1 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff Mom Never told You from House top 2 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 3 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,279 Speaker 1: Caroline and I'm Kristin. Today we're talking about something that 4 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: shouldn't be so depressing, something that is typically awesome. It's 5 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,920 Speaker 1: women cycling pro women cycling. Yeah. We got a letter 6 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: not too long ago from a listener and average cyclist 7 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:33,480 Speaker 1: named Gali g l I. I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly, um, 8 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,200 Speaker 1: And it was around when the Tour de France kicked 9 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: off this year, was the hundred toward de France and 10 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: Golly Rode and saying, hey, ladies, you should look into 11 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: women's pro cycling because there's a lot of inequity going 12 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: on versus men's pro cycling. Yeah, I mean so much inequity, 13 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: and not just recently. This is not just like a 14 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: couple of races have and canceled. Since the dawn of 15 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: professional cycling, there has been quite a discrepancy not only 16 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: in the opportunities for women, but also as we're about 17 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: to look into what women can make financially and to 18 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: meet Caroline, part of why this research was so eye 19 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 1: opening is that up until this point, almost any time 20 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: we've mentioned women and bicycles. In the podcast, it's been 21 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: very celebratory because the bicycle opened up this new form 22 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 1: of transportation and sparked a revolution in a way for 23 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: women to shed their victorian bustles and put on bloomers 24 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 1: and pedal away from the home, et cetera. But uh, 25 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: when it comes to competitive bikes and cycling, that's kind 26 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: of where the celebration stops. Because let's start out May one, 27 00:01:54,600 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: eighteen Paris. Friends, Yeah, we have the first bike race 28 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: in history for men only of course, but yeah, still 29 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: the first bike race in history. And this is coming 30 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: from the It's about the bike blog. And then uh, 31 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: we found the eighteen nineties six book which I posted 32 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 1: on tumbler if you want to look at it. The 33 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: cover is adorable and hilarious and very kitchy. It's called 34 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: Bicycling for Ladies by Maria Ward and it contains advice 35 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: on maintenance, repair, clothing, et cetera, and Ward rights. I 36 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 1: found it in Bicycling as an other sports essayed by 37 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: them women and girls bring upon themselves centria from many sources. 38 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: I've also found that the centa, though it almost invariably 39 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: is deserved, it's called forth not so much by what 40 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 1: they do as the way they do it. So basically 41 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: she was saying that women were attracting some negative attention 42 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: by bicycling and the way that they cycle, and how 43 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: how little has changed. Yeah, how dare they peddle so 44 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: provocatively down on the street and their big poofy pants. 45 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: I mean that's just titillating. Um. Well, so move forward, 46 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: way forward to nineteen fifty eight. Again, in France, we 47 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:16,399 Speaker 1: have the first Union Cyclist International. That's not at all 48 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: how that's pronounced by the way women's bike race. The 49 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: first u CEI men's race, however, was fifty eight years 50 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: prior to that. Yeah, so it took quite a while 51 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: for women to even get their first u c I 52 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:36,119 Speaker 1: race and the Union Cyclist International. So we're very American, Yeah, 53 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: I you know what, I'm minored in Spanish in college. Hey, 54 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: it's like pre semestors of French. I just use it 55 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: or lose it. Um. But that Union, you see I, 56 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: is really important in this conversation because it is the 57 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: organization global organization for amateur and pro cyclists. They're the 58 00:03:55,440 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: ones who are behind the toward France and these major races. 