Why has the UCI been so lenient with the E3 Saxo Classic given its sexist and homophobic history?

On Friday, the E3 Saxo Bank Classic is back for its 66th edition, but how on earth this race still exists is bewildering. It’s had a few different names over the years, E3 BinckBank Classic, E3 Harelbeke, Harelbeke–Antwerp–Harelbeke, and E3-Prijs Vlaanderen, but it’s always one of the more prestigious races in the Flanders region. Beginning and ending in Harelbeke, Belgium the race goes through the Ardennes region of the country, and taking in anywhere from 12 to 17 of the steep climbs for which the area is known.

The past two years, the race has been won by Wout van Aert. But enough about that. Let’s talk about some of the stupid stuff that the race organizers have done. Let’s take a trip down dumbass lane, shall we?

2009 promo poster

Hey, sex sells, amirite? Except this is a bike race, not TMZ. Anywho, back then when it was known as the E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, the organizers figured, what’s a better way to promote a pro men’s bike race then put a naked woman on a bike. And that’s what they did.

2011 promo poster

13 years ago, when it was known as E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, the organizers decided to make a promotional poster of a naked woman…with silhouetted riders going over her back. Well, you could say, OK, 2011, times have changed. That was then, right? Yeah no.

2014 promo poster

Just ten years ago, the organizers put out another winner of a poster. This time, a female cyclist is literally riding three other women. The caption in Flemish translates to, “Who is the ‘fastest’ in Harelbeke?”

2015 promo poster

You’re probably thinking, wow, these are pretty bad! It ain’t 1940 and there’s no way that just nine years ago they would dare to do any sort of sexist joke, right? Buckle in! In 2015 they really went for it. “Who will squeeze her in Harelbeke,” is the Flemish caption here. It’s a “joke” about Peter Sagan, (most people theorize) pinching a podium woman’s backside at the Tour of Flanders in 2013. This grew the ire of not just the cycling media, but the mainstream as well. The Guardian wrote a scathing piece, “Only in cycling could a sexual assault inspire a race’s advertising strategy.” Well, OK, they must have learned from all the negative publicity and that was that right? Phew! We all learn from our mistakes, amirite?

Nope!

2019 promo poster

In 2019, organizers once again found themselves forced to retract a controversial poster. The visual featured two body-painted women intertwined to create the shape of a frog. The accompanying tagline: “Who shall crown himself prince in Harelbeke?” Just like in 2015, the E3 organizers were heavily criticized.

In fact, it was labelled as “demeaning” and “misogynistic,” and the poster faced criticism from the Belgian Jury of Advertising Ethics. Responding to UCI’s disapproval, organizers withdrew and replaced the poster. OK, so it took a while, but thankfully the organizers learned their lesson. The UCI has spoken. We all grow up eventually, right?

CUT TO:

In January 2024 the organizer’s account posted a cartoon of the 2023 winner, Wout van Aert finishing the UCI Cyclocross World Cup in Benidorm on Sunday without a saddle. He broke it off in the final kilometres after a crash.

E3 Saxo Bank Classic just posted a wildly homophobic cartoon featuring Wout van Aert

The caption translated to, “Wout van Aert crosses the finish line without a saddle. The LGBTQ community is very enthusiastic.” So yeah, seat post, guy sitting on it. Butt stuff “joke.” And if you’re someone who enjoys a racist, sexist or homophobic joke, even you can see that’s probably the laziest form there. It was just such an incredibly lame cartoon.

Oh and the caption in the crowd then mentions the “rainbow jersey,” seemingly referencing the pride flag. Get it?

Big time sanctions coming, right? Right?

OK, well, given that the UCI and big bike brands pride themselves on inclusivity, that there’s no chance this race could possibly go on right?

Almost every time the organizers have posted a poster or cartoon, it’s been the same. Backlash on social media, criticism from media, and sometimes a statement from the UCI, saying, “bad!” And yet, the beat goes on.

Imagine the Boston Marathon posted a cartoon like that?

Joe Lindsay at the Escape Collective spoke to the cartoonist who drew the most recent one. Bart Vantieghem told him this is the fourth year in a row he’s been commissioned to create cartoons for the race. “In the past I always had ‘carte blanche,’ and there never seemed to be many problems. He said it wasn’t his intention to be offensive, ‘just to mislead the viewer.'”

Shocking no one, E3 Saxo Bank Classic deleted its homophobic post with Wout van Aert

He said that the cartoon “is just a vulgar cliché of what the average man thinks about gay people. But the joke is of course that the LGBTQ guys in the crowd are enthusiastic about the rainbow flag on the shirt of Mathieu Van der Poel.” Vantieghem claimed he shared the cartoon on his Facebook account and ‘2 gay friends loved it.’ So I would advise people not to be so short-sighted and read the full cartoon instead of the headline.” (Yes, he just pulled the, “I’m not homophobic, I have gay friends!” bit.)

What’s up, UCI, with the E3 Saxo Classic?

The UCI sanctioned Patrick Lefevere recently for disparaging comments against women. He was given a choice: apologize or pay up. That’s all well and good, but why hasn’t there been more significant action taken against a race that continues to produce such content? Why aren’t riders speaking out about it?

Canadian Cycling Magazine sent the UCI an email asking just this, but there has been no reply.

And what about the sponsors and brands that boast about diversity and inclusivity? It’s not helpful that the Women’s E3 Saxo Classic was cancelled this year after just two years. Something doesn’t quite add up. If a company or governing body claims to be committed to addressing social issues but fails to take real action, perhaps it’s time to question their authenticity.