Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney crashed heavily on the descent from the Cipressa around 19 kilometres before the finish. She was followed by numerous other riders, some of whom fell several metres over a crash barrier. Debora Silvestri was in a particularly critical position, but "only" suffered five broken ribs and a microfracture to her shoulder blade.
I didn't see the race as I was travelling to Cyclingworld in Düsseldorf for work. When I opened Instagram, a video of the crash hit me right in the face. "Holy shit" I thought to myself, closed the app again straight away and got on with my actual tasks for the day.
Comments are bottomless
Today I open Instagram again. And I get angry. Numerous comments under a video about this bad fall are misogynistic. I see this in posts that draw attention to it.
- "To busy thinking of the kitchen - too busy thinking about the kitchen" writes one.
- Another comments on "Women drivers.................... - Frauen am Steuer....................".
- "Women... probably doing their makeup while riding - Women... probably doing their makeup while riding" insinuates another person.
- Another comment is "Imagine how they drive cars... - Imagine how they drive cars".
- "And this is why you should stay in the kitchen - and that's why women should stay in the kitchen," reads one comment, which was completed with three emojis laughing out loud.
Don't you think so? There are screenshots of some comments; Burgess_and_his_bike reports about it. Get a notepad and pen, watch the reel to the end and take notes.
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I do my own research. Only on Instagram, not on Facebook:
- "Girls getting banged. Not the video I expected [giggeling emoji] - Girls getting f**ked. Not the video I was expecting [giggling emoji]"
- "And something like that drives along in traffic next to lorries and cars [applauding hands]"
- "Just cant't drive anything can they [laughing emoji] - They just can't drive anything, can they? [laughing emoji]"
- "Girls are bad on bikes - Girls are bad on the bike"
- "This has cheered my Sunday up - that sweetened my Sunday"
- "A professional cyclist doesn't know how to negotiate a bend? - A professional cyclist who doesn't know how to take a bend?"
- "Need practice steering - they have to practise steering [laughing emoji]"
- "Womans [laughtling emoji] - Women [laughing emoji"
As these men type, Debora Silvestri - five broken ribs, microfracture in her shoulder - writes on Instagram: "Not the final I imagined. [...] It could have been worse. Don't worry, I'll be back." And Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney says: "If you don't take risks, it's not topsport - if you don't take risks, it's not top sport."
Incidentally, Tadej Pogacar also crashed at Milan-Sanremo on the same day. The world champion. Nobody asked him if he was thinking about cooking.
One truth is: According to the Federal Statistical Office, a total of 2,770 people lost their lives in road accidents in 2024. In 2,253 cases, the main perpetrator was male. Just a little insight.
To all those who are angry like me right now: Good. Stay angry. And say it out loud. Because the men typing "back to the kitchen" under videos like this one are doing it because they think there are no consequences. Show them they're wrong. And to you: Debora Silvestri will be back. Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney will be back. You won't get rid of her. Not us.
Sandra Schuberth
Editor