59 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: So the fact that for instance, it took them fifty 60 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: eight years to catch up. Is it's just a foreshadowing 61 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: of what is to come. Um And in that nineteen 62 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: fifty eight race, it was l C. Jacobs of Luxembourg 63 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: who won, and she retired in nineteen seventy four with 64 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: a career total of nineteen victories in the u c 65 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 1: I Road World Championship. So anyone who wants to argue 66 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:25,039 Speaker 1: that there isn't a lot of you know, top tier 67 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:29,160 Speaker 1: female cyclists talent out there, that these women just don't exist, 68 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 1: well it was Elsie Jacobs. She's one of many. Yeah, 69 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: these people have existed since the beginning. It's just that 70 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 1: they didn't have the opportunity to even like have that 71 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: stage on which to demonstrate their incredible ability. And then 72 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 1: it wasn't until the nineteen eighty four Summer Olympics that 73 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 1: we have the first Olympic women's cycling event. And during 74 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: this event, American Connie Carpenter Finnie won the gold in 75 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: a field of forty five competitors. Compare that to the 76 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: first men's Olympic cycling race in they only had seven 77 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 1: competitors back then. Oh yeah, but that was a Yeah, 78 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: there's Okay, finally we have okay, just a couple of 79 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: years later. Well, this is a similar kind of issue 80 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:18,839 Speaker 1: that came up in our episode a while ago on 81 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: women and marathon running, because when it comes to endurance 82 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 1: sports like running cycling, they've had this legacy of limiting 83 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 1: or outright banning women for fears that it might physically 84 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 1: harm us, particularly are reproductive function We made lots of 85 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: jokes in the marathon episode about people actually going on 86 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: public records saying that running for long distances is harmful 87 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:52,719 Speaker 1: to women's uteruses, which that's not fact or anyone listening, um. 88 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:57,600 Speaker 1: But cycling lags even behind marathon running and the triathlon 89 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: in which men and women compete on the same courses 90 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: these days. Yeah, and so that's part of the argument 91 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: now that that we're dealing with as far as women's 92 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: cycling goes, and and particularly with the Tour de France, 93 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 1: which we'll get into, as far as you know, women 94 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: should be able to participate in the same types of races, 95 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 1: if not at the same time. And three of the 96 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: main obstacles that are often cited in what holds women's 97 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 1: pro cycling back from really coming to the forefront, And 98 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 1: and being on an equal platform with men's pro cycling 99 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 1: is that there are often no entry level races for 100 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: popular race series, a lack of media attention, which is 101 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:40,159 Speaker 1: something that plagues a lot of women's pro sports in general, 102 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:43,600 Speaker 1: and then smaller prizes. Once you actually put in all 103 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: that effort and get to the top of your game 104 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: and you're racing in the biggest women's pro cycling races 105 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: out there, your reward for it monetarily is so small 106 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 1: compared to the men's And this is something that listener 107 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,840 Speaker 1: Gali wint it out in her letter that she wrote us. Yeah, 108 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: so let's do a little comparison. The Tour de France 109 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: purse is four dred fifty thousand euro, which equates to 110 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: about five dollars, and one stat we found is that 111 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 1: winner Chris Froome earned more than seven thousand dollars an hour. 112 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 1: That's almost as much as we make podcasting, you know, 113 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: it's so close. Yeah, almost. But when you look at 114 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: the Guo Rosa, which is the biggest race on women's 115 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: calendars today, the purse for that it's just about six 116 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: hundred bucks. Yeah. The two thousand thirteen winner, American Mara 117 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: Abbott one five and twenty six cents, which is well, 118 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 1: it boggles my mind because think, all right, if if 119 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: you're a pro athlete, you know, if you're pro cyclist, 120 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 1: imagine how much time goes into training, and how much 121 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: money goes into buying all of your stuff, all of 122 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 1: your supplies and your bikes and everything, and to to 123 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 1: make it to the top your game where you're competing 124 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: in these huge races, to only make six hundred bucks, 125 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: six hundred dollars won't even buy you a high end, 126 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: raceworthy bike. Right. One estimate that Bloomberg excited was that 127 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: elite women's racers ernest little as fifteen thousand, eight hundred 128 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: