.

I would find this equally offputting on a man - the Footon/Servetto team kit was one of the ugliest I have seen, IMHO, and the ridicule it engendered seemed to be pretty widespread. If I remember correctly, it was nicknamed Team Spanx.

[earlfoss]

I love the kit and can't stop staring at it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[gianni]

Call me crazy but I totally digg! I love that color of brown/hot,hot!

[nighthawk]

I like their shoes!

[tylerbick]

Their suits make it appear they are nude from stomach to thigh.


Ahhh...! Upon re-inspection, after looking at the white "v" shaped lines on the legs, I was afraid that might have been the issue. All those times my boss has called me an idiot, I just thought he was kidding, guess he was right ;)

[Steve in SLO]

Kind of afraid to see what the backside (pun) looks like.

[rustychisel]

yup. tastelessy unclassy.

As a rider you'd think they'd just say no.

[Elefantino]

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l84/gmmtwo/Screenshot2014-09-15012139_zps2b91fc20.png

[CunegoFan]

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l84/gmmtwo/Screenshot2014-09-15012139_zps2b91fc20.png

Jeebus. This is worse than the kit. Now Cookson will make decisions on which kits are appropriate?

[makoti]

Jeebus. This is worse than the kit. Now Cookson will make decisions on which kits are appropriate?

In this case, I think it's warranted.

[indian-17]

Never seem such a bad kit and cippo had a few head scratchers

[CunegoFan]

In this case, I think it's warranted.

I don't think cycling needs its president pandering to the twitterati by making up rules as he goes on kit design.

Word is that what looks like flesh color in the picture is actually more of a gold color when viewed in real life.

[fiamme red]

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l84/gmmtwo/Screenshot2014-09-15012139_zps2b91fc20.pnghttp://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cycling/29203890

[Elefantino]

The kit so offended the sensibilities of the BBC that it used a black bar.

I did not alter this photo.

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77597000/jpg/_77597182_cycling_team.jpg

[alessandro]

AS usual, W.T.F.kits is killing it. This is my favorite new tumblr, and I don't have any favorites... or a tumblr:

Naked gold bands, donuts for days … Quite the kit weekend that makes me wonder what’s going in. (http://tinyurl.com/owdrcxe)

Check the whole timeline for the Polish National Kielbasa team and more:
http://tinyurl.com/7trb6vh

[cd_davis]

Worse than the ugly T-shirt awards we gave shamelessly to running road race promoters during the running boom of the 70s and 80s.

[odin99]

the kit designer should be force to wear the kit and have his or her photo plastered everywhere... im assuming those girls didn't design it themselves (very unlikely they did)

[choke]

Jeebus. This is worse than the kit. Now Cookson will make decisions on which kits are appropriate? I agree, he needs to stay out of it.

the kit designer should be force to wear the kit and have his or her photo plastered everywhere... im assuming those girls didn't design it themselves (very unlikely they did)Never assume. From the BBC article: However, reports in Colombia have suggested the kit was designed by one of the female riders, approved by her team-mates and has been worn for several months. "One of the riders appears to have designed it without the intent on making it look as though they were partially nude," Colombian cycling journalist Klaus Bellon told BBC World Service.

[Ahneida Ride]

Worse pic ever posted. Even worse the Uncle William classic. :eek:

[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]

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]

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]

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]

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 (http://www.chasingwheels.com/road-racing/professional-road-racing/5-things-you-should-know-about-that-colombian-cycling-kit) 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]

Here's a good blog post (http://www.chasingwheels.com/road-racing/professional-road-racing/5-things-you-should-know-about-that-colombian-cycling-kit) 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]

Now read the comments

Hell no!

[fiamme red]

Here's a good blog post (http://www.chasingwheels.com/road-racing/professional-road-racing/5-things-you-should-know-about-that-colombian-cycling-kit) 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]

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.

[grawk]

I think a fair wage is pretty well $0 for any sporting event. Anyone making money at it should be happy.

[Mr. Pink]

A job? Hey, I have a job. Bicycle racing is not a job. sheesh.

[fiamme red]

http://www.cyclinginquisition.com/2014/09/an-interview-with-angie-tatiana-rojas.html

What was your inspiration, or thinking behind the design?
It was to highlight our team's sponsors, that was always the goal. I offered to design the kit, in order to help my team, and to be helpful to the organization and my fellow riders. I always aim to be as helpful as possible both on and off the bike.

Much of the controversy, if you can call it that, is about the color that is used in the mid-section. Where did the color come from?
It came from the primary colors of our sponsors. In fact, it was going to be the kit's primary color, throughout the upper portion. But within the peloton, that color would not be visible enough, so we opted to switch it to the shorts, and instead used red and yellow on the upper part, for the sake of visibility. The red and yellow are the colors of the flag of Bogota.

As for the color around the shorts, it comes from our sponsors. It's the primary color used by Solgar, a company that makes vitamins, and is also similar to the one used by San Mateo University, another one of our sponsors [if you look closely, you'll see a bottle of Solgar vitamins, in the same color, in the middle of the chest in the kit].

[MeatPuppet]

http://www.cyclinginquisition.com/2014/09/an-interview-with-angie-tatiana-rojas.html

Sure, I guess... but they are still hideous.