Cooke reveals sexism in cycling

British cycling legend Nicole Cooke uses retirement speech to deliver stinging attack on sexism.

In a week that has seen cycling take a body blow from a man who had once been its figurehead, a leading light in the women’s cycling arena announced her retirement this week with much less fanfare from the malestream media.

Casting a light on the insidious sexism in cycling, Nicole Cooke’s retirement speech was tinged with regret for a sport that has not paid her – either financially or emotionally – her dues.

Even from her earliest days in cycling, she challenged inequality in the sport.

When a BBC journalist asked the 12 year-old Cooke what she’d like to achieve in cycling, she answered: “I want to win the Tour de France and win the Olympic Road Race.”

Both of which she did, but not without a fight.

“At the age of 12 one is unaware of the problems ahead. One expects there to be an infrastructure for both boys and girls to develop and demonstrate their talents; to nurture them.

“One does not expect that nothing is available if you are a girl or that worse still, girls will be specifically excluded, not allowed to compete. It is somewhat of a handicap trying to demonstrate just how good you are on a bike when you are not allowed to ride.”

“Somewhat of a handicap,” may be a comic understatement, but the resolute determination of Cooke and her family was not deterred by the non-existence of a British Championship event for girls.

Despite being expressly forbidden from starting on the scratch mark with all the other handicappers for the women’s event, she started at the rear with the British Women’s Champion, Helen McGregor, and crossed the line first – at 14 years old!

The next year, following letters from her father to the then British Cycling Federation, a girls event was established.

In like manner, when there was no British Championship Youth Road Race for Cooke to enter, her father trawled through the bylaws and discovered that she could compete in the senior equivalent event on a technicality – that technicality was all she needed, she won the race.

The changes that occurred in British girls cycling were a direct consequence of Nicole Cooke and her refusal to accept the status quo. She humbly reflected on this achievement in her retirement speech.

“There is [now] an infrastructure that supports [girls] and nurtures their talent. I am just as proud of my part in bringing about those permanent changes as I am of being the first ever British winner of the Olympic Road Race or a major tour.”

Nonetheless, while she may have changed the face of the youth event, sexism in the adult event was more deeply entrenched.

Doping, now synonymous with cycling, has been the downfall of many of the male legends in the sport and each time a scandal breaks, she explains, more sponsors pull their financial support.

The effects of these financial losses, however, are more keenly felt on the women’s side where budgets are already stretched.

Unsurprisingly, then, Cooke is hard on drugs cheats.

“I have been robbed by drug cheats, but I am fortunate, I am here before you with more in my basket than the 12 year old dreamed of.

“But for many genuine people out there who do ride clean; people with morals, many of these people have had to leave the sport with nothing after a lifetime of hard work – some going through horrific financial turmoil.”

While the cycling governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), has been busy defending the “indefensible” Lance Armstrong, they have allowed the women’s road cycling to crumble, Cooke reveals.

Many of the major events are currently without planned routes, let alone sponsorship to offer commensurate prize money.

This, however, is not a new feature to women’s cycling.

During her 11 years of professional cycling, Cooke took four teams to court just to get wages that were owed to her.

How is this possible? Because as recently as October, the UCI Road Commission has stated that the minimum wage requirements for riders only applies to all male riders . Women are persona non grata.

“Are these girls that race for a living an underclass? They are somehow a sub-race not worthy of the most basic protection we afford the rest of our citizens in whatever employment they find themselves.”

As Jane Martinson wrote in The Women’s Blog, ‘”her medal-winning days may be over, but Cooke deserves another one for turning the spotlight on the injustice and inequality in a way that should make a difference to us all”.

And while it most definitely should, I can’t help comparing the media flurry surrounding Lance Armstrong’s confessional interview to Nicole Cooke’s retirement speech and seeing it as emblematic of everything that she has tried to raise awareness about.

You can read Nicole Cooke’s full retirement speech here.