The progression of professional women’s cycling has been gaining traction, particularly after UCI President David Lappartient confirmed the introduction of a minimum salary for women that will be built into a new two-tier team system set to take effect in 2020.
Annemiek van Vleuten, time trial world champion and Giro Rosa winner, agrees that women should be paid for their work. When it comes to building the stature of women's cycling, however, the issue of salary ranks third highest on her wishlist of areas that need improvement.
At the top of Van Vleuten's wishlist are the need for more exposure of women's races via live broadcasting and streaming, and the need for bigger and better races that are organised in conjunction with men's WorldTour events.
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Van Vleuten does not want to paint a grim image of women’s cycling because she believes the sport has grown in leaps and bounds since she first turned professional a decade ago. If the sport is going to continue to progress, however, Van Vleuten pointed to three key areas that could use a nudge in the right direction.
1 - Exposure: live streaming and TV time
The Giro Rosa is arguably the biggest stage race in the world for women. It will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2019 and so holds historical value in women's cycling. Alongside Van Vleuten, the sport's most famous women have earned its overall title including Catherine Marsal, Fabiana Luperini, Nicole Cooke, Marianna Vos, Mara Abbott, Megan Guarnier and new road race world champion Anna van der Breggen. At 10 days long, it is currently, the longest stage race for women, arguably the most mountainous, and largely considered the only women's Grand Tour.
Unfortunately, the biggest stage race in the world for women is also the most difficult to follow because there is no live streaming. RAI Sport owns the television rights to the race, but because it overlaps with the Tour de France, only small clips are shown live on Italian television. This year, 60-minute replays were aired in the evenings, and the organisers do their best to provide post-event highlights and interviews to the press for publishing.
2 – Women's races aligned in conjunction with the men's WorldTour
3 - Salary
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/van-vleutens-wishlist-live-broadcasting-bigger-races-and-better-salary
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