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Gent-Wevelgem Podium Misters 2015Gent-Wevelgem unveils 'Podium Misters' for this year's women's race
With the issue of whether podium hostesses should still be used in cycling in the news recently as a result of what some saw as a sexist publicity poster for this year’s E3 Harelbeke, organisers of Gent Wevelgem have unveiled their ‘Podium Misters’ for the women’s edition of the race.
Greeting the winner with a peck on each cheek a week on Sunday will be Mr Belgium Personality, Fabio Ronti, and Mister Universe Model Belgium, Philip Moers, says the Flanders Classics organisation, which added the women’s edition in 2012.
With many viewing podium hostesses – or hosts, for that matter – as an anachronism, though, are you of the opinion that two wrongs don’t make a right?
Or do you feel they are a harmless nod to cycling’s traditions?
Does it restore balance, or does it reinforce gender inequality?
Let us know in the comments below.
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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53 comments
People like looking at good looking people. You cannot be unprogrammed to not. These good looking people have a right to ply their faces and bodies to help promote whatever the sponsors want them to. You don't have to buy into this product/service. You could just enjoy the view and get over it.
I do think that it is possible some people take this matter a bit to seriously. It is not exactly bikini american football. Or mud wrestling. It is only right and proper that women get a male equivilent, if they like.
I wonder what would happen if we ever discussed podium girls riding through red lights while not wearing helmets. I'm not sure the internet could take it.
If it is good for cycling prizegivings to spend a moment reminding us of how beautiful beautiful women in dresses are, why don't they bring podium girls to wimbledon, and to my school prizegiving? There are all sorts of situations where we can focus for a moment on how beautiful the ladies in dresses can be, even in situations like protour cycling where women don't actually participate in any other way with equality. What about a spot of flash or javascript so we can have a beautifully-clothed lady introduce each new page we open on road.cc? There can be an option to have fellas instead because that would make it all equal and stuff.
Why are there MAMILs but not so many MAWILs? Complete mystery, must be some invisible societal force out of our control. Or womens' brains being different, yes, that'll be it.
Good looking people hand out awards. It's a job.
Good looking people model cycle clothing too. It's a job.
I do think the former can be replaced with local cycling kids, cycle club secretaries and even the nearest cycke shop owner. It would be more relevant.
O.K., from now onwards we are to have awards ceremonies performed with one male and one female, neither dressed in revealing clothes or national costumes (too nationalistic), no flowers (pollen risk - would hate for a pro to have to take drugs for this) and no alcohol (bad example to children and more importantly wasteful).
By banning those who are more aesthetically pleasing for a fugly person or those in-between - would this not be discriminatory (would certainly rule me out).
The winners photographs are needed by sponsors, etc for promotion of the event which is why the (often) disinterested mayor (insert local dignatory) is removed before the pictures taken.
Really the best people to hand out awards would be for someone who has achieved something in the cycling world to be available at every event but with some personal appearance fees truly ridiculous this is unlikely to happen.
Now then, let's be practical about this. Podium girls are generally, well, girls because societal norm assume the heterosexuality of the winner. Now in the 21st century we can't abide by this. I therefore suggest that the UCI implement forthwith the addition of the following questionnaire to all entry form in any UCI-sanctioned events (male or female):
A-herm.
"In the eventuality of any kind of prize to be awarded to myself, I wish for this do be done by:
- Podium girls (2)
- Podium dudes (2)
- Podium girl (1) and Podium dude (1)
- A border collie named Henry
- Mario Cippolini."
That should sort it....
No, it's because societal norm assumes women are servants. Back in the olden greek days, the returning victor soldiers would often as not sleep with little boys to celebrate their triumph, not the garlanding, flower-throwing servants.
Wimbledon pays women the same, has officials in jackets doing the prizes.
First post was excellent. Children can cope with words just fine.
Nearly ... I think race organisers should have both the Podium Girl and Podium Dude teams on standby and randomly select a combination for all prizes to avoid any bias in preferences from competitors. Make sure they document the process in advance as well - absolutely identical actions prepped for the girls and the dudes.
The original story is a bit of a storm in a D-cup but Rich71 your coments neither improve on silence nor add anything constructive to the debate.
Please take yourself to one side and have a good word with yourself. Cheers!
I think the silence can be attributed to there being too much daylight. He should resurface anytime soon now the sun has set. Mind you his rather harsh reaction could be attributed to the recent solar flares and eclipse messing about with his circuitry.
Most of these girls work for modelling agencies and they do the podium bit to ultimately get noticed and promote themselves for bigger and better jobs. Yes, some work for the sponsor company.
