Cycling uniforms should feel like a second skin, not look like it.
Unfortunately, for the Colombian women's cycling team, that was the case at this weekend's Instituto Distrital de Reacreación y Deporte in Italy. The team's six cyclists donned uniforms featuring a wide, flesh-toned panel that extended from mid torso to the upper thighs. In other words, they looked exposed.
While those flesh-toned panels aren't transparent, the coloring is enough to warrant a double take. Needless to say, detractors had an expressive reaction to the unusual new uniforms.
El #CiclismoFemenino de Colombia se abre camino en Europa #Equipo @IDRD #SanMateo @solgarcolombia en #Toscana pic.twitter.com/PMPVkyCWVQ— ÚltimoKilómetro (@Ultimo_km1) September 12, 2014
Equipo Colombiano en el Giro Toscana Apoyar y Difundir el Ciclismo Femenino,Saludo desde VILLAVICENCIO #LaVueltaxESPN pic.twitter.com/Bmxd6r1kVa— ANDRES ROJAS CLAVIJO (@ANDROJASC) September 13, 2014
Controversial Colombian women’s cycling outfits called “unacceptable”: http://t.co/qiWl4XgJYy (I wouldn't say unacceptable. Would say ugly.)— collazoprojects (@collazoprojects) September 15, 2014
Whoever designed these uniforms for the Colombia women's cycling team needs to be taken aside pic.twitter.com/gK8DB2yjma”— Electric Mistress (@ColeyTangerina) September 14, 2014
Whoever designed these must have climbed up the Stupid and kicked away the ladder: Colombia Women's cycling jerseys. pic.twitter.com/YZgL5LDms8— Cat Cooper (@catrincooper) September 14, 2014
The negative reactions were so strong that even the President of the Union Cycliste Internationale Brian Cookson responded to the controversy on Twitter.
To the many who have raised the issue of a certain women's team kit, we are on the case. It is unacceptable by any standard of decency.— Brian Cookson OBE (@BrianCooksonUCI) September 14, 2014
Union Cycliste Internationale provided Mashable with the following statement: