A numbers game
Quite simply the percentage figures stack up against us. If 50 percent of racers were female
then no doubt we would see regular podiums and wins with women competing on the world
stage. The growth in the number of female road riders should give us a large captive mar-
ket to encourage.

Competitive edge
Could it be that women do not have the competitive “do or die” drive to win when racing
against men? Does this dissuade women from competing in the first place? With an all-girl
field would this negative aspect be reduced? We believe so.
I am keen to instigate psychological studies to investigate the performance of top sports
women versus men.

Strength
It is a common misconception that the natural difference in physical strength between the
sexes will prevent women from matching or surpassing men in the sport. Although men are
naturally stronger, is it perfectly possible for an athletic woman to achieve adequate
strength with dedication and application as recognised in other major sports. Also technical
advances mean that modern motorcycles are becoming smaller and lighter.

The youth factor
To find a female Valentino Rossi we need to encourage young girls into the sport. The more
traditional sport for young girls is, of course, horse riding which can be as costly as and
more hazardous to health than bike racing. Parents will traditionally have a greater protec-
tive nature towards their girls than boys, however horse riding is seen as a far more ac-
cepted sport. This may be due to the dated “outlaw” image of biking, the road accident
rates, and perhaps the amount of lycra and female flesh used to promote the sport does not
help.

Money, money, money
The average earnings of women has traditionally been lower than men, and although this
situation is equalising, the number of women with sufficient disposable income is still signifi-
cantly lower. Fact: racing costs money.

This is just one person's opinion of course, your views are very welcome.