“Wut Van Art’s wife is allowed to do that…”

Remco Evenepoel’s wife, Omi Ryan, no longer wants to come and watch the race.

She said the latter on Instagram. She went to the tour with her little sister to support Remco Evenepoel, but due to the crowds and chaos she couldn’t reach her husband.

“punches in the stomach”

Omi had to take one “push” after another and jump over the beams as she tried to make her way forward during the podium ceremony. “I had so much fear, I started crying and turning around because I couldn’t move forward,” she wrote.

“It was too much for me at that point,” Omi says a week later. The newspaper“I had to push to reach people. I got punched in the stomach. People didn’t understand why I wanted to keep going. Which I certainly understand. I’m no more than anyone else.”

a moment taken away

“I don’t mind standing among the ‘people’. I’ve been on the supporter buses for years and it’s always been very nice. But we wanted to experience Remco’s first Tour win together and that moment was taken away from us.”

And it wasn’t the first time, by the way. “When Remco won the Vuelta two years ago, the same thing actually happened. On the last day we wanted to continue the local rounds in Madrid with the other riders in the team. And even then we were denied access. The police simply sent us away.”

Sarah Debbie

Sarah de B also often comes to the race to support Wout van Aert. She also takes the children George and Jerome with her. However, she does not face those problems, but there is a logical explanation for that.

“I know Sarah has a permit that allows her to go more places than I do. Remko’s parents do too. You’re lucky the organization allows that. I don’t have such a permit.”

“She can also see Wout when he gets on the team bus after the stage. I can’t. Remco doesn’t come on the bus after the stage. He did the podium first as a white jersey, then the anti-doping, then the media… then he drove and went straight to the hotel in the team car.

“a little respect”

Other female riders face the same problems as Omi. “Every billiard (Jasper Stuyven’s wife,) For example, or Bettina, Philippe Gilbert’s wife. Roxane Bertels (Mathieu van der Poel’s girlfriend) Melanie Petermans (Friend of Jasper Philipsen, ed.) “I also think things are often poorly organized.”

“We all feel that there is not much respect for women in cycling. Sometimes I don’t feel really welcome for coming to the race, when it would mean a lot to our men.”

Are you going back on tour soon? “Not anytime soon. Remco asked to come over again last weekend. I’ll check it out, but when I get there, I also know he’s a bit worried about me and doesn’t want to have that on stage situation happen again. I’d rather spare him this headache.”