dollars a year, which is more than twenty times less 129 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: than men. Yeah, that's absolutely crazy to me, but it 130 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: does make some kind of twisted sense when you do 131 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 1: think about those reasons that we talked about earlier. The 132 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: lack of media attention, I mean that is cited by 133 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 1: so many people as to why we should not have 134 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 1: more women's races. A lot of people who are at 135 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 1: the head of these, like cycling unions and organizations that 136 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:45,319 Speaker 1: put these races on or like see, they don't get 137 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:49,319 Speaker 1: any you know, TV attention, or ad advertising, So let's 138 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: not create any more races for these people. Yeah, and 139 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 1: so what's going on right now is that there's been 140 00:08:54,679 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: a lot of movement organizing among not only professional when 141 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,680 Speaker 1: and cyclists, but also amateur women's cyclists saying, hey, you 142 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 1: know what, this is really not working out so well 143 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 1: for us. There's even a documentary that's been in the 144 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 1: works called Half the Road looking into this issue, and 145 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 1: a lot of higher profile women's cyclists who are coming 146 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 1: out publicly calling for change, including British Olympic medalist Lizzie Armistead, 147 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 1: who said, quote in a lot of women's teams, you're 148 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: lucky if they buy you a sandwich at the race. 149 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 1: Sponsors keep pulling out of races so they get canceled. 150 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:35,839 Speaker 1: The calendar has been more than decimated. So one cyclist 151 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:38,319 Speaker 1: who says it better than we could say it, because 152 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: she has that firsthand perspective of being a female cyclist today, 153 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 1: she says, you know, people often ask why women's cycling 154 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:48,679 Speaker 1: isn't bigger. I say, it's just because we don't get 155 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: enough opportunity to show what we could do. And yeah, 156 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 1: I think that goes absolutely back to all of that advertising, 157 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,200 Speaker 1: the sponsorship problems and the media attention. Yeah, and and 158 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 1: there have even been some limited experience erments with brand 159 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:05,680 Speaker 1: sponsoring both men's and women's teams at the same time, 160 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 1: but those initiatives have sort of fallen apart pretty quickly. 161 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:15,680 Speaker 1: And following the Parks Casino Philly Cycling Classic, a group 162 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:20,199 Speaker 1: of pro women got together to form the Women's Cycling Association. 163 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: They finally said, you know what, enough enough, We really 164 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 1: need to take you know this into our own hands 165 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: and start organizing. And they compared it a lot to win. 166 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: Billy Jeane King, the pro tennis player, organized the first 167 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 1: Women's Tennis Union to say, hey, we're playing tennis to 168 00:10:36,559 --> 00:10:40,080 Speaker 1: at this top level, let's start organizing, and effectively really 169 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: helped raise women's tennis to a level much more equal 170 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:49,120 Speaker 1: with men's tennis. Um But but going back to cycling, 171 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 1: the now No Artist writer Robin Farina, who was a 172 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 1: founder of the Women's Cycling Association, in a two thousand 173 00:10:56,200 --> 00:11:00,720 Speaker 1: eleven US National road Race champion said why are we 174 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: not treated with the same respect as the men's peloton 175 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:06,520 Speaker 1: which is French for a group of cyclists which I learned, 176 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:08,960 Speaker 1: And she said, why are we paid only a quarter 177 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 1: of the purse prize. Who's going to take the blame 178 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:15,319 Speaker 1: on these items? The U C, I, USA, Cycling, the races. 179 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:17,560 Speaker 1: No one's really going to take charge of this unless 180 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 1: we do it ourselves, to which I say, don't mess 181 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:25,559 Speaker 1: with women's pro cyclers. No, their quads are probably incredible. 182 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:28,360 Speaker 1: You probably don't bounce quarters off of them. I know 183 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: I would love to have quads like that, which is 184 00:11:32,559 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: why unnecessary side note. I took my bike out for 185 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: a ride several several weeks ago, and I was riding 186 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:40,400 Speaker 1: up and down the belt Line, which is a nice 187 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: trail in Atlanta, and I, of course may being me 188 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: like pinched some kind of tailbone nerve and like it 189 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: hurts to sit for a month or three, which is 190 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: now why you know you might see me in Caroline. 