Former Cyclist Tara Gins Reveals Being Rejected For Job In Men's Team Because of Her Pictures

Tara Gins: Former Belgian cyclist Tara Gins said that she was denied a job in a men's team because of her pictures in Playboy magazine. 

Gins said that she was all set to join an unnamed men's team as its director but the offer was taken off the table after the team head made a verbal commitment to her. She said, " started the conversation by saying that he was breaking off the commitment that we had because someone on the team, a staff member came across pictures of me." 

She was also told that her pictures were shared in a group of which Gins was not a part of her. Guns also claimed, "Someone must have threatened the manager to send those pictures to one of the sponsors because that person has I don’t know what kind of relationship with the sponsor." 

Gins added that she is not sure which pictures were being referred to by the team head but she said that she has one photoshoot for Playboy magazine and another for a private calendar in Belgium. She said that one cannot access the calendar pictures as long as they are employees at the said company or a customer of the same. 

Gins was a professional cyclist between 2016 and 2018. After that, she did photoshoots for magazines. Expressing her thoughts on the incident, she said, "I don’t mind now that the agreement was cancelled. It is better this way." She added, "I don’t want to work with people who don’t see my capabilities and just walk with the herd. In cycling, too much thinking is still done inside the box. That’s a shame."

She said that those pictures wouldn't hurt anyone.  "Apparently these are now too inappropriate to work with riders. Apparently, a photo is more important than capabilities or experience."

She also spoke up about the harassment she faced during her riding days. She spoke of a mechanic who sneaked in while she was in the shower and had to push him away. Speaking further, Gins revealed about the behaviour of team managers against her. She said, "I had a manager come in when I was getting a massage to say how horny I looked."

She said that of all the things that have happened to her, losing the job makes everything more frustrating. Gins has now stopped racing and wants to do her own things. 

"And then they are taken back by those jerks, sorry so to speak, who have a double standard. Apparently, as a man, you can do a little more in the world," she added.