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Belgian female ex-pro denied sports director role with men’s team due to topless pictures

Tara Gins says offer withdrawn after pictures came to light – and details the sexual abuse she suffered during her riding career

A Belgian female ex-professional cyclist says she was denied a role as sports director of a men’s under-23 team because she had previously posed for nude pictures.

Tara Gins, aged 30 and who rode for several UCI-registered teams from 2016-20, says that she was offered the post at the unnamed amateur team last month – but it was withdrawn at the weekend, apparently due to the photos she modelled for last year.

She told Cyclingnews.com that she had posed nude last year for the Dutch language edition of Playboy and topless for a Belgian trade calendar.

She said that the job offer was withdrawn after pictures of her were circulated in a group chat between staff members; not being party to the chat, she is unsure whether it was the pictures from the Playboy photo session, the calendar, or both.

Gins, who organises the women’s version of the 3 Days of Bruges-De Panne and worked as a soigneur for the Tibco UCI Women's WorldTour team as a soigneur at races last year including La Course by le Tour de France, first broke the news on her Instagram account that she would not be engaged by the unnamed men's team.

“I had a verbal agreement to start working for a team as a sports director this year,” she said. “A men’s team, where I would work with the young athletes and the elites.

“That was something that I was really looking forward to because that is the direction that I want to go in. But apparently, someone has made a problem with a photo of me. I don’t mind now that the job has been cancelled. It’s probably for the best. I don’t want to work with people who don’t see my capabilities and just walk with the herd.”

She said that the photos “don't harm anyone,” but seemed to have been deemed “too inappropriate” for her to work alongside riders, adding that, “apparently a photo is more important than capabilities or experience.”

She said she wanted to put the episode behind her, and thanked people who had sent her messages of support – one highlighting a photograph of four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome nude on a bike, with the comment, “Pretty sure this person still has a high-paid job on a men’s team … ”

Chris Froome nude (via Instagram).PNG

Gins was one of the members of the Health Mate-Cyclive UCI women’s team who went public with details of abuse, both physical and mental, by team manager Patrick Van Gansen, resulting in the UCI Ethics Commission ruling last year that he had violated the UCI’s Code of Ethics.

She returned to the theme of sexual harassment in her Instagram post, saying: “In all the years that I have raced, I have already experienced so many negative things with team leaders or soigneurs. I was literally assaulted. Once a mechanic crept into the shower with me after a workout. I was once kissed by someone on the staff, and I had to push that person away from me. I once had very inappropriate comments from team managers about how I looked, about my weight, what they wouldn’t do to me if I looked different. I had a manager come in when I was getting a massage to say how horny I looked.

“I've always argued against that, I've always pushed it off,” she continued. “But all of the things I've been through make this even more frustrating. I have now stopped racing and want to do my own things, get opportunities. And then they are taken back by those jerks, sorry so to speak, who have a double standard.

“Apparently, as a man, you can do a little more in the world,” she added.

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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41 comments

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BadgerBeaver | 3 years ago
0 likes

The irony is that you'd have a hard time pulling off this stunt at the key sponsors TIBCO or SVB. 

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brooksby | 3 years ago
2 likes

I'll admit to being confused.  What relevance to the proposed job, is her having done a photoshoot?  Did the photograph capture her soul or something...? 

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Captain Badger replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
0 likes

brooksby wrote:

I'll admit to being confused.  What relevance to the proposed job, is her having done a photoshoot?  Did the photograph capture her soul or something...? 

Cos breasts apparently...

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Blue Genesis | 3 years ago
9 likes

There is some irony that topless photos are taken for the entertainment of men, who are the primary audience for such images, but in agreeing to be photographed in this way you make yourself an unsuitable person for a job working with impressionable young men.

It's heartening to see that most people in this thread understand why this is an issue, but for those whose immediate response is to doubt the woman's story or question her motives – this is EXACTLY why so many women are reluctant to report instances of sexism, harassment and worse. It takes a lot of courage to make a complaint when you know that you may simply not be believed.

