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France’s cycling team is adding ammunition to that old cliche, “the French are rude.”
Cycling News’ Patrick Fletcher reports the French Cycling Federation gave its male team members business class tickets for a trip to the Australia Worlds event.
But everyone else — including the female team members — were given coach seats for the long haul to the land Down Under.
A French Federation spokesperson reportedly told media outlet Ouest France that outcome came about because:
…the men are going to defend their title this year, once again. And above all, because economic choices had to be made.
The journey being very long, it costs an enormous amount, and if we wanted to take everyone, we needed to make choices. And if everyone were to be in business, many people would have had to stay at home.
I appreciate that the Federation wants to bring “everyone.” And I also get that flying so many people is expensive.
But unless coach were sold out, why not put everyone in economy? Especially if the French Cycling Federation is so worried about money?
Christophe Manin, the French Cycling Federation’s technical director said, “For the men, we’ve been world champions for the last two years. We are really going there to win, while we are more of an outsider in the girls’ competition.”
So, take that, girls! Feel lucky that you’re even invited to ride in the flying air machine thingy! And make the men some sandwiches or something while you’re at it. (I’m being sarcastic, by the way.)
Mr. Manin apparently also said that if the FCF’s mountain bikers were traveling, he’d put the team’s two women in business and the men in coach.
But, like, why not have everyone travel together in the same class?
The pro and college sports people I know told me that when their teams chartered planes, first class seats were solely for coaches, front office personnel, team owners, university leadership, etc. But everyone else sat in coach. No players received preferential treatment, outside of maybe getting an exit row or bulkhead seat.
Even the best players didn’t get to ride in first class. Star quarterbacks and ace-level pitchers all did the walk of shame back to coach. (This applies, of course, when their planes were equipped with multiple classes. Some teams fly coach-only carriers such as Allegiant, Southwest, and Sun Country).
What do you think about all this? Should the men receive special treatment? Or should everyone ride in the same class? Please share your thoughts in the below Comments section.
(And if the men’s team loses, someone is going to cry oui, oui, oui all the way home.)
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We got an upset little socialist here, non? BTW, did you also insult the entire city of New Orleans when their mayor flew business class to France, of all places, because it wasn’t “safe” otherwise? No, you didn’t dare, did you?
So, I’m a socialist for thinking men and women are equal?
Why would I insult an entire city when one person is doing something sketchy?
I think you have some stuff to unpack with an anger management professional. I wish you luck.
The winning team gets better seats? Yeah. Pretty much the way it should be. If the women’s team were winners and the men were awful I would hope the opposite treatment happened.
Inquiring Democrats want to know where they seated any birth certificate identified men who self identified as women?
I don’t think this is a case of male vs female, it’s a case of defending champions vs everyone else. I don’t think the defending champions should be denied the opportunity to fly business class just because it might look like it was sex discrimination, if they can afford to fly some, but not all of the team in business class. If it had been the women that were defending the title and only they got to fly business class, that would have been OK too.
why are we making a big deal of this… time and time again. I agree one team should travel together. However, if they’re two separate teams that compete in different competitions (mens vs womens, not mixed like mixed tennis) and you’re able to compete for a title with one team, not with another, then why wouldn’t you want the best conditions for the team that is the most competitive? It’s why NFL teams fly private while youth athletes travel by bus. That and revenue generated (obviously more generated by the more successful team.
Why did the French men accept this? They could have swapped seats with the women.
This is a varsity team versus JV team situation. The optics aren’t great but imagine the defending world series champions flying long haul to defend their title and they are bringing the Seatle Mariners with them. Or Manchester United going to the finals and they have Leichester City with them for the minor league match. The best example might be the NBA Lakers on the way to the finals and the WNBA Sparks are hitching a ride.
I’m not sure what the problem is? 😉
The French Men’s team isn’t ‘that’ great. When was the last time a French male won their own national Tour (race), the Tour de France, the second biggest sporting event in the world behind World Cup Soccer? That was 1985 by Bernard Hinault, and should have been Greg LeMond’s first Tour win if not for Greg being an obedient rider to team politics.
The French Woman, Jeannie Longo, was every bit as an accomplished and awarded cyclist as the likes of Hinault and Jacques Anquetil. As for the modern French Men on the World ProTour, about the only winning one is Julian Alaphilippe. Thibault Pinot has been referred to as the ‘next French hope’ and he’s continually faltered over the years.
For actual stats, or rankings, they’re currently even (two each in the top 25), so the men don’t have anything to hang their hats on.
https://www.procyclingstats.com/rankings/me/individual
https://www.procyclingstats.com/rankings/we/individual
I’ve been an avid and rabid cycling fan and participant for almost 50yrs, and the French men don’t have anything over the French women.
See what you get you sniveling socialist, you? The average male cyclist is tiny (less than 150 lbs). They would be very comfortable in coach. One group is male. The other is female. They are both French, which puts them on the same team in my far left, socialist agenda book.
In my opinion, the women’s cycling team has done better in these years and this decision will not be a bad decision! You have to wait and see the result. The best cities in the world for cycling! From Asia to Europe ( https://www.donyayesafar.com/n/15786 )
I am not a sports fan. Sports is an absurd pastime for me. Anyway, Mens’ Sports earns more money than Women’s Sports, except maybe Olympic figure skating. It’s a Financial fact. French capitalism puts the men in business class. French socialism should have put both the men and the wome in cattle class. Also, women, despite feminism and kick-boxing classes, naturally prefer the safety and security of business class pods/walls/soors away from predatorymales in cattle class. So, I don’t have a quick answer. Interesting food for thought.