'Nude' Or Not, Women's Cycling Team Uniform Makes Waves

[Zorro]

If one goal of the uniforms for a women's cycling team from Colombia is to attract attention, they're a smashing success.

Some observers are calling the outfits — which in photos seem to feature a swatch of flesh-tone-colored fabric in their lower region — "rude," "wrong" and a "disaster." But others are defending the uniform and the cyclists who wear it, saying the criticism is entirely sensationalized.

The uniforms made quite a splash in Italy, where the team competed in the elite women's Giro della Toscana this weekend. The race was won by American Shelley Olds — but people on social media were thrown into a tizzy by the cycling kit of team Bogota Humana. (Contrary to some reports, the team isn't the national squad. Its sponsors include the city of Bogota, and it's endorsed by Colombia's sports ministry).

A photo tweeted by Hilary Evans was retweeted more than 11,000 times — and Twitter deemed the image risque enough to warrant a warning that "The following media may contain sensitive material."

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/09/15/348714775/nude-or-not-womens-cycling-team-uniform-makes-waves

[Historic NY]

1. Well I got to say it does command attention.

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. Reminds me of an old Queen music video.

"...Bicycle race. Ding-ding."

[Skittles]

3. I am....trying to envision the same design for the guys

[DreamGypsy]

5. The Colombian cycling program Ultimo Kilometro realized your vision (maybe NSFW)....

Para quienes no pueden ver más allá de un diseño.Es ciclismo,no es moda:

The controversy led Colombian cycling program Ultimo Kilometro to post a photo of a pro men's team (Footon-Servetto-Fuji) in a similar "nude" uniform, with the caption "it's cycling, not fashion."

Appears that a number of individuals on the teams of each gender are wearing appropriate groin protection. I'm not well-versed in cycle racing clothing, so someone with more knowledge could confirm or refute.

[Skittles]

6. they should just go with this

[MADem]

7. It's protection from that uncomfortable bicycle seat, you see.

This story hit "Weird News" yesterday. Most people commenting in the sources provided regarded the uniforms as a huge fail. The usual merkin and "Brazilian" jokes resulted.

Those men's unis look like a heap of fail as well: http://road.cc/content/news/12691-footon-servetto-fuji-lays-bare-new-kit

Officially, the colour scheme, dreamt up by the artist Dario Urzay, is described as gold and black, but the former seems much closer to – how shall we put this – fleshtone. And the main motif on the shirt is a large, black footprint. All of which means that any rider wearing the kit looks like a giant has discovered them in the altogether and, outraged, has decided to stamp on them. With the foot he's just dipped in a big pool of black ink.

It could be that the lighting at the launch venue gives an unfavourable impression of the kit, or that once the season gets going and the riders are able to start working a bit more on their cyclist tans, it won’t look so much that they are fitter-than-average members of a naked bike ride, especially come the Team Time rial that kicks off this year's Vuelta in Seville.

[3catwoman3]

4. Oh...

...my.