thirdcrank wrote:We do seem to be a bit unclear about what's being discussed. It seems to me that either competitors are paid what the market judges they are worth, or else we argue for something based on what I'll call worthiness. Under such a system there could be no professional sport.
We are discussing why there isn't a women's TdF. Conditions for women in sport, including pay is one of many reasons.
Many women who are capable of competing in professional sports do not do so because they can't make a living at it. That includes cycling, where I've seen several promising young women go to university so they can become professional coaches, physiotherapists, or teachers, and enjoy cycling as a hobby. I don't know what they might have done if making a living as professional cyclists were a more attractive option, but I suspect that at least a couple of them would have had a go.
I asked the question, about how we should determine pay, but I haven't had an answer. Even if I accept that it is fair to pay women less, the current system is blatantly unfair. Would improved pay ensure a women's Tour de France? Not immediately. There are too many factors that need come together, but it's a start.
There are, of course, other factors, and the commercial interests which you rightly pointed out are probably the most significant.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
