article_snippet: Personally, no I don't think it's sexist," Marc Claerhout, E3 Harelebeke manager, told CNN.
article_snippet: And we didn't mean it as sexist.
article_snippet: Removing last year's poster featuring a woman straddling three other females is one thing -- but the UCI missed an opportunity to make an example of a tournament which has used seemingly sexist campaigns for years, said Olympic road race champion, Nicole Cooke.
article_snippet: Telling the race organizers to remove the posters is not much of a deterrent," added the retired cyclist whose autobiography "The Breakaway" highlighted sexism within the sport during Nicole Cooke over decade long career.
article_snippet: A whopping fine and canceling the race would have sent out the strong message that there is no place for sexism in cycling.
article_snippet: Not only is the poster sexist -- the race doesn't even have a women's field," said Bertine, who has long campaigned for a women's edition of the Tour de France equal to the men's -- a race often seen as the ultimate prize in cycling.
article_snippet: Here we are, fighting these battles to make equality happen.
article_snippet: she sees the problem not with the majority of "supportive" male cyclists, but with the lack of female representation among race directors and promoters.
article_snippet: A lot of it comes down to whether something has a market value -- and it's not necessarily down to gender," she said.
article_snippet: Former World Road Race champion Cooke points to the discrepancy in prize money as another big obstacle for women within the sport.
article_snippet: The biggest change I would recommend to provide protection, security and credibility for female road riders, would be the introduction of a minimum wage, as there is in place for male riders," added Cooke.
highlights_snippet: Sparks global debate about sexism in cycling .