What Sagan did was completely wrong and i would never condone such actions.
So where does it stop, do we stop Next, Kays, Littlewoods etc etc from having catalogues where females appear in swimsuits or heaven forbid underwear.
Its a job to them and they get paid for it so who are we to say "i dont agree, you cant do it". A female or male, can do whatever they want and should never be told "you cant" because some people feel its archaic.
By all means dont like it, i personally dont give 2 toots if they are there or not, its not what i watch cycling for and i always switch the race off once the result comes up.
Now all we need is for one of the women to pinch one of those guys' arse lol.
It'll be interesting to see the difference in reaction.
As a male, I really don't have a problem with this at all.
Please delete delete the post from rich79 and ban him from the forum.
Anyway, Ghent is a lovely little town. Quite hard to find anywhere open for breakfast, though.
Coming from Madrid to live in Gent, I haven't get used yet to the opening hours.. but if you need a breakfast, I vouch for simon Says, Le Pain Perdu, Superette or Julie's house, and of course, Bidon Cafe
http://www.visitgent.be/en/breakfast-and-brunch
https://hipsteadresjesgent.wordpress.com/tag/ontbijt/
How about we do away with this outdated concept. In all "sports"
Give each recipient, male or female, their preference, i.e. the choice of a male, a female or a flower giving machine - or self service choose your own. I don't like flowers - what else you got?
Why the flowers anyway? Does anyone care about how those poor flowers feel?
Thank heavens it's not an argument that's found its way into motor sport.
I guess that just means that cycling the more up-to-date of the two
A bit of a pointless exercise, I'd rather they sort out the level of inequality in pay and having more races for women and tv coverage.
Fancying people is great. I fancy my wife. In fact, I've keen managed to procreate with her, which I'd still can't quite believe.
But cycling is sport, not sex. Women get a raw deal in cycle sport. They're more often seen on telly as podium girls than the tough commited racers (like Matrix, what I sponsor) that I know. That's not how to promote cycling to girls. Or indeed boys. It says "be pretty in a little dress or don't bother". Or "you do the sport, they're there to be pretty for you. And what if the girl isn't pretty? Does she have a place in cycling? Or society?
The old "you're a male feminist because it gets you shags" argument is about as pathetic as it gets. Don't judge by your own standards, unreconstructed old dribblers. I'm married to a hot chicka (IMHO). That's the sexual side sorted. I just happen to like people. And fairness. And half of people are women. They should be treated fairly.
That seems normal. The sadness is to many, it isn't.
You've just cancelled out any anti-sexism views by referring to a female as a "hot chicka".
It's not sexist to fancy your wife. Anti-sexism and feminism isn't about denying sexuality. Its about making it appropriate and fair.
It's the terminology used to describe your wife, not whether you fancy her or not. It's nice that you still fancy her in all fairness but I bet you wouldn't introduce her to people as your hot piece of ass!
Actually an interesting divergence from the podium angle is about how we push women hither and thither with our conceptual norms. Women are more subject to this because of their gender than men. We are men and we have a job. Women are are women/mother's/professionals etc. But we make it hard for women to just be by forcing concepts and ideas on them - that goes for and against gender bias. But you might also bring sexuality into this and androgenism. If we accept that all sports dope women sports persons are highly subject to it - but when you consider that anabolic steroids are a key component in that you forcing women to become 'more like men' it makes the idea of 'who' is forcing 'what' on 'whom' all a bit dizzying. Politics and science never did sit like easy bed fellows.
I really can't believe how wound up some people get over this issue! They must have a lack of stress elsewhere in their lives. Time to get some perspective.
Gender bias is pernicious but very easily dismissed. That's why it should be called out and discussed when it rears its head, and not just by women
Very well said
I'm not wound up at all and I most definitely have other things to worry about. I just think it's inappropriate. In my mind it's plain wrong. But ignoring it is condoning it.
I realise that we won't all agree since we all don't share the same morals. Some people think it's still OK to discriminate against or denigrate people simply because of their skin colour, ethnic origin, language, religion and so on.
I expect folks like you and stumps will be fine with that... until it happens to you.
Your statement would be fine if we were all in agreement that women are being discriminated against as a result of pro cycling podium girls. No one above, as far as I can tell, is condoning discrimination. One side believe that the podium girl/guy thing encourages discrimination where another does not; that's all.
I've just come back to these posts but excuse me, who the hell do you think you are accusing me of discrimination, bigotry, sexism and racism. You dont know one iota about me and have made a massive jump in assuming that because i dont say podium girls are wrong i'm suddenly a discriminating racist. Absolutely pathetic.
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