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RobD | 3 years ago
3 likes

Wow, the fear of mammary glands is still going strong then! I don't get why the naked female form is such a horrific thing for some people that it should not be seen. It's not like she's appeared in some kind of X rated films, in which case it might undermine her authority a bit, although even then, it's her body, what she chooses to do with it is her business, if someone else disagrees then they probably shouldn't look at the pictures.

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Richard Tillotson | 3 years ago
20 likes

Absolutely astonishing that for decades women athletes have been sexualised by their respective sports and have struggled for respect and recognition of ability coupled with unequal monetary reward.  The moment a female athlete takes control of that she is denigrated and her career destroyed.  Usually for a male athlete this is the complete opposite.

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Captain Badger replied to Richard Tillotson | 3 years ago
3 likes
Richard Tillotson wrote:

Absolutely astonishing that for decades women athletes have been sexualised by their respective sports and have struggled for respect and recognition of ability coupled with unequal monetary reward.  The moment a female athlete takes control of that she is denigrated and her career destroyed.  Usually for a male athlete this is the complete opposite.

Succinctly put. Chapeau

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BadgerBeaver replied to Richard Tillotson | 3 years ago
1 like

Absolutely agree. Makes cycling look less progressive than football.

Pathetic

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mike the bike | 3 years ago
2 likes

Unlike too many members here I will not pass judgement until I have reviewed the evidence.  

Ready when you are ....

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don simon fbpe | 3 years ago
7 likes

Here's hoping that all of those that struggle with photos of the female form, whether clothed or unclothed, get the help that they need.

 

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Gkam84 | 3 years ago
3 likes

I may be missing the mark here, but unless you name the team, there is nothing to back up your claims. Most of my team work is done on verbal agreements, most of them went to the wall in 2020 and more are falling by this year.

If you are going to claim a team ditched you for such a specific reason as above, you have to back it up with the team details, any digital conversations you've had. Otherwise, it's just someones word against, well...no-one.

When she talks about a photo being circulated in a group chat that she wasn't part of, again, I guess there will be no proof of that either. Then she talks about working with the young riders and elites. If these are junior boys, then I see no harm in the team turning her away for what could in the parents eyes be seen as inappropriate. I know there will be the argument that young boys can find anything on the internet, but are you working with that person on a daily basis? It's the same when a teacher has images leaked, they sometimes lose their job or are moved to another school....

I also don't see what sexual harassment at another team, which is/was under investigation with the UCI has to do with this situation. To me, it reeks of "look at me"....

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Secret_squirrel replied to Gkam84 | 3 years ago
13 likes

Utter cobblers - stop enabling the sexist misogenistic toerags by attacking the poster. 

Captain B said it best way down the thread (my edit in bold).  End of Story. 

If you dont agree or try to deflect you are part of the problem.  Go on try another meaningless deflection - I double dare you.

 It's NOT appropriate to deny opportunity to an individual on the basis of gender-biased, prurient opinion of irrelevant, non-illegal, past behaviour.

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Gkam84 replied to Secret_squirrel | 3 years ago
2 likes

Secret_squirrel wrote:

Utter cobblers - stop enabling the sexist misogenistic toerags by attacking the poster.

If you dont agree or try to deflect you are part of the problem.  Go on try another meaningless deflection - I double dare you.

I'm not attacking anyone, I'm purely saying, that without providing evidence of a job offer and having it revoked. Then it is something ANYONE could claim. If you don't have the proof to back it up. If you do, publish it and we can properly judge the situation. 

Secret_squirrel wrote:

 It's NOT appropriate to deny opportunity to an individual on the basis of gender-biased, prurient opinion of irrelevant, non-illegal, past behaviour.

I agree it isn't appropriate to deny based on gender, but if past behaviour doesn't fit with the teams outlook, brand, sponsors, beliefs or anything. Then everyone has the right not to employ someone. If the team weren't aware of said photos and feel it isn't in keeping with what they require from their staff, that is their choice. 

