I believe I said that she would beat many male cyclists. I am not a historian of cycling, male or female, and don't pretend to be. But the idea that her win is a negative sign for French women's cycling (not womens cycling, since she won a French championship) is not a knock against women. It is a somewhat logical thought that if women cyclists lived up to the potential that women have shown in other sports, a 51 yo would not be able to win. So when I said her win could be legitimately seen as knock on women's cycling, the "knock" is not that women aren't capable, but that the younger cyclists should be doing better. As I said, I'm not a historian of cycling and I never heard of Longo before. It may well be that she is just an incredible, once in a lifetime cyclist capable of overcoming the usual age related decline. If that's the case, it doesn't detract from her younger competitors. Still, it's hard to imagine this happening in the male side of the competition.

As far as the "muddied reputation" of male cycling, I agree that the same is well deserved. But that has nothing to do with the idea that a win by a 51 yo may say something about the level of the competition.