A Colombian women's cycling team uniform is causing quite a stir. As some point out, the garment's light-colored section appears to make the riders look partially nude.
Photos of the uniformed Bogota Humana team riders at the women's Giro Toscana race in Italy this weekend have spread like wildfire across social media, where users were quick to point out the unfortunately placed portion of the uniform, or kit.
Ma che divisa xe questa ? E un poco de rispetto par le donne no ? @Col_Coldeportes @BiciGoga @colombiacycling pic.twitter.com/MPcXdpLdYN
— MorenoBreda (@Morenik_) September 13, 2014
In the wake of the social media firestorm, the president of Union Cyclist International (UCI), Brian Cookson, took to Twitter to say the uniform is "unacceptable by any standard of decency" and that the UCI is "on the case."
According to local media, the kit was designed by one of the team's riders and has been worn in previous races. Only now, after images of the kit appeared on social media, has it been made a topic of debate. Some say the section of the uniform may actually be gold and that the color unfortunately appears lighter in photos.
"One of the riders appears to have designed it without the intent on making it look as though they were partially nude," Colombian cycling journalist Klaus Bellon told BBC.
Still, many were not pleased. Former Olympian cyclist Nicole Cooke went so far as to say it's turned cycling into a joke.