191 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:54,839 Speaker 1: Now I'm riding the bike and carolines in one of 192 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: those little carts hooked up on the side where we 193 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: little leather pilot helmet and goggles, little scarf. Yes. Um. 194 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:08,600 Speaker 1: The Tour de France, though, which just recently finished up 195 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:11,920 Speaker 1: at Saunders Run, as we mentioned, is such a perfect 196 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 1: snapshot of the situation that these women's cyclists are up 197 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,680 Speaker 1: against because it gets so much pressed, the purse is 198 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:25,080 Speaker 1: so huge, it gets such massive media attention, despite the 199 00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:28,240 Speaker 1: fact that it has been plagued with controversy. Thank you 200 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 1: Lance Armstrong and company. Um, but where are the women? 201 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:38,319 Speaker 1: Where are the women? Well, they used to be there. Um. 202 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 1: We had the Tour Defeminine, although it would go by 203 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:46,679 Speaker 1: different official names, which started in and then was canceled 204 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:49,960 Speaker 1: in two thousand nine, and it faced a lot of issues, 205 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:52,880 Speaker 1: namely that it was sued by the Tour de France 206 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:56,080 Speaker 1: over its name. But other issues that it faced, according 207 00:12:56,080 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: to Cycling News, were unpaid prize money, so women not 208 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,960 Speaker 1: even getting that six d dollar prize um, excessively long 209 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: transfers and stages, scheduling problems again, poor sponsorship, and then 210 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:11,800 Speaker 1: there were three entire years when it was disbanded nine 211 00:13:11,960 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 1: uh those were nine and two thousand four. And the 212 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: Tour of Feminine in its overall run, you know, from 213 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:22,840 Speaker 1: eighty four to two thousand nine, would go by different 214 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 1: names in different courses. But the Parallel Race, something that 215 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 1: was really comparable in length to the Tour de France, 216 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 1: only ran from nineteen four and there are even rules 217 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:41,479 Speaker 1: sanctioned by the u c I saying that women's stages 218 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 1: can't be as long as men's stages. Well your uterus, 219 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 1: I mean, what if it just like snaps and falls out. 220 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: What if your boots explode? Yes, and that just makes 221 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:57,040 Speaker 1: me think about scene from Orange is the New Black. 222 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 1: But moving on. Yeah, the first women Tour in n 223 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 1: was running eighteen stages over one thousand eighty kilometers, or 224 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: a quarter of the length of the men's race, and 225 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:12,560 Speaker 1: the winner was us Mary and Martin, who received a 226 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: thousand dollars a thousand dollars and Janet and Amory, who's 227 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:21,240 Speaker 1: the chairman of the Amory Sport Organization, which is one 228 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: of the organizers of the Tour de France, said that 229 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: it just failed to garner a strong following or interest 230 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 1: from television. Way to continue to blame TV interest. It's 231 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 1: like the chicken and the egg. Mr. A. Murray, You've 232 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 1: got to get an egg first or something. I'm losing 233 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: the metaphor. But um, a lot of the media coverage 234 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: that was there focused on whether women even had a 235 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 1: place in competitive cycling. Yeah, there there was a lot 236 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 1: of discomfort with this idea of women trying to jump 237 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,560 Speaker 1: in there and ride the same course that these men 238 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 1: would be and the Tour de Fronts actually sued the 239 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:59,200 Speaker 1: Tour de Feminine for I think it was something like 240 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 1: a trademarket infringement or are using that toward the name, 241 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: and so from it was known as the Grand Busile 242 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: Feminine International. But just because of all of these problems 243 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 1: with it being sued, for instance by the door of 244 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: Ron's sponsors just pulled out left and right and it 245 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 1: was just never really cemented. And so American cyclists and 246 00:15:21,400 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 1: filmmaker Catherine Bertine has started a petition to allow female 247 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 1: cyclists to ride in the tour, with the help from 248 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 1: British cyclists and silver medalists Emma Pouli, who was very 249 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: outspoken on this issue. She recently was on BBC Women's 250 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: Hour talking about why there needs to be a women's 251 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 