Tour de France director: Nothing to say to women riders
VAISON-LA-ROMAINE, France (AP) — Swatting the air dismissively with the back of his hand, the Tour de France director said Tuesday he has nothing to say to a group of women cyclists hoping to ride in their version of the sport's greatest race.
Before the start of Tuesday's 16th stage, Christian Prudhomme brushed off a question seeking his response about an online letter and petition for a women's event next year.
The signatories don't seek to have women race against men, but to have a professional women's field racing in parallel over the same distances, on the same days, and with an organization such that the two races don't conflict.
"We are saying nothing for the moment," Prudhomme told The Associated Press in the southeastern town of Vaison-la-Romaine. The former journalist then walked away.
Through a Tour spokesman, the AP had sought a comment from Prudhomme four days ago about a petition by a group of cyclists including Marianne Vos of the Netherlands, an Olympic gold medalist and road race world champion, and Olympian Emma Pooley of Britain. No response was given until Tuesday.
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Because, I mean, women have never been oppressed or anything - especially in sports.
