Dutch cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten is in Rio de Janeiro competing in this month's Olympic games and was well ahead of everyone when she crashed taking a sharp curve. She flipped over her handlebars and was knocked unconscious. At the hospital, it was announced she had spinal fractures and a significant concussion.
Once she was stabilized, awake and feeling better, she tweeted thanks to well-wishers from her hospital bed, assuring them that she’d “be fine” but was “super disappointed,” because “this chance is 1 in 4 years, doesn’t make it easy.”
But that was when one Twitter bro attempted to mansplain cycling to one of the best cyclists in the world, according to Fusion.
Mr. Betancourt's tweet earned him ire from social media users who mocked him for not knowing how to tweet, his incredibly simplistic recommendation and for being both "an ass" and "a d*ck."
Hi @MartinArielB , what is the second lesson? Annemiek probably waiting.— Sabbah Haji Isolating Smartly (@Sabbah Haji Isolating Smartly)1470643357.0
@imsabbah @MartinArielB "try pedalling forward"— secret candy super dandy brandy randy shibs (@secret candy super dandy brandy randy shibs)1470643399.0
@MartinArielB @AvVleuten Also, don't be an empathy vacuum twunt.— Nick Hussey - FRAHM (@Nick Hussey - FRAHM)1470642089.0
@MartinArielB I'm not sure how female athletes survived without you for so long. @AvVleuten— Shireen Ahmed M.O.M. (@Shireen Ahmed M.O.M.)1470656664.0
@MartinArielB @AvVleuten First lesson of sports watching. Know the basics of the sport if you're going to tweet someone severely injured.— Nick Hussey - FRAHM (@Nick Hussey - FRAHM)1470642039.0
@MartinArielB @AvVleuten mansplaining an Olympic cyclist how to cycle... 😂— Katja Bego (@Katja Bego)1470640984.0
@MartinArielB hope you explained that to Geraint Thomas & Vincenzo Nibali, they clearly also need help on cycling basics #everydaysexism— Dr Caroline Brown (she/her) is staying at home (@Dr Caroline Brown (she/her) is staying at home)1470645718.0
@MartinArielB @AvVleuten first lesson of tweeting, don't be an ass— Pau Covarrubias (@Pau Covarrubias)1470627977.0
@MartinArielB @AvVleuten First lesson in being a dick, be like you.— Evert van de Grift (@Evert van de Grift)1470652992.0
@MartinArielB @AvVleuten This does take mansplaining to a new idiotic level. I have some tips on carbon reduction for you(no experience)— DoctorBohemiangirl (@DoctorBohemiangirl)1470654005.0
@MartinArielB could you manage to be any more patronising? I heard no such 'helpful advice' to the men when they crashed #everydaysexism— DIANE SAMUEL (@DIANE SAMUEL)1470656105.0
@MartinArielB She's an olympic athlete competing at the very limit of human capability. "Keep your bike steady" will not win medals.— Brian Hawkins (@Brian Hawkins)1470672782.0
@MartinArielB Your mother must be so proud. This will be the only time in your meaningless existence you’ll ever get noticed. #mouthbreather— Patrick Onofre (@Patrick Onofre)1470661535.0
Betancourt has yet to score any Olympic medals or any Olympic friends.
