The most disappointing element of last year’s Tour de France did not emanate from the roads of France.
Yes, the race lacked excitement and Bradley Wiggins’ win was a lesson in cycling boredom.
Orica-GreenEDGE’s inability to win a stage was a close second for disappointments, but that’s an observation made more in hindsight than anything else.
At the time, we were all sitting up late, cheering the boys on in anticipation of a much sought after win. It really is only now that we realize the magnitude of not achieving victory last year and the pressure that now exists for a victory this year.
No, the most disappointing element of the 2012 Tour de France was, without doubt, the media reaction to tweets sent by the partners of Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and Mark Cavendish. The patriarchal media had a field day with the better halves of these well known cyclists.
These women committed the despicable crime of publicly airing their disappointment with how their famous cycling partners were racing each other through France.
Of course one of the issues in last year’s Tour is that the aforementioned were all riding on the same team, however, it was abundantly clear they were anything but on the same team.
It is highly likely the tensions of Sky were simmering well before last year’s Tour and clearly the talk among the home fires of the respective houses was along these lines.
The most disappointing aspect of this is the way the male dominated media chose to turn these tweets into nothing more than a cheap and nasty bitch fight.
It felt like we were all privy to watching this bitch fight, staged somewhere in the outer suburbs, with the obligatory egging on and handy smart phone at the ready to record it all and post it dutifully on YouTube.
Obviously the problem here is these women are nothing more than WAGS and, worse than that, they are WAGS who do not know their place in the world.
They are handbags, accessories.
If you race under Bjarne Riis, you receive the fatherly advice that what you need for success as a male cyclist is to find yourself a women to cook, clean and keep house for you.
Very 21st century.
How outrageous these women think they can comment on their husbands’ very public lines of work?
Hasn’t anybody told them their role is to keep the home fires burning, while their partners, the men they love and have chosen to spend their lives with and create families with, travel the world on the important business of cycling?
Let’s not consider the huge amounts of time pro cyclists spend away from home training.
And who is left at home to look after the kids? Who is standing by with the love and support required for any elite athlete to find success?
Perhaps these things are not important.
Perhaps I am misguided in thinking that women should be respected, even if you don’t agree with them using social media to vent their anger or frustration.
I do understand we can’t go to our partner’s workplace and yell at the co-workers or bosses who make our loved one’s lives difficult at work.
On the other hand, being a professional sportsperson isn’t a regular job and perhaps those same rules don’t apply.
Why can’t women like Catherine Wiggins, Peta Todd and Michelle Cound publicly comment on a race that is, well, public?
Why are they treated like scrags in a scrag fight when they do?
I may not necessarily agree with jumping on Twitter to air your dirty laundry, so to speak, but I disagree with treating women as if they have no right to engage in public commentary.
Women are not lesser than men and they should not be expected to be demure, in the background and most importantly quiet.
Hopefully the racing at this year’s Tour will be a little more exciting than last year’s, and for the record I suspect it will be.
Let’s also hope that any coverage of events away from the bikes is treated with a little more class, understanding and consideration than what we saw last year from certain elements of the media.
The Roar’s expert Glenn Mitchell offers his thoughts on the 2013 Tour de France:
Tony Meadows
Guest
Good stuff Kate . I dont follow Twitter so I wasn't aware of what went down last year; Since I don't intend to follow Twitter this year either perhaps you could keep us up to speed on "twitter news" via THE ROAR That I do follow religiously. Incidently I dont think anyone can hold Wiggins resposible if they found the 2012 tour boring,after all its up to the would be contenders to make it exciting.
Gayle
Guest
I spoke of Marianne Vos in my previous comment. I only mentioned Chiara Passerini because Robert wondered why she should be thought more famous than Marianne. I mentioned that both these women are champions in their own worlds. Chiara, wife of World Champion, Tdf winner Cadel is also a mother, concert pianist,singer, Tdf commentator on twitter and writes a blog spot chiaraandthelittlesparrows.com which appears in Grazia every day. I follow her on twitter. You are right leblanc she does write interesting and positive stuff... Not always about cycling.... Meanwhile the start of the Tdf 13' is almost upon us.... I will use my voice and yell for Cadel.... Cheers
leblanc
Guest
No one gets respect for " using social media to vent their anger or frustration" because its silly, parents know this and we teach our children not to do it and most companies have policies on managing how employees use social media. If people carry on like children in public they will be ridiculed for it. The comparison to Chiara Passerini is interesting, she posts interesting and positive stuff (if you follow cycling and are a Cadel fan) that's worlds apart from some of the inanity we see coming from the others you wrote about. They started a juvenile wagwar on twitter while the greatest sporting event in the world was on, of course they were pilloried. They deserved it. Do agree about comment on Marianne Vos above, her achievements are legend. Personally very frustrated by the lack of coverage in womens cycling, especially in the Classics this year. One of the things I am enjoying about Greenedge if how they have been focussing on their womens team a little. Should be more of it though.
Robert
Guest
I should add that I don't have anything against any of those four women, who (modulo twitter spats) seem like nice people and have achievements of their own - in Cath Wiggins' case she represented her country at the Comm Games in cycling, for instance. But, like you say, it is a bit weird that Chiara Passerini has more Twitter followers than Marianne Vos does.
Gayle
Guest
The achievments of Marianne Vos would fill many, many pages. She has won just about everything on road, cyclecross and track. Along the way she has collected 6 world Championships..... She has 15600 followers on twitter.. I wonder why the media don't give her the recognition she so rightly deserves.. Maybe there just isn't enough hype around Womens cycling. Chiars Passerini (Evans) Has 15700 followers on twitter. Uses Twitter to commentate the Tdf and is famous in her own world outside Cycling. She is a great asset to her husband. On the other hand Cath Wiggins, Michelle Cound and Peta Todd are Cycling wives and as far as I know are famous for nothing except a slanging match on twitter... I bet their husbands were very proud.. Personally I could care less.. I spend my time watching the real action on SBS for three weeks. Can't wait . One more sleep, bring it on...
Robert
Guest
What annoys me a lot more is that Cath Wiggins, Michelle Cound, Peta Todd and for that matter Chiara Evans are more famous than Marianne Vos.
ed
Guest
Agree that wives of elite sportsmen give up a lot but its part of the package & they must know what's reqd for their fellas to keep a pro contract. I'm sure pro cyclists don't carry on like footy players when away from home. If they do they're not racing/training hard enough. It must be hard for the guys with kids to do all that time away from home. Doesn't Jens Voigt have six kids?
Kate Smart
Expert
Ed, I do agree that the twitter spat was tacky and the airing of dirty laundry in public is never a good idea. I do think though, that the media and indeed fans, salivating on the sidelines, essentially calling out 'bitch fight' was far more distasteful. I still stand by the idea that a lot of these responses are based in an idea that women are better to be seen and not heard. These women play an enormous role in the success of their partners and I think that gets forgotten about and often dismissed as unimportant. Thanks for your comment.
ed
Guest
We all get home from work and unload on our partners about our crap days, annoying colleagues or nasty boss. Imagine your partner sending out tweets or emails about these things. Partners of athletes should know better & realise that airing dirty laundry via social media is not of any benefit but just embarrassing to the athlete and attention seeking by the partner. I am not an elite sportsman or public figure but I would be furious if my wife sent emails to my boss or colleagues about things happening at my work. It wouldn't solve anything.