An article in the Cycling Weekly caught my eye this week with the headline, "should amateur riders wear pro kit?", a question which seems to trigger quite some debate. For me, one who has as his current profile picture with yours truly daubed in British Cycling Team GB kit, the answer is a simple 'yes'.
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| My current British Cycling profile picture |
The reason for me is easy to explain; I am both a team player - I like to support my team and wear the team colours - and I see a need to support pro cycling's sponsors. Just as many enjoy following their football team, I'm enjoying following the pro cycling tours. This year we've seen a number of sponsors drop out and teams disband. Pro cycling needs sponsors who are going to stick around and this means they need a reason to stay involved, they need exposure and a fan based income stream. What better exposure and income than a slow moving advertising hoarding in the form of a supporter proudly wearing their pro cycling replica kit!
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| My pro Team Sky race cape curtsey of Luke Rowe |
Those in opposing camp see such supporters as wannabes looking stupid wearing pro kit and believe that the only thing a self respecting cyclist should be seen wearing is a clean, matching set of club clothing. To some extent, I also agree with this view, well the bit about the clean, matching set of club clothing anyway. However, not all cyclists belong to a club and not all clubs have a full set of clothing. When I am on a club ride, I would choose 100% to wear the club / team colours and where possible do. When out on a training ride, on my own or with a fellow cyclist, club member or not, I like to show my support to my pro teams .. our British Cycling Team and Team Sky and I see no issue with this, I am after all a paid up member of the British Cycling as well ;) OK, so British Cycling / Team GB is like wearing the country's national colours - but it's same difference in my opinion.
With the successes of Wiggo, Froome, Pendleton and Trott on the international and Olympic cycling stage and the injection of multi millions from corporate sponsors such as Sky (whether you like them or not), pro cycling is on the cusp of a new era; one which motor racing saw in the 1970s when Bernie Ecclestone rearranged the management of Formula One's commercial rights and football saw with the formation of the FA Premier League in 1992. How major a transformation pro cycling will now go through is yet to be seen, but from where I'm sitting, it's getting up a strong head of steam and I'm all for it. My British Cycling and Team Sky kit will remain part of my cycling wardrobe!
What's your view?
I am disgusted. Truly disgusted at people who think that they can and should ridicule and abuse cyclists who wear pro kit. I encounter it frequently online where a friend comments on an unsavoury facebook group aimed at pointing and laughing at amateurs in pro kit so it appears in my news feed.
ReplyDeleteA cyclist is a cyclist no matter what they wear. They should be encouraged no matter what they choose to wear! I have several pro jerseys which if I'm honest I don't wear as I'm concerned I will also fall victim to cycle 'snobs'
Why is it ant different to wearing football shirts? Walk down any highstreet and you'll see many varying football shirt clad people which is fine but somehow cycle kit is not????,
Excuse my grammar! Im on my phone and its difficult to write when I can only see a few words :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to reply, Andy. Much appreciated, and coincidentally, I've just read a passage in William Fotheringham's biography "put me back on my bike. In search of Tom Simpson" where he writes "For the Flemish supporters ... What matters above all is the reflective glory of involvement, however marginal, in the sport. It may be waving a flag on a crossroads at a village race, dressing up in the same team strip as a superstar or domestique, or wearing a cap with a local cycling club name, but it is still about getting involved"!
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