The stereotypical construction of the athletic performance of cyclists Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali in generalist and specialized newpapers of France, Italy and Spain

Abstract

Nairo Quintana, racing cyclist who has won different competitions in Europe,
was the target of racist and discriminatory remarks in the cycling squad during
his first years as a professional, due to his indigenous features, physique, and nationality. Our objective is to determine if, as in his early competing days, there were quantitative and qualitative asymmetries in the mainstream and specialized news media in France, Italy and Spain on Nairo Quintana’s triumph in the Giro d’Italia 2014 compared to Vicenzo Nibali’s victory in the same competition in 2013, given the race and nationality of both sportsmen. We will use a mixed method approach, in other words, content analysis method (quantitative) and textual analysis (qualitative) applied to a stratified sample of newspapers. Findings and conclusions: Quantitative and qualitative asymmetries are perceived in the categories of poverty, high athletic performance, and Latin-American and European stereotypes in the press subject of this study, leading us to reflect about the quality and ethics of sports journalism.