As she said in her statement, the photo "seemed to have been deemed “too inappropriate” for her to work alongside riders, adding that, “apparently a photo is more important than capabilities or experience.”

It has nothing to do with experience or capabilities. You could be the most experienced DS in the world, but if something you have done isn't deemed appropriate or fit with a team, that's up to them to decide, not you. 

If the team don't have the right to make up their own mind on who they want on their staff and what they deem appropriate, then we really are in a sorry state. 

If a male DS had a similar photo circulating via a WhatsApp group when he was working with young females. Do you think a team would keep them on?

No, they would be kicked. So don't give me the gender bias guff. I work with both male and female teams and have seen people disciplined or dismissed for less. One male member of staff on a female team was let go when he sent a rider a message on Facebook that simply said "Hey xx". The team deemed that the xx represented kisses and was not appropriate to his position on the staff of the team.

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to Gkam84 | 3 years ago
3 likes

Gkam84 wrote:

If a male DS had a similar photo circulating via a WhatsApp group when he was working with young females. Do you think a team would keep them on?

I'm sure that there are plenty of topless photos of the men out there....

Gkam84 wrote:

No, they would be kicked. So don't give me the gender bias guff. I work with both male and female teams and have seen people disciplined or dismissed for less. One male member of staff on a female team was let go when he sent a rider a message on Facebook that simply said "Hey xx". The team deemed that the xx represented kisses and was not appropriate to his position on the staff of the team.

So what was this person doing sending xx? Was he asking if she wanted a half pint of Austalian Lager? Do you believe that was the only reason or the only public reason?

Anyway, stand by your standards and name and shame the team involved. Afterall you don't believe her without the name of the team. 

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Rendel Harris replied to Gkam84 | 3 years ago
8 likes

Gkam84 wrote:

I may be missing the mark here, but unless you name the team, there is nothing to back up your claims. Most of my team work is done on verbal agreements, most of them went to the wall in 2020 and more are falling by this year.

If you are going to claim a team ditched you for such a specific reason as above, you have to back it up with the team details, any digital conversations you've had. Otherwise, it's just someones word against, well...no-one.

When she talks about a photo being circulated in a group chat that she wasn't part of, again, I guess there will be no proof of that either. Then she talks about working with the young riders and elites. If these are junior boys, then I see no harm in the team turning her away for what could in the parents eyes be seen as inappropriate. I know there will be the argument that young boys can find anything on the internet, but are you working with that person on a daily basis? It's the same when a teacher has images leaked, they sometimes lose their job or are moved to another school....

I also don't see what sexual harassment at another team, which is/was under investigation with the UCI has to do with this situation. To me, it reeks of "look at me"....

Sorry to go nuclear here, but a lot of that drivel is disturbingly similar to what is said about rape in certain quarters - oh where's your proof, your word against theirs, just an attention seeker...think it would do you no harm to have a bit of a review of your attitudes.

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Gkam84 replied to Rendel Harris | 3 years ago
2 likes

Rendel Harris wrote:

 

Sorry to go nuclear here, but a lot of that drivel is disturbingly similar to what is said about rape in certain quarters - oh where's your proof, your word against theirs, just an attention seeker...think it would do you no harm to have a bit of a review of your attitudes.

Similar to rape? Seriously, you wanna go down that route?

If someone is accusing someone of rape, that may be that attitude taken in certain circles. I will give you that, but at least they are identifying their alleged attacker. 

In this case, there is no identification. Just someone calling out "a team"...If you are going to accuse someone of wrongdoing and believe you have a grievance against them. You should identify them as a minimum. As I said originally. If you wanna make a song and dance about it, name the team. They could then have a chance to state their case. If you cannot do something as simple as naming the team. Then in my eyes. It's just a rumour.

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Rendel Harris replied to Gkam84 | 3 years ago
7 likes

Gkam84 wrote:

Similar to rape? Seriously, you wanna go down that route?

