Not just pro bike riders. It's most everyone where their persona or brand is in the public domain. People might disagree with cancel culture, but the first amendment doesn't mean you can express yourself with zero consequences.
No matter which side of opinions you are on.
People also vote in our economy with how they spend their money, and that's their right. When athletes and business owners choose to participate in social media and take sides.......people see it. Then they can decide what they think.
But, I agree. If your social media presence is even remotely "part of the job"........keep it to work only.
The Kap thing.......personally I didn't feel it disrespected the "flag" and all the meaning people put into it in choosing to be offended. People have hijacked the American flag for ages to serve their own purposes. Altering it's colors significantly or placing meanings in it that are self serving. However, even if the anthem was not a traditional "part of the job" for athletes.......it's still that persona thing. And your 1A rights can come with consequences. I support him taking his stand, but his stand can have consequences when it was with his employer. I hate it for him.
I can't go out as an employee of a major corporation and if on a national spotlight choose to take on views they might not all share while wearing my company logo swag. That wouldn't work.
As far as her like of "white privilege doesn't exist"........when debating it with someone it is much easier to say "there's talks that black parents have to have about things black kids can't do growing up". Nobody in their right mind can deny the talks those parents have to give kids like "son, you can't run while wearing your hoodie" or "you can't wear a hoodie at night in that area".
The other problem is that in their mind it doesn't exist simply because it isn't universally true for all black people to experience that. OK, how many people have to experience that for you to acknowledge it? 50%? 75%? 90%?
There's a great book on this topic that's a story about the move away from white nationalism of Don Black's son Derek. Both who were leaders in the white nationalist movement and leaders of Stormfront.
Book is "Rising Up Out of Hatred".