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Pendleton finds the cure for 'helmet hair'*

* Not really

Proctor & Gamble the international washing powder-to-baby-nappies giant has released the latest of its announcements about the Olympic athletes sponsored as 'brand ambassadors' for the forthcoming festivities in July. Yes, it's Pantene hair care products and a bevy of beauties with suspiciously sleek hair including our own dear Victoria Pendleton.

If you remember our recent post on Proctor & Gamble's sponsorship of Olympic athletes you'll also remember that Sir Chris Hoy is promoting Gillette and Sir Mark Cavendish (not yet! - Ed) is brand ambassador for Head & Shoulders shampoo.

According to Marketing, this is the first time Pantene has used athletes as ambassadors and will include "six Olympic gold medallists, many world champions and top-ranking women in swimming, tennis, gymnastics, cycling, diving and volleyball."

There are other athletes involved, of course, with other P&G brands. Paula Radcliffe gets Pampers. Really.

Anyway, the posters featuring the third - or we would say the first - of the cycling triumvirate Victoria Pendleton are now out in the wild and very nice they are, too.

Cycling women all over the country will be looking at that hair and thinking, "Mm, yes, that's exactly how my hair looks when I've taken off my cycling helmet."

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34 comments

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hairyairey | 12 years ago
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I doubt that the brakes are the wrong way round they may have used the mirror image instead. Can anyone verify that VP's face is the right way round?

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andyp | 12 years ago
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What a load of boswelox.

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John_the_Monkey | 12 years ago
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Strictly speaking, isn't a triumvirate male? Not sure what the term would be for a ruling trio of mixed sexes.

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nick_rearden replied to John_the_Monkey | 12 years ago
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John_the_Monkey wrote:

Strictly speaking, isn't a triumvirate male? Not sure what the term would be for a ruling trio of mixed sexes.

You're probably correct now you mention it; we need a Latin scholar for that answer but you've made me remember my favourite Anthony & Cleopatra quotation now we're on the subject of triumvirates which I'll apply not to the Queen of the Nile but to our own dear Queen of the Boards, "Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale Her infinite variety."

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Kim | 12 years ago
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The advertising agency which produced the photo would say that most people commenting on this thread are not the target audience, but it also partly explains why so few women cycle in the UK.

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BearstedCC | 12 years ago
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Vicky you look wonderful, have a great season and backing you for Gold. xx

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fluffchucker | 12 years ago
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How would it affect the hairodynamics  9

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WolfieSmith | 12 years ago
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Crikey sniggering geek alert! Men and women alike. This is Road.CC not Youtube. I'm ashamed of the lot of you. It's a shampoo advert for christssake. Cut it some slack. It's meant to be a pastiche of heroic paintings - not a literal guide.  4

Nice hair Vicky and I'm glad you're seeing some cash.

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bumsonbikes replied to WolfieSmith | 12 years ago
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Nice one MercuryOne, I agree; let's lighten-up a bit! Personally I'm pleased to see bikes and female cyclists being featured in mass media campaigns, regardless of whether they are portrayed in a technically correct fashion. And if VP's making good money in the process, good luck to her!

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RuthF28 | 12 years ago
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Oh pur-lease, do us a favour! Whatever market this is aimed it, it certainly isn't female cyclists. Am I supposed to think: Oh yes, I ride a bike, I'm a women therefore I must buy this product and look like that? I DON'T THINK SO.

Rant complete.

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Stumps replied to RuthF28 | 12 years ago
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RuthF28 wrote:

Oh pur-lease, do us a favour! Whatever market this is aimed it, it certainly isn't female cyclists. Am I supposed to think: Oh yes, I ride a bike, I'm a women therefore I must buy this product and look like that? I DON'T THINK SO.

Rant complete.

being completely sexist - I wouldn't mind if my missus looked like that  40

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wild man | 12 years ago
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I hear there's a major doping scandal about to break - apparently the French team have systematically been taking pro- retinol at the Laboratoires Garnier.

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pedalpowerDC | 12 years ago
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Astonishing that they couldn't drum up a reasonable bike. If they were looking to cut the shift cables so the image didn't look cluttered, they coulda put her on a track bike at least.

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Cooks | 12 years ago
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quite a hill she's riding up.

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Parlee-king | 12 years ago
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that so wrong...why would anyone ride shimaNO

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gordonmarkus | 12 years ago
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what's all this talk of gear cable routing and brake setups...I didn't even notice that VP was riding a bike.

Giggedy.

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arrieredupeleton | 12 years ago
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That's put me in mind of 'There's Something About Mary'....

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italiafirenze | 12 years ago
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It is funny how the first thing we all notice is that the bike has no gear cables when it clearly has Shimano STIs.

So who is Pantene's target market? If not cyclists then "ordinary" women? And if so why choose a cyclist? And put her on a bike?

Seems like an advertising balls up on all fronts.

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veseunr | 12 years ago
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Are you all too young to remember gear shifters on the downtube??! She's gone retro! And obviously French bike .... (or set up at Halfords).  3

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yenrod | 12 years ago
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VP - creaming the profits off the back of the Olympics...

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Kim | 12 years ago
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At last, an Olympic spin off which might actually get more people cycling!

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kobacom | 12 years ago
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My word, that's a seriously "hair brushed" photo. Sorry!

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joemmo | 12 years ago
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has that sequin top been wind tunnel tested and / or UCI approved?

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notfastenough | 12 years ago
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/geek
They don't have internall-routed cables though do they - wouldn't that make it Tiagra?
/geek

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Raleigh replied to notfastenough | 12 years ago
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notfastenough wrote:

/geek
They don't have internal-routed cables though do they - wouldn't that make it Tiagra?
/geek

Do you see two sets of cables, or paddles behind the brake levers?  13 Definitely 2300 with no gear cables

Tiagra doesn't have Internal routed cables either...

No, this is ridiculous, I shall complain to the ASA at once  19

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rokapotamus | 12 years ago
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I've seen a quite a few ladies with so much hair product on, they wouldn't need to wear a helmet! Hopefully they have managed to keep away from naked flames  19

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wwaswas | 12 years ago
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No gear cables and brakes wired up the 'wrong' way?

and how many headset spacers do you need to not wear a helmet?

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SamShaw | 12 years ago
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Totally unrealistic.

As if an Olympic champion rides 2300/Sora!

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step-hent replied to SamShaw | 12 years ago
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SamShaw wrote:

Totally unrealistic.

As if an Olympic champion rides 2300/Sora!

Exactly. It doesn't even have any gear cables!

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rjw replied to SamShaw | 12 years ago
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It's alright, she's not using the gears.

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