Rapha says Dygert’s apology ‘not sufficient’
In a message to customers on Friday, Rapha said that Chloé Dygert “has made very serious errors of judgment, which were compounded by an apology she issued that was not sufficient.”
Dygert recently signed a four-year deal to join the Canyon-SRAM team, which counts Rapha among its partners. Following the announcement of the signing, Dygert said in a post on social media that she was “committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and equality in cycling and our wider communities,” and apologizing “to those who I offended or hurt by my conduct on social media.”
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The apology was presumably in reference to things Dygert had “liked” on Twitter in the past, which, according to screen shots from other Twitter users, included a transphobic tweet and a tweet saying “white privilege doesn’t exist.”
Following Dygert’s recent Instagram post, Canyon-SRAM published a post of its own, saying that the team and “all of its members stand by a number of values, including treating all people with respect and dignity regardless of gender, colour, sexual orientation or gender identity.”
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On Friday, Rapha made its own statement in a message emailed to customers.
“As you know, earlier this year we committed to fighting discrimination within cycling as part of our wider effort to promote diversity, inclusion and greater equality in the sport we love,” the message began. “It’s absolutely imperative that as we develop our relationship with this subject, we do so with integrity. So we are writing to you today to clarify our position on the actions of new Canyon//SRAM Racing rider Chloé Dygert who, back in June, endorsed racist and transphobic views on social media. Rapha wholeheartedly condemns these actions as they were offensive, divisive and have no place in cycling or society.”
Rapha went on to say that the Canyon-SRAM team has “already taken clear steps to work with Chloé and is engaging with an external Diversity & Inclusion consultant in order to develop a comprehensive programme of diversity and inclusion training that focuses on dialogue and education,” noting that “Exact details of the program will be published by the team in the coming weeks.”
You can read Rapha’s full message below.
As you know, earlier this year we committed to fighting discrimination within cycling as part of our wider effort to promote diversity, inclusion and greater equality in the sport we love. It’s absolutely imperative that as we develop our relationship with this subject, we do so with integrity. So we are writing to you today to clarify our position on the actions of new Canyon//SRAM Racing rider Chloé Dygert who, back in June, endorsed racist and transphobic views on social media. Rapha wholeheartedly condemns these actions as they were offensive, divisive and have no place in cycling or society.
Since we became aware of this incident, we have taken time to fully investigate what happened, consulting with the rider, Canyon//SRAM Racing and other partners in order to take informed action in response. Having undergone that process, we believe that Chloé has made very serious errors of judgment, which were compounded by an apology she issued that was not sufficient. However, we also believe that trusting the ability of people to change is key to reaching any form of meaningful reconciliation. Having spoken to her at length, we believe that Chloé has the capacity and the will to listen, learn and to change.
All of us, the team and each of its partners, have acknowledged that we need to take action following this incident to ensure that this never happens again. Canyon//SRAM Racing have already taken clear steps to work with Chloé and is engaging with an external Diversity & Inclusion consultant in order to develop a comprehensive programme of diversity and inclusion training that focuses on dialogue and education. This is something that we believe will have a considerable impact within the team and beyond. Exact details of the program will be published by the team in the coming weeks.
As a result of our conversations, the willingness that Chloé has demonstrated, and the meaningful actions that Canyon//SRAM Racing is putting in place, Rapha will continue to support the team. Acknowledging that they, like us, must do more to promote diversity, inclusion and equality, Canyon//SRAM Racing has been instrumental in promoting women’s cycling over the last five years, and the continuation of this work should not be jeopardised by the actions of one person. This incident has been an opportunity for all of us to learn and understand how much more we can all do.
Finally, we would like to reiterate our stance on this issue once more. Discrimination has no place in cycling or society, and we are committed to fighting it in all of its forms by promoting diversity, inclusion and equality in the sport. There is no issue we take more seriously, and should there be any subsequent breach of these standards, the team will review the position outlined immediately. As part of this process, we will be reviewing our own working policies and practices to prevent similar incidents in the future. The last two weeks have served only to intensify our commitment to improve, starting with the actions outlined here.
If you have questions or would like to respond to this statement, please contact us using the link below.
Yours sincerely,
Rapha
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