Only 8 entries for Nat Womens Circuit Champs (so far)!!

[Gary K]

Being held at Eastway/Beastway/Lee Valley Cycle Circuit, whichever you like to call it on 24th July.

Entries close on Fri 2nd Jul, no EOL.

I know there have been numerous debates on this site and in the comic about equality for ladies in terms of prize money and recognition in placings, but does this not go some way to prove how the ladies are killing their own chances of promoters putting on ladies events in the future?

Sensible discussion/debate points to follow - probably (not).

[Hans Datdodishes]

Probably best waiting for the weekend to see what the postie brings, I'd have thought that Team Luciano alone would double that figure?
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[bonger]

There seems to be loads of women triathleets in the area, you need to get them interested somehow, they all have mint road bikes but probably don't know how to take the tri-bars off.

[StuartBen]

I went along to Hillingdon Circuit on Friday and felt guilty about Bill Butterworth and his wife giving up their Friday evenings for such little interest. Being incredibly old, I can recall that we had VERY successful track meetings at Paddington many years ago because the competitors obviously wanted them. They were not too worried about missing out on going to pubs, discos or other social events, or even resting up before weekend events.

Nowadays, as far as I am aware, Welwyn TL runs fairly successfully on Friday evenings. In fact one lady rider from West London goes there rather than Hillingdon to ride against men and she told me that. Fair enough, at least she is serious and I applaud her.

Neither am I critical about the women riders who do not ride at Hillingdon on Fridays, for whatever reason. It is their choice. We have tried now for two years to provide what we thought they wanted, but we were wrong. If the objection to Friday evenings is so strong, then perhaps a woman organiser might wish to put on a similar women-only series at another venue such as Eastway, Crystal Palace, Eelmore, or Goodwood on a more acceptable night.

In the meantime, upon my suggestion, we are inviting veterans to join in on the Friday races as has been done for many years at MK Bowl early in the season. I have been told those events have been a very successful mix with vets giving racing advice to women.

We are not looking for huge fields and very serious races - just 25 upwards to justify the time of Bill and his wife, and sometimes the time of one or two of the rest of us. There is also the question of how long we go on subsidising the series from the Tuesday promotions budget. The subsidy was intended as a 'pump primer', not an ongoing commitment for year after year after year.

Incidentally, it has struck me that women organisers of races are extremely rare. The exceptions I know about are Helen Ellis and Andrea at Manchester velodrome. But 99% of women's races are organised by men.

[Hans Datdodishes]

[legro]

So does Doreen Mallinson up Norf

[legro]

then there is Jean Kyte Wolverhampton, Helen Taylor SE London, Debbie Whorton Wales, Carol Leigh Manky, Julie Benham Leeds they all do alot of organising. I think that most male organisers are fueled by their girl freind/wife's input

[RussM]

[StuartBen]

My apologies for the women organisers listed.

Yes, I know there are a lot of women officials, including in London, but the really big scarcity is in organisers (a different thing) whether women or men. If my remarks have spurred just one more to be the main organiser of a new event or take over an existing one then the (deserved) abuse is worth taking.

Pehaps one wants to take over from Bill Butterworth on Fridays so that he can concentrate more on his racing. He has just bought another classy looking bike just for training - be warned you other vets, and not only vets!

[Jesse]

The lack of female entries for races has included track as well as road this year and for last year too. No idea what the answer is as there do seem to be more women racing and riding this year, but compared to the men the numbers are still not enough to fill places in all events when so many clash and many women riders race track (hard and grass), road, and tts. I know several women (me included) who would love to ride on the 24th but find it clashes with a preferred discipline.

Although having said that quite a few of the women riding the Team Series this year have commented on the number of crashes and find it a real problem. Maybe this is putting some off?

Please don't give up on us - those of us who do race would hate to lose the National and other races that we are lucky enough to have.

And that's the longest post I've ever made
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[Dave Wilkes]

women are their own worst enemy! - crying out for events last year - Eddie White puts one up - gets only a few entries and then they moan 'cos he opens it to men to keep the event viable.
tut, tut, girls.......
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[ray stuart]

I hope we're going to get a good entry for our Women's Team Series race on Sat 28th Aug at Darley Moor. In the past 2 years it has been a struggle to get enough entries to make a viable race - we are not concerned about the financial viability as we have four other races at the circuit on the same day - we just want enough entries to make a decent race. We would like the women's organisations to encourage riders to enter their own series! After all we do put this race on at their request! If there is anything we can do to make the event more attractive or promote it in any way, please let us know.

[Iffacus]

Last year I organised a TT with a seperate womens event. The Womens event had the greater prize money and we still only got 20 women entering. I would have organised this year but changing job and moving house out in the way.

Hopefully I'll be organising the event next year and have a few more entries.
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[Andy V]

[ray stuart]

So what organisation does organise/co-ordinate the Womens Team Series?
I'll send all the info to you soon for distribution via your email list. I am in the process of sorting a sponsor, as soon as this is sorted I will put together promotion info, hopefully later this week.
There seems to be a common problem here for a number of organisers, which is that, having been asked to put on a womens event and then putting in some effort the publicise/promote it we are not getting the entries. I do send info to VR/BC etc, if you are able to help with direct targetted emails this will hopefully get better results.

[Andy V]

[DM]

Could Cycling Weekly be part of the problem? They hardly ever report on or publicise women’s events, we have to rely on email and websites to know what’s going on, and not everyone has access to those.

[EddieW]

[HB]

There are many reasons why women don't attend all races. Hillingdon, for example, is a great idea - but how many men do you know who would race hard on a Friday night, if they have a priority race on Sunday? Traffic is also an issue - getting to Hillingdon in Friday night rush hour is a nightmare. This Friday would have had another female rider, but that she was still stuck on the M4 @ 7pm!

As a female rider i often feel bad about poorly attended races, and feel that i should turn up to race. But because there is a race on doesn't meant that it fit's my aim's for racing of training. Cycling is pretty much my life. It dictates when i eat, when i sleep, my career (hence slacking to write this essay) and my holidays. I have even just taken 2 days leave to support the men doing the surrey league 5 day, which had a woman on the organisational side and many women marshalling - So saying that i need to get 'my act together' couldn't be further from the truth - I very much have my act together, as to many women riders, which is why we can't ride every race.

Im getting hacked off with all the negative press women riders are getting - I am sorry that there are only 8 entries for the crit so far - but i am not entering because it's not what i want to be doing yet - would a man enter a race out of guilt and sacrifice his seasons goals for the sake of others - i think not.

We are grateful for those who organise women's racing - but dealing with no press is bad enough (CW) let alone bad press.

[Jesse]

Well said, HB.
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