1: toward of France and she also enlisted the help of 252 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 1: triathlete Chrissy Wellington and world champion writer Marian Voss. And 253 00:15:46,080 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 1: this petition actually did get the attention of the a 254 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 1: s O, the Emory Sport Organization, just for the sheer 255 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 1: number of signatures that got so quickly. As of August 256 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: one of this year, the petition to bring a Woman's 257 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 1: toward of France. By that's I mean that's soon had 258 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: about eighty three thousand signatures. Yeah. And there was even 259 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 1: a politician in the British government I forget who exactly 260 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 1: it was, who publicly came out and called on the 261 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 1: tour organizers to get a women's race together, and they 262 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 1: were the tour organizers were not too happy about that. 263 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: Um And officially the word has been you know, this 264 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 1: is a great idea, but it's probably not going to 265 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:33,040 Speaker 1: happen too soon. Brian Cookson, for instance, who is the 266 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: head of British Cycling, who has been supportive publicly supportive 267 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 1: of women's cycling and getting some something similar to a 268 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: woman's tour together, has said, nevertheless, I'm not sure if 269 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: a woman's event of exactly that nature will be feasible 270 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 1: in the next ten years, twenty. I don't know, Brian, 271 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: It's a long time. Yeah. And then Tour to Fronts 272 00:16:55,720 --> 00:17:00,640 Speaker 1: director Christian Prudom basically said that he doesn't want or 273 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,240 Speaker 1: doesn't think it's possible for the tour to continue to 274 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: get bigger and bigger and bigger down the road. He 275 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: actually said that that's impossible. But I mean, are people 276 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:13,159 Speaker 1: necessarily saying they want women to be in in the 277 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 1: Tour de France, or are they saying they want to 278 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 1: parallel race, Because if they want a parallel race or 279 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:21,439 Speaker 1: something similar to the Tour de France, then his argument 280 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:24,840 Speaker 1: of it can't continue to get bigger is is pretty irrelevant, right, 281 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:27,439 Speaker 1: because what am a pooling other people are saying is 282 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 1: we have our race along the same course, we start 283 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:34,359 Speaker 1: at a different time to where everything is already set 284 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: up there and the media will already be there. You're 285 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 1: just gonna have two races for these fans who are 286 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:44,200 Speaker 1: literally stand in one place on the side of the road, 287 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: and instead of seeing one pelicon and go by, you 288 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,399 Speaker 1: see two. So isn't that better at the end of 289 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:55,360 Speaker 1: the day. But still there's some resistance, although certainly some 290 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 1: think that women could definitely help save the doping tarnished 291 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 1: reputation that the Tour de France has attracted in recent years. 292 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:08,800 Speaker 1: This was in an article over at Bloomberg because get this, Caroline, 293 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: only one Tour de Frants winner from has not been 294 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 1: linked to doping, just one this one. That yeah, that 295 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:25,119 Speaker 1: is disappointing. Um yeah, cycling in baseball, man, So disappointing um, 296 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: but the the idea of opening the race to women does, 297 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:32,399 Speaker 1: according to a lot of people who follow the sport, 298 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:34,679 Speaker 1: have a lot of potential to increase interest in the 299 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:39,120 Speaker 1: cycling industry overall. Phil Liggett, who's covered the Twitter France 300 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 1: since nineteen seventy four, says that look, nowadays, women's racing 301 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 1: has big stars, it's attracting more interests and there's a 302 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:49,919 Speaker 1: bigger market because general interest overall in cycling has grown. 303 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: And a lot of people attribute the London Olympics for 304 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 1: having this really positive effect on bringing women cycling more 305 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,760 Speaker 1: into the limelight because a London Olympics were hailed as 306 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:05,119 Speaker 1: the women's Game and there were a ton of people 307 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:07,879 Speaker 1: who turned out for the women's road race. I remember 308 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: even catching some of it on TV and I'm I 309 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:12,919 Speaker 1: don't follow cycling, I just happen to be watching it 310 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 1: and it was very exciting. And so that's why you 311 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:20,440 Speaker 1: see people, especially British cyclists like Emma POOLI, who are 312 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:25,360 Speaker 1: really agitating for more high profile races for women. And 313 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:29,520 Speaker 1: there is a Women's Tour of Britain planned for yeah, 314 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,159 Speaker 1: and they wanted to be a five day standalone event meeting. 