In 1890s Europe and America, bicycles were seen by many as a feminist instrument: they provided women with increased mobility, began to redefine Victorian ideas about femininity, and were eagerly taken up by many women active in the suffrage movement. Some Victorian-era men and doctors were clearly threatened by the outrageous idea of women gaining more independence so they reached for the only logical solution – bogus science.
The ridiculous made-up diagnosis of “Bicycle Face” syndrome was used as an attempt to deter women from cycling. It claimed that cycling allegedly created dark shadows under their eyes and their faces formed masculine traits. Another threat to women on bikes was supposedly that this ailment shall deter all suitors as the look of strain is going to stick forever. Soon, women’s cycling was also linked to miscarriages, difficulty breastfeeding, depression, and a whole bunch of other unfounded nonsense. Thankfully, the issue was put to rest a few years after it emerged.
Fast forward to 2023. Škoda becomes the official sponsor for La Vuelta Femenina in a milestone event for Spanish (and global) road cycling. The year marked a brand new name for the event, part of the UCI Women’s World Tour, which finally completed a years-long attempt to create a full women’s Tour of Spain. It also rode on the coattails of the historic return of the Women’s Tour de France. To promote Škoda’s sponsorship and its commitment to women’s cycling, Proximity Barcelona turned the myth of “Bicycle Face” first into an empowering photographic project and then a series of interviews and short documentaries.
One of them featured Dori Ruano and Joane Somarriba, two well-known Spanish female ‘professional’ ex-cyclists and Olympic winners, discussing that women’s cycling made huge progress nowadays – which wasn’t always the case. “My entire sports career was combined with my studies because it was clear that I would not be able to live only through cycling after my retirement,” shared Ruano and Somarriba echoed: “There have been years when we have been… very little valued, very little protected.” But both matadors of the sport agreed that they are excited to see women pros thrive now: since 2024, Spanish teams must pay their cyclists a minimum salary to compete. “When you are an athlete and you have a salary to dedicate yourself to what you love the most, your passion, logically, it’s life-changing,” commented Ruano.
The documentary then takes a look at current women pros: Yurani Blanco, Usoa Ostolaza, Marta Romeu, and Isabel Martín. They all lived the reality of having a full-time job alongside working on their elite cycling career, which logically, suffered as a result. According to the documentary 2023, 78% of women pro cyclists had to combine cycling with another job.
Blanco who also used to be a child educator: “You had to ask for a vacation to go to a competition.” Ostolaza who also used to be a physiotherapist: “At that time, I didn’t earn a single euro from cycling but in order to survive, you need to work.” Romeu who also used to be a politician on combining pro cycling with another job: “You don’t rest, you are super stressed and the accumulated fatigue is brutal. In the end, you are a professional without being a professional.” Isabel Martín who also used to be a telemarketer: “Your reality is very different from that of a real professional preparing for the goal.”
The extraordinary decision about minimum salary saw all the above leave their “second jobs” and embark on a journey dedicated solely to becoming the best athlete they can be, which immediately resulted in less stress and fatigue, equalling better training and, therefore, significantly better results without the constant worrying about rent money and performance upkeep.
In the 19th century, “Bicycle Face” was a fictitious syndrome invented to prevent women from cycling. In 2024, it’s a clever jab at sexist tropes, representing the face of satisfaction of getting to fully dedicate yourself to what you are passionate about.
