Chloe Dygert, one of the highest profile riders in US cycling at present, has issued an apology for her recent social media conduct.
Her new team, Canyon-SRAM, has also issued a statement
about the issue, doing so before the rider has even worn the team’s kit as she
has just signed for the squad.
"Cycling should be for everyone regardless of color,
gender, sexuality or background,” Dygert said on a post in Instagram,
“Like Canyon-SRAM Racing, I am committed to promoting
diversity, inclusion and equality in cycling and our wider communities.
"I apologise to those who felt offended or hurt by my conduct on social media. I am committed to keep learning and growing as an athlete and a person."
Neither Dygert nor the team specifically stated what the
apology was about and while the rider mentioned her conduct on social media,
the team did not.
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It said it stood for values that included treating “all people with respect and dignity regardless of gender, colour, sexual preferences or background”.
“We commit to regular training and support to ensure all members are fully aware of and align with our team's values,” it added.
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“This applies to all riders and equally to Chloé Dygert,
who in a public statement has willingly committed herself to the values of our
team.”
The issue centres around Tweets that Dygert “liked” in
recent months, with that Twitter activity then highlighted by other Twitter
users
One of the Tweets she ‘liked’ stated “white privilege
doesn’t exist” while another questioned the motives of Colin Kaepernick, the American footballer who took the knee
during the national anthem in a protest against racial inequality.
That Tweet stated
the player "realised that if he grew an afro and played the part of
victim, he could scam the black community out of millions".
Another Tweet ‘liked’ by Dygert related to plans by US president Donal Trump to allow single-sex homeless shelters refuse transgender people. That Tweet stated "men who self-identify as women, are not actually women”.
Dygert won the TT world title last year and looked like she was on track to retain her title at the Imola Worlds this year before she crashed out and suffered a very seriously leg injury.
The Tweets are no longer 'liked' by Dygert, whose apology follows the case of fellow US world champion, in the junior road race, at the Yorkshire Worlds last year, Quinn Simmons.
He was sidelined from racing for a period by Trek-Segafredo after using a black hand emoji during a Twitter exchange.
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