315 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:35,000 Speaker 1: It's not piggybacking on a men's race, it's not parallel 316 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: to any men's race. It is its own thing planned 317 00:19:37,840 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 1: for May, and they will attempt to become the first 318 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:44,720 Speaker 1: women cycling event to offer complete parity in terms of 319 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 1: prize money and backup support. But speaking of support, when 320 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:54,480 Speaker 1: we look at the Union Cyclist International, that that overarching 321 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:59,199 Speaker 1: organization that really has so much of the power in 322 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,640 Speaker 1: this situation and to support women, attract more sponsors, set 323 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:09,400 Speaker 1: up more races, etcetera, they really have not helped matters much. Yeah. 324 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: Two thousand eight Olympic gold medalist Nicole Cook, who has 325 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:17,679 Speaker 1: won just about everything there is to win, including the 326 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:22,160 Speaker 1: Women's Tour de France twice, the Italian equivalent, the World Championship, 327 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:25,399 Speaker 1: and the Olympic gold, she had a lot of choice 328 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:29,879 Speaker 1: words for u c I. When she retired. She basically 329 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 1: said that her industry, women's cycling, had crumbled under u 330 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:37,120 Speaker 1: c i's watch, and that the doping scandals had hurt 331 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,400 Speaker 1: women's racing a whole lot more than it had hurt 332 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:42,480 Speaker 1: men's racing. Yeah, she said quote the u c I 333 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 1: has spent more time setting up the libel suits against 334 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:48,440 Speaker 1: Paul Kimmidge and Floyd Landis when he said Lance Armstrong 335 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:50,680 Speaker 1: was using drugs. It spent all its time on that 336 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:55,679 Speaker 1: rather than developing women's cycling. And so then when sponsors 337 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 1: dropped out because of doping, she says, it was the 338 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: women who suffered the most. It hit us ten times 339 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:04,320 Speaker 1: as hard because a little bit of money has so 340 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: much impact on women's cycling, which reminds me of, uh, 341 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 1: the New York Times article that we looked at covering 342 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: this women's parallel race where the women were literally in 343 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 1: it to maybe win a jersey and had all kind 344 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:24,160 Speaker 1: of shuttled car pooled together to this race and everything, 345 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 1: and uh, it was a pretty hard scrabble affair. And 346 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:30,959 Speaker 1: then in the end it talks about Lance Armstrong who 347 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: like threw a bike away or something because it lost 348 00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:37,080 Speaker 1: us spoke. I don't know, because there's so much, so 349 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:39,159 Speaker 1: much cash in that corner. I mean, and I know 350 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: Lance Armstrong at least at that time, was an exception 351 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 1: because he was at the top of the game. But 352 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:48,560 Speaker 1: still it's been like, oh, somebody still a bag And 353 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:52,360 Speaker 1: I was just good, Butler, bring me twelve more bikes. 354 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: What was Ryl Crow thinking? Yeah, but um Cook basically 355 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:01,199 Speaker 1: said that these dopers, they they might think they're just 356 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:05,640 Speaker 1: out for themselves, but they're actually stealing others livelihoods by 357 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,000 Speaker 1: having people lose interest in cycling or lose faith in 358 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 1: cyclists in general. When those sponsors drop out, it's it's 359 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: not just the people who took the drugs or did 360 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 1: the doping who are affected. Right. Um. The u c I, 361 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:21,720 Speaker 1: we will say, has made a bit of a gesture. 362 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: It has appointed a woman to each of its eighteen committees. 363 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:29,199 Speaker 1: Hey probably kind of a token position there, and it 364 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:34,120 Speaker 1: has initiated a project to develop women's cycling. So while 365 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:37,639 Speaker 1: they are clearly some smaller and even more symbolic steps 366 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,800 Speaker 1: that are being taken, there's still a lot more that 367 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:44,120 Speaker 1: the u c I can do. So I think it's 368 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:47,359 Speaker 1: time Caroline to hear from our listeners out there, because 369 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:49,439 Speaker 1: do you think that anyone is listening to this right 370 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:52,720 Speaker 1: now on a bicycle? Oh? I hope so, I hope 371 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: we're not distracting you too much. I hope we're giving 372 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:56,560 Speaker 1: you a lot of things to think about. Well, cycling, 373 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 1: that's right, but still keep an eye out for traffic, right, 374 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:02,119 Speaker 1: and trees and cat and stuff and roots, all of 375 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 1: the roots. But yeah, we want to hear from you 376 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:06,840 Speaker 1: about this issue because this is definitely one of those 377 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:09,359 Speaker 1: onion kinds of topics where you start peeling things away 378 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: and oh wow, there's a lot inside of that. So 379 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 1: email us mom Stuff at Discovery dot com or you 380 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:19,440 Speaker 1: can hit us up on Facebook or tweet us at 381 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 1: mom Stuff podcast. And now back to you. I'm lettings 382 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 1: like going here from our Facebook page that Melissa wrote 383 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 1: to about our Engagement Ring podcast because we had asked 384 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 1: for feedback specifically from gay couples on what are your 385 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:41,160 Speaker 1: engagement ring new traditions that you are making, And she says, 386 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:43,680 Speaker 1: while I am not personally in the same sex relationship, 387 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: I did want to let you ladies know what my 388 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:47,199 Speaker 1: uncle and his partner did because I think it is 389 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:51,679 Speaker 1: just too adorable for words. My uncle's purchased matching Tiffany's 390 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:54,800 Speaker 1: gold bands, and inside one ring is engraved the date 391 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: of their first date, and inside the other ring is 392 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:01,679 Speaker 1: engraved the date of the proposal, and they randomly grab 393 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: one each morning. Luckily, she says, they have the same 394 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:09,040 Speaker 1: sized finger. It's impossibly sweet and I actually let out 395 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:11,840 Speaker 1: aloud all when I found out about it the first 396 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:14,720 Speaker 1: time despite not having a diamond. I think they got 397 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:19,360 Speaker 1: their romance nailed down. I agree, that's really very sweet. 398 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:22,359 Speaker 1: That is very sweet, and hey, I'm always impressed with 399 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,520 Speaker 1: somebody remembers the date of their first date. Yeah. I 400 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 1: don't know that I could remember that. Um okay, Well, 401 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:30,480 Speaker 1: so this one is for Maura, she wrote in about 402 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:32,840 Speaker 1: our Women in Archaeology episode that we did a while back. 403 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 1: And I'm always excited to hear from people about this because, 404 00:24:36,119 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 1: like I've said multiple times on the podcast, I am 405 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:41,959 Speaker 1: really into Indiana gems and wanted to be an archaeologist. 406 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:46,560 Speaker 1: So anyway, Mara says, I am actually an archaeology grad 407 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: student and a woman. Recently, in archaeology there has been 408 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,320 Speaker 1: a shift to what is called post processual archaeology. This 409 00:24:53,359 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 1: type is more concerned with everyday people doing everyday activities. 410 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:59,439 Speaker 1: While ceremonial and religious sites are important. This newer focus 411 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:02,000 Speaker 1: in archaeolog g allows more for archaeologists to use a 412 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 1: theoretical basis for their excavation. For example, I know quite 413 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:09,560 Speaker 1: a few feminist, Marxist or critical race theory archaeologist. The 414 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,439 Speaker 1: questions for study become more concerned with the conditions of 415 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 1: regular people than just the wealthy and noble. By continuing 416 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:18,040 Speaker 1: this work, women will not only contribute to the field, 417 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:20,440 Speaker 1: but society can learn more about the lives of women 418 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 1: in past times, which will hopefully inform feminist today. So 419 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:27,000 Speaker 1: thank you, Maraa, and thanks to everybody who's written in. 420 00:25:27,119 --> 00:25:29,959 Speaker 1: Mom Stuff at Discovery dot com is where you can 421 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: send emails. You can also find us on Facebook and 422 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:35,919 Speaker 1: messages there, or tweet us at mom Stuff podcast. And 423 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: if you want to keep up with us during the week, 424 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 1: you should head on over to Stuff I've Never Told 425 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:43,200 Speaker 1: You dot tumbler dot com, and of course you can 426 00:25:43,320 --> 00:25:45,359 Speaker 1: watch us four times a week. We put out brand 427 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,960 Speaker 1: new videos on YouTube, so head on over to YouTube 428 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 1: dot com, slash stuff mom Never Told You, and don't 429 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:57,720 Speaker 1: forget to subscribe for moralness and thousands of other topics. 430 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:03,240 Speaker 1: Is it how stuff works dot com. Three