If someone is accusing someone of rape, that may be that attitude taken in certain circles. I will give you that, but at least they are identifying their alleged attacker. 

In this case, there is no identification. Just someone calling out "a team"...If you are going to accuse someone of wrongdoing and believe you have a grievance against them. You should identify them as a minimum. As I said originally. If you wanna make a song and dance about it, name the team. They could then have a chance to state their case. If you cannot do something as simple as naming the team. Then in my eyes. It's just a rumour.

I'm not saying the offence is similar to rape, but your attitude is similar to that of many men towards rape victims.

Does it not occur to you that maybe she doesn't want to name the team as she doesn't want to scare off other teams who might employ her - this is her living, after all. Maybe she doesn't have any written/recorded evidence and is scared that she might be exposed to libel action or similar, even if what she says is true. She could have many reasons for not wanting fully disclose what's happened, just as victims of sexual assault have, not the least of which is that there are hordes of judgmental men like yourself all too ready to disbelieve any claim made by a woman of being poorly treated because of her gender and subjecting it to often impossible, self-imposed burdens of proof.

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Gkam84 replied to Rendel Harris | 3 years ago
2 likes

Rendel Harris wrote:

Does it not occur to you that maybe she doesn't want to name the team as she doesn't want to scare off other teams who might employ her - this is her living, after all.

She called out a previous team and staff over sexual harassment claims without a lot of proof and was supported with that, so I don't see this being different. 

Her living is as a web designer. She's trying to get into sports management by all accounts, so she's nothing to lose calling them out. In fact, she'd likely get more support and offers from another team, but leaving it hanging like this, many in the sport and just looking at it and waiting to see any evidence.

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Rendel Harris replied to Gkam84 | 3 years ago
7 likes

Gkam84 wrote:

Her living is as a web designer. She's trying to get into sports management by all accounts, so she's nothing to lose calling them out. In fact, she'd likely get more support and offers from another team, but leaving it hanging like this, many in the sport and just looking at it and waiting to see any evidence.

She has been DS at S-Bikes AGU and also race director of the women’s edition of Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne since her retirement in 2018. Love the fact that someone who accuses others of baseless statements falls back on the good old "by all accounts".

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Rendel Harris replied to Gkam84 | 3 years ago
6 likes

Gkam84 wrote:

She called out a previous team and staff over sexual harassment claims without a lot of proof and was supported with that, so I don't see this being different. 

You mean when she and ten of her teammates called out Patrick Van Gansen (former manager of the UCI Women’s Team Health Mate - Ladies Team) for violence, abuse and inappropriate behaviour and the UCI said that their code of ethics had been breached and they were handing it to their Disciplinary Commission who are deciding on sanctions? Yeah, no proof there.

Your attitude seriously sucks. I hope to God that if your claims to work in cycling are true you're kept well away from girls and women.

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Sriracha replied to Rendel Harris | 3 years ago
2 likes
Rendel Harris wrote:

Your attitude seriously sucks. I hope to God that if your claims to work in cycling are true you're kept well away from girls and women.

Couldn't help but notice the awkward symmetry.

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PRSboy replied to Gkam84 | 3 years ago
3 likes

She has not so far named the team out of consideration for riders she knows on the team, ref the impact the naming may have on sponsorship. 

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Captain Badger replied to Gkam84 | 3 years ago
8 likes
Gkam84 wrote:

I may be missing the mark here, ...

I agree. Best leave it there.

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alansmurphy | 3 years ago
7 likes

Erm... employers will check social media and other publications for anything that may bring their brand into disrepute and hire or fire accordingly. Totally normal behaviour.

 

Lumping this in with incidents of abuse is deflecting and really not helpful to that cause!

