Is this team kit sexist?

There’s been a flurry of team kit being unveiled in December, with a wide array of responses. It’s the time of the year when fans get to see new colours and styles, alongside new sponsors.

For some of the teams, it didn’t go so smoothly. Former pro cyclist Andy Schleck cyclist got quite the shock on Monday following the news that several teams had launched their new jerseys for next year all shared orange and purple designs. SD Worx, Human Powered Health, and the new UAE Team all unveiled similar-looking jerseys in recent weeks, which creates a bit of a headache for fans trying to spot their favourite rider in the bunch next year.

Ultimately, the Luxembourgish rider had to redo his team kit, and had a fire sale of the original, and now banned by the UCI, jerseys and shorts.

Andy Schleck is selling his team’s brand new kit

Another jersey controversy popped up on Sunday when the Australian team Team BikeExchange-Jayco showed off their men’s and women’s kit. Team BikeExchange-Jayco is Australia’s first men’s and women’s WorldTour cycling squads.

Apart from the men’s jersey looking strikingly similar to the 20-year-old Gerolsteiner team kit, some people wondered why the men had a blue theme, and the women’s had purple and pink on their sleeves.

Goodness why oh why do the women have to have pink on theirs!! ?? Get with the 21st century…..🤦‍♀️

— Linda Muckersie (@LindaMuck74) January 3, 2022

Boys in blue. Girls in pink. 2022
🙄

— glasgowsheep (@glasgowsheep) January 3, 2022

With all the blue for boys pink for girls discussion, are we mad at Greenedge or Giant/Liv or both?

— Velorooms (@Velorooms) January 3, 2022

Some fans defended the decision, saying that the pink was a blend into the purple theme of the Liv brand that co-sponsors the team.

The team took to twitter to state that this was exactly the reasoning for the colour on the sleeves, and the colour is less pink, but more “aubergine.”

Our women’s kit incorporates the Liv ‘aubergine’ colour branding. Hence the two different kits this season.

— Team BikeExchange-Jayco (@GreenEDGEteam) January 3, 2022

Speaking of pink, it seems to be a popular colour in the peloton for 2022. Is pink the new black or is this a trend that should go away in 2023?

Pink and Purple are the most predominant colours in the women’s peloton (For some reason). To the point where one team was forced to change their design as it was too similar to another team…

I genuinely wonder how the women feel about it: do they like it or feel it’s outdated?

— Colin Lynch (@FormerTTchamp) January 3, 2022