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news
Colnago V1-r - head badgeColnago apologises for sexist social media posts
Colnago has apologised for social media posts made over the weekend that were widely criticised on Facebook and Twitter as being sexist.
In a post to Facebook this afternoon, the Italian bike brand said: “Colnago deeply regrets the recent posting of an image and accompanying social media post that is offensive to women, and not at all appropriate.
“Colnago has long-supported women's cycling and continues to provide such support, we do not condone sexism, on or off the bike, and sincerely apologize for posting the image.
“Our social media policies have been clarified internally to prevent such posts from happening in the future.
“We respect all members of the Colnago community, and we appreciate the needed feedback many have provided to us on this matter.”
The image in question showed a woman, dressed in cycling kit but without shoes, peering backwards as she leant over a bicycle several sizes too big for her.
The caption on the Twitter post said, “Ready for the weekend ride?”
As we reported earlier today, a number of people took to Twitter and Facebook to complain about the posts and ask that they be taken down.
- Colnago accused of sexism over social media posts
The apology was accompanied by a picture of one of Italy’s top female riders, Elisa Longo Borghini – who rides Colnago bikes as a member of the Wiggle Honda team – winning the Giro dell’Emilia earlier this month.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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26 comments
Outrage over, now all the people who swore never to buy a Colnago as a result, can go back to never buying a Colnago anyway.
Storm in a teacup.
What would Peter Sagan do?
PC gone mad. Its a lass in cycling gear with a bike, so what.....if she had been wearing a bikini or something equally revealing then get annoyed about it but is it any different to Pendleton or Trott advertising bikes or cycle clothing......?
Cheers NC, it's been a delight to see your train of thought
What? You've not seen all those adverts for men's bikes with men posing suggestively next to them? No?
Objectifying a woman, turning her into abody part to sell a bike might sell that bike to you...but others tend to wonder about the supposed product, you know, the bike.
And then I find the picture appearing on my Facebook feed courtesy of road.cc. Surely that's just as bad?!
I'm really offended that Colnago showed someone with a bike that's too big for them. Shame on them!
People suggesting that there isn't a fundamental problem with sexism in the cycling world; CTC's annual conference had a panel consisting solely of eight men.
Thoughts?
Thoughts: thank god, now those under-represented women will be spared the blushes of being reminded sex is a thing. Even, some say in hushed tones, an enjoyable thing you'd want associated with your product.
Do you honestly think that that's how this works? That all of sexism ultimately rests on off-colour jokes and now you've got them, the rest will surely topple? And if you do, shouldn't it be slightly on you to prove it, rather than the other way around?
The sole effect this has is persuading other companies that no way in hell is it worth trying to market bikes to women at all.
I'm genuinely intrigued. Are you suggesting that the ads were aimed at women?
It prominently features a WOMEN'S bike.
I'm going to explain it like you're an idiot: when you put a picture of a product in an advert, it's because you're trying to sell it.
A somewhat unsophisticated view of advertising. This sort of advert is designed to appeal to men buying men's colnagos not women.
Let's hope it backfires massively as it appears to be doing.
The "product" most prominently featured was not a bicycle though, or anything else designed or built by the company. Women are not a product to be sold. That's why people have an issue with it.
Jesus you need some meds.
No f**king company in the world advertises something they don't sell.
really? Perhaps you should tell the other posters arguing sex sells...unless you reckon colnago are pimping...
theres no way thats a womans bike, we're not built like 6ft Amazonians, that bike is huge even if the model was petite to begin with, in anycase its been claimed it was a custom build for a guy and it wasnt even a proper Colnago ad photo shoot.
at the end of the day its just a photo with a road bike and a woman wearing totally normal road cycling gear promoting the idea that everyone gets on their bikes and if thats what counts for sexism thesedays, and Ive seen various claims from people saying its because shes too pretty or she looks too young or its because she was a woman, so its ok to photo old ugly men then like that, or the wording was too suggestive,its like what is this a Carry On film ? then seriously I think we've got a major problem because I honestly think people are just putting their own hangs up and prejudices on this thing.
theres plenty more daily sexist things go on in cycling against women than this
It would have been just rather crass had it not been for the age-appearance of the model - that made it seem just plain wrong to me.
New website, new name - Road.PC
Offendertrons, ruining our world...
aw so sad for you....
aw so sad for you....
So please with yourself that you thought you'd post it twice or were you so offended that you couldn't control your rage???
oh dear, imagination not very big...
oh dear, imagination not very big...