 

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KiwiMike replied to alansmurphy | 3 years ago
21 likes

1. Please explain to me why a male pro topless is any different to the commercial decision she chose to make. Look at Cipollini, or Froome as above. It's her body and she can do whatever she wants with it. Yes it's a commercial decision by the team, but potential employers who discriminate in this way should be outed, so others can express displeasure and choose to contact / not to support their advertisers. She's right, if that is the attitude of the team's staff then she's best not involved with them, as sounds like they'd be the sort of team to sweep actual abuse under the carpet. 

2. It's 100% appropriate to lump this in with abuse - it highlights yet again how the wider cycling business is often far too happy to see women thrown under the bus / not be prepared to root out and punish sexism/abuse/etc. 

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Compact Corned Beef replied to KiwiMike | 3 years ago
13 likes

Was about to respond with pretty much the same. It would be 100% different if she was applying to be a teacher or somesuch, but in an adult job, working with other adults? Hard to see why this should be a barrier. Presumably the OP would approve of British Cycling if they excluded Victoria Pendleton from a development role...

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Jimmy Ray Will replied to Compact Corned Beef | 3 years ago
3 likes

Compact Corned Beef wrote:

Was about to respond with pretty much the same. It would be 100% different if she was applying to be a teacher or somesuch, but in an adult job, working with other adults? Hard to see why this should be a barrier. Presumably the OP would approve of British Cycling if they excluded Victoria Pendleton from a development role...

Except the role lined up was specifically to be working with young and developing riders. But even if the riders she'd be working with were all adults, the same reasons why it would be inappropriate for a teacher are relevant here. This person is taking a position of responsibility and needs to be able command respect... that is a whole lot harder to achieve when they've appeared in Playboy and erotic calendars. 

Did Pendleton appear in Playboy, if so was it recent enough to be deemed current, and has she ever suggested she wanted to take a development role? 

Who was the last male rider who took a role as a DS having previously appeared in porn? I think any male doing so would also struggle to get a foot in the door these days too. 

Everyone is happy to forget nuance and context when there is a virtuos drum to be banged, but I can perfectly understand why a team director is going to shy away from being the one giving this indivudal their first shout as a DS. 

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KiwiMike replied to Jimmy Ray Will | 3 years ago
16 likes

Jimmy Ray Will wrote:

[quote

Everyone is happy to forget nuance and context when there is a virtuos drum to be banged, but I can perfectly understand why a team director is going to shy away from being the one giving this indivudal their first shout as a DS. 

...and yet teams hire convicted dopers and staff who facilitated doping again and again and again...cycling media is chock full of repentant dopers...TV brands pay them millions to be authoratitive voices...cycling brands still want them riding their bikes, wearing their clothes...aspiring young cyclists inject and take substances that can literally KILL THEM, and yet it's a woman flashing some skin in an irrelevant magazine under a perfectly legal arrangement that gets her barred from employment.

What a bunch of F*&!£$" hypocrites this whole industry is.

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Compact Corned Beef replied to Jimmy Ray Will | 3 years ago
3 likes

You think you can't respect someone if you've seen their boobs? My wife would like a word.

And in all honesty, if it turned out Tom Pidcock, say, had put an x-rated video online then so what? Honestly, some people.

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Jimmy Ray Will replied to Compact Corned Beef | 3 years ago
2 likes

Ha that's not what I'm saying, but thanks for twisting the words. I'm sure your wife doesn't need to show me her breasts to prove your point...

My point was this person would be looking after young men / teenagers, who by their very nature are immature. As a woman playing in a male dominated world, she already has it harder, but then to have these images and history backing up all the mysogynistic stereotypes already in place... I reckon those would be hard boots to fill.

Not saying it's right, bit it's where we are.

Then you have to factor in the parent element. Many youngsters buy their way in to these teams for the opportunity... I can see these parents, several thousand euros invested into this project, will be scrutinising the management staff with eagle eyes. Again these images just stick a massive target on this woman's back.

Hey, it's not fair, but I totally get why a team would want to distance themselves from the potential hassle.

But look, she's done the right thing, gone public, the next team that considers her for a job will do so eyes open.

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