Who We Are. What We Do.
Note: Andrew Messick is the President of AEG Sports — the organization responsible for the Tour of California. The back story that has prompted this letter to Mr. Messick can be found here and here.
Dear Mr. Messick,
We congratulate you on the apparent excitement and buzz surrounding this year’s Amgen Tour of California. Team Revolution was excited to include the event in 2009’s race schedule.
Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are members of Team Revolution’s elite women’s cycling team and founders of the St. Louis-based non-profit cycling education and advocacy group of the same name. Our organization exists to teach and inspire women of all ages to ride for competition, recreation, health and fitness. When we saw the need for a comprehensive resource for women looking to explore and discover cycling in the Midwest, we created one.
Given our organization’s mission and goals, we would be remiss in not ensuring our collective voice is heard here. We find it unfortunate that the Tour of California has elected to back out of expanding women’s opportunities previously announced. I’m not sure if you could see the quiet ripples of excitement from the initial announcement of the expansion last October. Only to be stifled by its eventual withdrawal.
It is because of that retraction, we’ll not be joining the women’s field on the line in Santa Rosa. We’ve since let our supporters and sponsors know we have elected, instead, to head to Phoenix to race the Valley of the Sun stage race. While the absence of a single team might have gone unnoticed, we represent a greater collection of elite women athletes and teams that have quietly and perhaps more gracefully cancelled their trips to California and attendance at your event.
The disparity between the available support, financial and otherwise, for the professional male cyclist and the professional female cyclist is disheartening. The Tour of California is no exception to that disparity. As a race director, you have diminished the women’s role by issuing a somewhat meaningless statement regarding the rationale for your course of action. In doing so, you disregard the importance of equality and take for granted the “unprecedented field of riders” that will likely assemble for your season-opening NRC event.
We’re an emerging team and organization focused on growing the entire spectrum of the sport. We are adamant advocates for women in cycling. It’s in that vein that we will attend and support events, promoters, and sponsors investing in expanding women’s participation in—not just observation of—competition. We head to Phoenix on Thursday to demonstrate that patronage to the White Mountain Road Club and all the sponsors of the Valley of the Sun Stage Race who have dedicated consistent resources, payouts and racing days to both professional men and women’s fields.
While a response is encouraged, but not expected, we hope you’ll deliberate the weight of your actions. Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely,
Carrie Cash and Chris Roettger
Team Revolution co-founders
www.teamrevcycling.org
Category: Uncategorized
Dear Mr. Messick,
The story here — the disparity between the elite female racer and the elite male racer is certainly not a new one. Still, it is a story that Carrie and Chris are adamant about giving voice to until strides are made to close the gap. Their commitment to increasing opportunities available for female cyclists of all ages and abilities on a local, regional and national level is one of the reasons I am most proud to be part of Team Revolution.
You had the opportunity to recognize this disparity. To recognize this disparity and take a stance. To offer the unprecedented field you have assembled a season-opening race that encourages other race promoters, sponsors and communities to take notice. Instead, you’ve chosen to do what others before you have done. You cut the women’s race from a 3-day event to a single-day race without providing a clear response for your motivation.
Our sponsors have asked us why will not be in Santa Rosa on Sunday. I direct them to this letter. Our words should give them, you and anyone else who asks a clear response for our motivation.
Sincerely,
Jessi Braverman
Team Revolution Sponsorship Coordinator
Just received word from Leonard at Triple Crankset that he has posted an excerpt from this letter along with a photo on their site.
Check it out: http://www.triplecrankset.com/2009/02/start-of-revolution.html
Thanks, Triple Crankset! If more individuals, race directors, cycling news sources, sponsors, and communities were committed to supporting women’s cycling the way you have, we may not have to take to our soap box so often.
Andrew’s response:
Thanks for your note. I am sorry that you will not be at our race this year. It would have been a pleasure to host you and have you compete…
While we would have liked to have been able to have the originally planned 3 day race, circumstances were such that it simply wasn’t possible this year. I understand your disappointment and share it as well. We will keep trying to support women’s racing. Good luck in Arizona; I wish you the best.
Andrew
Jessi,
Any time you need help with your soapbox, give me a call.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination in any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. This law, which prohibits a school from treating females like second-class citizens, has been in place for >35 years to prevent the discrimination of female athletes. And yes, I know this law only applies to educational programs, but must there be such a time lag from collegiate to professional opportunities for women?
I support the Team Revolution’s decision to go to Phoenix in lieu of California on Thursday. Good luck Team Revolution at the Valley of the Sun Stage Race!
Cheryl Hughes
Give me a call too. Is it still 1976! That’s when I was 14, and the only girl on the HS boys’ soccer team. A ref ordered me to get off the field or he would NOT start the match.