UCI - Equal Prize Money for Women
 

Hello all
Georgia Gould is petitioning the UCI to mandate equal prize money for the top-5 men and women in UCI races. If this is something that you support please sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/equalpay/petition.html and pass it on.

Cheers

...and demand that they speak English at riders' meetings!

:D

Hey, I'm all for the equal pay thing. As bass-ackwards as UCI is on so much, though, good luck.

"We, the undersigned, find it regrettable that there is still a considerable disparity between the UCI minimum prize money for men and women. We understand that because competition in the men’s field is deeper, more places receive prize money. We do not understand why the women who are receiving prize money receive less than their male counterparts. Therefore we propose that the UCI show leadership and mandate equal prize money for the top five men and women. Article 3 of the UCI Constitution states: “The UCI will carry out its activities in compliance with the principles of: a) equality between all the members and all the athletes, license-holders and officials, without racial, political, religious, or other discrimination.” We ask the UCI to honor its commitment to equality. "

Flawed Argument.

If there are less competitors in the female sector, it means that the competition organizers will receive less money. Less money equates to less prize money. It's as simple as that.

Thats why they are asking only for equal pay for the first 5 women. That is not nearly as deep as the men. Yours is the argument that is flawed.

Then they argue that there should be as many women who receive prizes as men.

Really, they attribute all these things to "sexism", when they are, in fact, simply pragmatism. The feminist movement has gone overboard. I remember reading an article a while back that asked the question "Why shouldn't women have urinals? Why should they have to sit?"....

As devils advocate, seems to me if they wanted to "carry out its activities in compliance with the principles of: a) equality between all the members and all the athletes, license-holders and officials, without racial, political, religious, or other discrimination" ...then why discriminate by dividing the sexes into seperate catagories. Let them compete together and those that finish in the money get the money regardless of their gender.

I agree with Mikey. Let them compete together.

I think the prize money should be equal, and the number of places deep should reflect the field size. Got 50 men and 25 women? Award $$ to top 10% - 5 men, 3 women.

Although I will say, I got dirty looks froma ladies who came in 2nd & 3rd in an Expert Class, and we only gave money to 1st place.... hey there were only 3 of them.

My answer is the same for MTB races as it is for road. If they are paying the same for both sexes, guys who are top 10'ing the expert class should look into getting a sex change.

If you are advocating for the devil, he's isn't going to get very far. Segregation is not necessarily discrimination, though you can have discriminatory segregation.

As far as your logic goes, competitors shouldn't complain if somebody jacked up on steroids beats them when they are clean. If you and/or others agree with that, then I commend your consistency at ignorance. Men and women are different physiologically (and penisheads on this forum show that while men have the stronger bodies, women probably have the bigger brains). People that think they should compete together--to show women what equality "really" means--have been duped by the egregious form feminism that denies any sort scientifically proven biological differences between men and women.

I mean come on...that men and women should get paid the same for the same job is pretty conventional. There are certain complications because we are talking about physical capital rather than human or intellectual capital but geez.

And if you want to talk about pragmatics, it's horrible publicity for the UCI to not make the pay equal. Even if it is some sort of discrimination in favor of women; discrimination is practical.

Yeah, that really captures the spirit of competition. I hope you were being facetious.

Apparently you've never raced road.

What is your take on the situation?

The sport thrives on advertising. Advertisers won't support an event that the fans don't watch.

If the promoters are asked to pay almost twice as much as they already do, for a reason that doesn't make sense, they will back out. This isn't a popular sport.

Okay...I guess your point now is different than the point about the sex change.

The sport is not popular because the promoters are not innovative. Innovative marketing can make anything popular. The "Slinky" is an icon for christ's sake. Look at the current popularity of poker, for example. Not exactly a spectator sport but there is a huge interest in it lately.

They don't have to pay twice as much anyway, do they? They can lower the pay for men. Anyway, I don't think Specialized or Trek or Crank Brothers is going to quite sponsoring racing. And isn't the theory: more money paid (for women's races), more people attracted, more competition, more people (women) buying things in aspiration and emulation of the stars.

These are all easy questions. Gone over a million times. No issue here. Sign the petition or at least do not oppose it or risk showing your disjunct from history, politics, business, and law.

I didn't think my opinion granted a personal attack, but whatever. It shows your character. I also have no clue where history, politics, and law fit into this discussion.

Ever seen a women's race on TV (real networks, not the OSHO)? When was the last time you saw ESPN say anything about a women's race? Watching a women's road race is like watching paint dry. If advertisers don't get exposure, they aren't expected to keep paying out of the goodness of their hearts.

If you think there is some sort of miracle fix for cycling being so unpopular, by all means, give it a shot. You wouldn't the first.

Rule says "equal between all...athletes...without...discrimination." I didn't write the rules...and you seem to be advocating the breaking of the rules. If the rules need to be rewritten then so be it. I never said there shouldn't be equal pay for equal work...but is their work really "equal"? I can go race and bust my a** just like the winner does and I won't make one red cent because my performace is not "equal" to his/hers.

I am much stronger than my wife, but, she certainly has the "bigger brain"...she also makes about 30% more money than I do for 40 hrs work. But this "penis head" not complaining. :D And I sure as hell don't expect her to make less so I might make little more, as you suggest. IT'S NOT FAIR!! WAHHHHahaha!!:cry: It's not equal either...it's the MARKET PLACE.

It is NOT the same job.

Watching ANY road race is like watching paint dry; watching ANY XC race is like watching dried paint weather.

This year's Jeep KOM Series showed both men's and women's races (granted with the women, they only showed semis and finals). When there is interesting racing to watch, both sexes are TV-worthy.

this is absurd.

When junior expert men are creaming the pro women, especially in DH, you can't advocate equal prize money and keep a straight face.

If 50% of bike shop customers were female, then I suppose there would be more justification.

Just thinkin'-

Don't recall if I ever heard of women and men racing DH against each other, at least as an exhibition type thing. Wonder how Missy Giove would have done back in the day.

She would have most likely lost against pro men. She would kick my ***** going down a hill though.

She would have most likely lost against pro men and dminor.

She would have gotten waxed. The only woman I've seen, at least from a bike-handling standpoint, that stacks up to the men is Anne-Caro. She was actually a training-partner with Cedric. (Right now she is off trying to qualify for the Olympics in BMX) The women are fast, yes, but their times are often comparable to some of the older Experts.

Haha. I'm a slow hack who tries to convey the illusion of speed with sponsor decals ;)

dminor.. maybe you should wear a wig, and dominate the womens pro circuit.