Long one, please read 😅🫶🏻
To celebrate 50 years of
@fietsersbond I was interviewed alongside other cyclists in NL about what cycling means to me,
@queer_wheels , and my hopes for the future.
Here’s the truth: cycling still has a long way to go when it comes to inclusion and equal access.
Not everyone feels welcome in this sport. And honestly, things seem to be getting worse. Recent bans and harmful rhetoric from governing bodies don’t just stay at the pro level — they trickle down, divide our community, and make people like me (especially transgender people like me) feel pushed out.
I haven’t ridden in 5 weeks. Normally, I’d say that’s from training fatigue… but this time it’s different. Right now, cycling just isn’t bringing me joy. Being part of the community isn’t either.
Remember: what happens at the pro level (fewer than 1,700 riders worldwide) has a direct impact on millions of everyday cyclists. And yet, the focus is still too often on the elite few, rather than the millions who ride for freedom, health, connection, or simply to get from A to B.
Within those millions are people like me — people who just want to ride without fear of exclusion or abuse. But thanks to those bans at the top, we’re feeling it even in local clubs, even outside of racing.
Think about it: if your cycling group was made up of people all the same as you… how would you ever grow? How would you hear new stories, try new things, or push the culture forward?
If cycling doesn’t include more voices, it risks losing its future. I’m doing my best to make sure that doesn’t happen ✌🏻
Thank you to all that continue to support me 🫶🏻
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Article link below or IN BIO 🌈
https://www.fietsersbond.nl/nieuws/sebastien-we-ontmoeten-zo-veel-coole-mensen/
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@elizabeth.wattimena.fotografie
#cyclinglife #cyclingcommunity #rideyourbike #cyclingculture #cyclistsofinstagram #fietsplezier #fietsersbond #amsterdam #dutchcycling #fyp #pride
