Why is the peloton hiding its true colours?

There is a conspicuous absence of openly LGBTQ+ riders in the pro peloton, especially among the men. David Bradford speaks to the pros with first-hand insight

LGBTQ+ representation in the peloton
(Image credit: Future)

Of the 978 riders in the men’s pro peloton, none are gay.

While this statement is true on the surface – not a single male rider at WorldTour or ProTeam level publicly identifies as gay – it’s starkly implausible as soon as that surface is scratched. 

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David Bradford
Fitness editor

David Bradford is fitness editor of Cycling Weekly (print edition). He has been writing and editing professionally for more than 15 years, and has published work in national newspapers and magazines including the Independent, the Guardian, the Times, the Irish Times, Vice.com and Runner’s World. Alongside his love of cycling, David is a long-distance runner with a marathon PB of two hours 28 minutes. Having been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in 2006, he also writes about sight loss and hosts the podcast Ways of Not Seeing.