In 1986, when Nieves Moya first tried to cover La Vuelta, organizers told her she couldn't ride in the race cars. They worried women might see male cyclists stop to urinate during the race. The rule kept women away from the heart of cycling coverage for years.
Nearly forty years later, Moya is still part of the sport. She has reported on 40 editions of La Vuelta and worked for France-Presse. Her career reflects her love of cycling and her determination to push past the sexism that shaped the industry. She remembers being one of the only women in the press room; at press conferences, her questions were often overlooked. "In cycling, there has always been a lot of discrimination against women," Moya says.
Moya's first La Vuelta brought more than exclusion. She and her colleague Miren Gasca had their shared suitcase stolen, losing impressive work tools, including a typewriter. Even so, Moya kept going. These setbacks showed how much grit it took to survive in a world that didn't want women as equals.
Moya also found people who backed her. She points to the Orbea team and those around Domingo Perurena, who treated her and Gasca with respect. Pedro González from Televisión Española and José Luis Ibáñez Arana, then head of the Spanish Cycling Federation, also helped. Ibáñez Arana appointed Moya the Federation's press officer, making her the first woman to hold the job.
Cycling journalism has changed since then. Moya says teams are now more professional, but that has brought new hurdles: press officers and agents control who gets to talk to riders. "Before, they were more approachable," she says. Still, she believes trust makes a good interview possible, even if some stories can't be told yet.
Her work has brought her face to face with legends like Miguel Indurain and Lance Armstrong. Moya points to their lead to win and the way they helped their teammates. She says there are stories from her years in the sport that she hasn't told yet, and hints at a book where she might finally share them.
Moya still covers cycling, but she hasn't yet reported on a major women's tour. She welcomes the growth of women's cycling and the chance for female athletes to compete and be seen for who they are. "I think it's wonderful that the girls can show themselves as they are," she says.
Moya's story shows how slowly Spanish sports media has changed. Her persistence forced open doors that had been closed to women for years, though her experience makes clear how much work remains. Such basic exclusions were normal not long ago. For anyone starting out now, her experience offers a warning and reason for hope: the path remains difficult, but it can be made.
