Cycling is gay

The polemic cartoon, publicized by the E3 Saxo Classic, has reactivated the conversation pertaining to homophobia in professional cycling. Although several female cyclists have openly declared their sexual preferences, presently no male professional cyclist is openly gay or bisexual. In this article, we'll present the experiences and perspectives of different cycling figures regarding homophobia within the men's peloton.

As per a recent investigation conducted by the consultancy firm Ipsos in thirty countries worldwide, eight percent of men aged sixteen to seventy-four identify themselves as homosexual, bisexual, or pansexual. Among Generation Z, those born since nineteen ninety-seven, the proportion reaches fourteen percent. Statistically, each WorldTeam would possess approximately three non-heterosexual cyclists. However, among the nine hundred and ten cyclists registered in WorldTeams and ProTeams in twenty twenty-four, there are precisely zero cyclists who publicly proclaim themselves to be gay or bisexual.

Last year, I posted a tweet seeking individuals' experiences to prepare this article. Former cyclist Nick Mckey (nineteen ninety-nine, USA) desired to share his experience as a professional rider in two thousand and eighteen in the United States.

I competed at a Conti level in the US and endured as much verbal abuse from some of my teammates as I did from the large pickup trucks on the road that harass us here. My detailed anecdote on my team was that my nickname was "the fat, gay, rtard", obviously "gay" not being utilized in a positive context, wedged between those two other terms. It went unaddressed, and I would estimate a good one-third of my teammates addressed me by that more often than my actual name. It destroyed my mental state and was genuinely one of the instances that led to my departure from the racing world.
I was the second youngest on the team and quite defenseless, given that the team had all been racing rivals/friends for years, and I was relatively unknown on the scene before joining this team. Even knowing I was in a more vulnerable situation, the DS did nothing. Besides the nickname, there was a consistent barrage of "cocksucker", "fg", assertions that I was the "gayest thing since Freddie Mercury", jokes about being surprised about "not having AIDS" yet, and questions about how many sexual partners I'd had since we last assembled as a team. I am not even a part of the LGBTQ+ community beyond being an ally; I just had longer hair and a higher-pitched voice.
Nick Mckey

During January of two thousand twenty-four, I spent several days in the Comunitat Valenciana, in Spain, where the majority of teams organize their training camps. For this article, I was able to observe a Tinder profile belonging to a heterosexual woman. Within one afternoon, I observed at least thirty profiles of male professional cyclists, most of them with photos of their races and victories, proud to be cyclists.

However, looking at one account on Grindr (the leading gay dating app), there were no photos of cyclists, nor any mention of cycling in the bios. Instead, there were multiple profiles with no name or face pic. A Grindr user from Altea (Comunitat Valenciana) revealed to me that he had dated cyclists and footballers who train in the area during winter, although they maintain utmost discretion to avoid being exposed.

'There isn't a favorable climate for a person to openly express their feelings,' states Luis Ángel Maté (nineteen eighty-four, Spain), a professional cyclist since two thousand and eight and a participant in six Tour de France events. 'Prejudices persist; individuals don't grasp that masculinity and sport aren't inherently intertwined. These are messages that are conveyed from a young age.' In any case, according to the veteran Spanish cyclist, cycling has made strides regarding inclusion. 'I'm extremely pleased to observe that, each day you're on a bike, numerous women are riding. I hope that, when the forthcoming generations mature, this will evolve.'

What would happen if a professional cyclist came out? According to Maté, "It would be wonderful for our sport. It would be a barrier broken, a profoundly significant stride. I have no doubt that he would integrate seamlessly.' Among amateur cyclists, two instances stand out: cyclocross specialist Justin Laevens (two thousand and one, Belgium) and road cyclist Clay Davies (nineteen ninety-two, Great Britain). Both made their coming out in twenty twenty-one. Laevens departed cycling in two thousand twenty-two, without ever turning pro, while Davies continues to compete at a good level in the British national calendar.

In an interview with Cycling Weekly, Justin Laevens detailed his positive experience after coming out. "It went crazy on my Instagram. I've had only positive reactions. No one dislikes me! Being gay is accepted and typical for younger riders, whereas perhaps less so for some older riders," said Laevens. Conversely, Clay Davies was more critical in an interview with The British Continental, from which we extract the key excerpts:

At the start line at the Tour Series, you sometimes witness riders' girlfriends lean over the fence and bestow a kiss of good fortune upon their boyfriend. Can you imagine seeing that with a gay couple? A boyfriend presenting a kiss to a male rider on the start line, and that being shown on the highlights on ITV? I don't believe we are there yet. I've had boyfriends come to watch me at a bike race, although they've mostly stayed in the shadows, so to speak.
It's not possible to compel riders to come out, but the UCI, top-level teams, and British Cycling could contribute significantly by laying the foundation for all riders to be their authentic selves and normalize acceptance. I'm at the age where I don't really care. However, I can visualize that if you were under-twenty-three, or a junior, younger and more sensitive, that it could be an odd environment, lacking support.
It demands a massive quantity of energy, mental energy, to remain closeted. As an illustration, when someone queries, ‘Who are you dating these days?', you never respond with 'she' or 'he.' It's always 'them' or you attempt to change the subject. You're continuously vigilant, anticipating the next awkward question. It's exhausting, absolutely exhausting. If you are in the closet and you don't want individuals to know, you're constantly worried. Apprehensive about friends encountering you with someone, or seeing that you're on a dating app, or whatever. It's just a continuous drain on your energy.
Clay Davies

The rise of teams and sponsors from Arab countries where homosexuality is forbidden is also a contentious subject. Nevertheless, Joxean 'Matxin' (nineteen seventy, Spain), the general manager of UAE Team Emirates, denies that it could constitute an obstacle. 'This is a sports team. There would be no issue if someone came out as homosexual within the team. We have no internal rules regarding that, and it has never been contemplated,' states Matxin. 'In thirty years of managing teams, I haven't observed anyone rejected or singled out due to homophobia. In cycling, there is no such thing as a hater; people always support the cyclist, even in moments of utmost rivalry. Were there haters of specific cyclists, it wouldn't be well received by the others,' commented Matxin.

Patrick Lemieux (nineteen eighty-seven, USA), a cycling agent, also contemplated how coming out would impact a cyclist on a commercial level. "Irrespective of your sexual orientation, you must be a successful athlete on the field of play. We've seen with the gay skier Gus Kenworthy, who was incredibly successful on his field of play, but also was a face of that community, and I think benefited substantially from it financially. Hence, I do believe the commercial value of a cyclist could appreciate, though that has to be in conjunction with their achievements, as well,' Lemieux explains. "I would unequivocally advise them to be candid about that. It's truly vital to remain true to one's ethos, whether that's what they desire to pursue around a specific race or in their personal life," the American agent concludes.

Should you be a cyclist and want to share your experience, anonymously or otherwise, you can write to banqueriraul@gmail.com or send a direct message on Twitter/X to raulbanqueri.