Photo via Cyclingnews

Eneco Tour organisers quickly equalise prize money for men and women after Charlotte Kool's Instagram call-out

The Eneco Tour in the Netherlands has swiftly addressed a significant gender pay disparity in its prize money after Dutch sprinter Charlotte Kool publicly highlighted the issue on Instagram. The women’s race initially offered just €17,205 in total prizes compared to €63,465 for the men’s event—a gap of €46,215.

Kool’s post, questioning whether women received a discount for energy given identical race conditions, drew immediate attention to the disparity, especially after the opening day’s winner, Lieke Nooijen, earned €220 while the men’s victor, Jakob Söderqvist, took home €1,490. Organizers, TIG Sports & Events, responded by equalizing the prize money for both races starting this edition, aligning the women’s total with the men’s at €63,465.

The decision reflects the event’s commitment to inclusivity, as outlined in its partnership agreement with Eneco, which emphasizes equal positioning and attention for both men’s and women’s races. Race Director Roxane Knetemann emphasized the shared platform for performance, noting that the event had already taken steps like equal expense allowances for teams—a rarity in cycling.

The UCI’s earlier rejection of plans to intermingle riders in the prologue due to security concerns did not deter the organizers’ push for parity, marking a swift and notable adjustment in response to athlete advocacy.

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