Emma Pooley features in new Cervélo video focusing on women's team (+ Video)

Cervélo has released a preview video of a film focusing on its Cervélo TestTeam women’s squad, focusing on riders including Britain’s Emma Pooley, and it appears every bit as atmospheric and beautifully shot as the Beyond The Peloton series of films made over the past couple of years and focusing on its men’s team.

The video, which you can watch below, includes Pooley’s explanation of why she believes Cervélo is right not to follow the example of some other bike manufacturers and produce women-specific designs for its frames, pointing out that proportionately, men and women’s body shapes aren’t actually that different. Further explanation of the brand’s thinking in this area are outlined on its website. Pooley also seeks to dispel some of the myths held about women's cycling by "amateur male" riders.

Last week, as news broke that the Cervélo TestTeam men’s team would be folding at the end of this season, there was concern that its women’s team would also disappear, so it was with some relief that fans of women’s cycling greeted the revelation that it will continue to operate within the framework of the new Garmin-Cervélo set-up next year.

Cervélo co-founder Gerard Vroomen is a staunch supporter of the women’s side of the sport, and told ESPN this week: “It's quite embarrassing that most big bike companies don't support a women's team. They'll gladly sell bikes to women, but the sport itself seems quite difficult for them.”

He continued: "First of all, women's racing is really fun. And it's a matter of respect. If I had my way, the UCI would order Pro Tour teams to have women's teams, and order Pro Tour races to hold a women's race. Problem solved. It really could be done at little cost with a couple of tweaks."

He added that there were fundamental differences between male and female professional cyclists that helped make the latter better ambassadors for the sport, saying that in broad terms they “are much more natural at engaging with fans off the bike. They get to the sport later, they're college- or university-educated, they're well-rounded people who have to think about real life."

Meanwhile, on the men’s side of things, the third Beyond The Peloton video covering Cervélo TestTeam’s participation in the Tour de France in July is now online and can be watched below.