CYCLING’S # METOO MOMENT ARRIVES
Iljo Keisse’s awful decision to simulate sex with an unidenti ied waitress as she posed for a photo with Deceuninck- Quick Step riders at the Vuelta a San Juan shows that some quarters of cycling still think demeaning women is okay. Hopefully that will change now. For his boorishness, Keisse had to explain himself at a police station, was ined and was ejected from the race. He apologised for his “stupid moment”. But what was even more indictable was the reaction of his team boss, Patrick Lefevere. Rather than dressing down his rider and reminding Keisse of his responsibilities, he threatened to withdraw the squad from the race and suggested the waitress was motivated by money. Then, mysteriously, two of the team’s riders missed podium duties because they didn’t “feel too good”.
What an extraordinary display of arrogance. Lefevere might have thought his team was god’s gift to the race, but he was soon reminded of just how lucky he was, when Specialized and Deceuninck publicly demanded answers about why their companies were being served so badly.
Mario Cipollini once said he would be a porn star if he wasn’t a cyclist. Peter Sagan pinched a podium girl’s bum. Jan Bakelants, a former Quick-Step rider, joked he took condoms to races because, “You never know where those podium hostesses are hanging out.” Now this. And this is just what’s been made public. If cycling is like other sports and, indeed, sections of society where men have wielded power over women, who knows what lies beneath?
Lapses in judgment shouldn’t condemn a person forever. Keisse is probably morti ied and if he learns and demonstrates contrition, great. But Lefevere should also be on the hook. His leadership tolerated the behaviour and then attempted to trivialise what was an extremely serious matter.
The team issued a belated apology to the “woman involved in this regrettable incident, and additionally to all women, fans, and sponsors”. It said the team would “implement in the near future speci ic conduct training protocols.” Maybe, hopefully, this is the moment the disinfecting sunlight the #MeToo movement shone on society dawns on cycling too.