WCN Quiclink >>  Results

6460 Reasons Women Love Cyclocross In The Hamptons

Whitemore's Landscaping Super Cross Cup - The World's Richest Women's Cyclocross - Richer Than The Men's Race

Long Island, October 6-7

Myles Romanow, promoter of the Whitmore’s Landscaping Super Cross Cup, recently offered a few reason why women should come to his race this year.  Actually he offered up 6460 reasons, all but one of which are in the form of dollar bills.  $6459 is the cash purse just for the UCI Elite Women’s portion of the two-day event.  What’s the other reason?  “Pol Roger champagne!” said Romanow.

When the UCI Elite Women’s field lines up each day to compete at the Whitmore’s Landscaping Super Cross Cup, they will do so knowing that they will be racing for more prize money than World Champion Erwin Vervecken and the rest of the field in the UCI men’s race that follows.  And, they will have the knowledge that they are racing for more prize money than has ever been offered to Women Cyclocross Racers -- anywhere -- in the World.  And the listed prize lists only reflect the cash prizes, they don’t even take into account the merchandise prizes -- like the very classy Chiffon wraps that have been donated by Alex Evenings, one of the most respected names in ladies eveningwear.

“The area we live in is pretty into minority rights,” says Romanow.  “And quite frankly, I’ve always personally believed that Katie Compton and Lyne Bessette should be racing longer than a 15 year-old Belgian teenager.  And they should be racing for the same prize money as men, or maybe one lap less than the boys and perhaps prorate the prize list accordingly.  The point is, $800 for a field is bullshit.  Even if a rider wins, her prize money may not even cover her airfare.  And we’ve had women’s lib for 40 years?  Come on!  It’s just as bad in Europe.  Christine Vardaros keeps telling me they are trying to give her cans of soup and clogs for winning races over there.  Now I'm certainly not saying I deserve accolades and angels and cherubs playing songs for our race -- although we have been known to hire some pretty good punk bands.  I like watching the women’s races.  And I think some of the most compelling personalities in the sport right now are women.  Katie Compton probably draws more people to more races than any other ‘cross racer in America, male or female.  More importantly, my sponsors like watching the women race.  They want to see the very best come to their town and they’re willing to pay for it.”

Beyond the prize money and the big name stars, though, the Whitmore’s Landscaping race is known as a quality race.  Even riders that aren’t competing for the massive cash purse rave about the event.  "Southampton, Long Island is my favorite race double-up,” writes New England’s Megan Bilodeau, a self-described ‘mid-pack master’s chick’.  “Myles is a rockstar!!!" 

Copyright WomensCycling.net 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007^©