It’s a job hundreds of women apply for each year, the privilege of kissing a sweaty, pungent cyclist still dripping through his lycra after a long day in the saddle.
Other perks include 12-hour days in all weather conditions, two-star accommodation with shared bathrooms and smiling at sponsors until your face aches.
You’re not allowed to interact with the cyclists, apart from planting one on their cheek for the cameras. But there is the prospect of having this lingering and rather awkward pose broadcast to a global audience and with it the promise of minor social media celebrity.
If you’re really lucky, you might get a pinch on the arse from an errant cyclist, as Maja Leye did from Peter Sagan in last year’s Tour of Flanders.
I love my cycling and I’m hugely enjoying the Giro d’Italia now underway. But there are three things about the sport that are a complete turn-off: Lance Armstrong, white lycra particularly when wet and the demeaning tradition of podium girls.
Pulling on the winner’s jersey should be reward enough.
Organisers of the various tours are quick to point out that podium girls are more than pretty faces. They speak multiple languages and study serious subjects like political science.
And then they stand at the starting line, holding umbrellas to keep either the rain or the sun off the riders’ delicate frames.
Sophie Moressee-Pichot of Tour de France sponsor Credit Lyonnais admits brain matter isn’t a factor when deciding which women mount the podium for the coveted Paris shot. That’s determined by “who will photograph the best on that day, and some girls might have a pimple or might look tired in the eyes.”
I doubt Sophie had to jump through any aesthetic hoops when she was chosen for the French women’s epee team that went on to win gold at the 1996 Olympics.
Not that the podium girls are always above reproach, like the two who sued their kissee Eladio Jimenez Sanchez for defamation of character when he was done for EPO in the 2009 Volta a Portugal.
“We don’t want to be known as stupid sexy girls who kiss dope fiends,” said one.
The other lamented: “I gave him a real smooch, not a fake one. I even pushed my breasts into his sweaty jersey. And now, it’s like my kisses are worthless. We are sexy party girls and we deserve better.”
Yes, these are actual quotes.
At this moment, there are 180 schoolgirls held captive in Nigeria for seeking an education. Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai will forever bear the wounds of being shot in the head for daring to go to school.
Last month, Afghani women defied Taliban threats to vote in their national election. Right now, thousands of women in Iran are posting pictures of themselves on Facebook minus their hijab, in defiance of the country’s strict Islamic dress code.
And we have a tradition in professional cycling which, in the words of Laura Weislo, deputy editor of cyclingnews.com, reduces women to “just beautiful ornaments to stand beside successful men”. Don’t get me started on motor sports.
As if to make amends, on 27 July as the Tour de France cyclists complete their ride to Paris, there will be a 90-kilometre women’s event, complete with podium boys to kiss the victors after their 13 laps of the Champs Elysees.
I guess they think that’s progress.
Greg
Guest
I also cringe at the fawning kiss. How about this? Keep the podium girls, and let them have this opportunity to advance their professional career. But let them stand somewhere else on the podium, maybe present the champagne, have a local cycling kid present the flowers. The girl/s could be more of a champagne company marketing tool (sorry for the term, but that's the job of models), and not look like some anachronistic gift to the triumphant man. It looks like "You have slain the dragon - here, take my most beautiful daughter as a reward." Or that whole virgins in heaven thing rewarding a martyr. Get rid of the kiss!
Edward
Guest
Hahahaha, we all have our turn on it, I had to step down for you to say that masterpiece just provided :)
Campbell Watts
Guest
Ok step down off the soap box please Edward!
Wayne
Guest
So while we're on the topic of podium girls, why not just petition for cheer leaders, grid girls at motor racing and that the FIVB increase the length of beach volleyball bikini lines? Seriously no one is forcing the girls to do it, most of them are either aspiring models or local dignitaries wives or daughters, and not all do the kiss on the cheek, and that they will just stand to the side of the podium and just smile and wave like they do in motor racing. But hey I'm just looking at it from a natural perspective, I'm fairly sure there are a lot more pressing issues in the world (since you brought up world issues) than this. Given the generation I grew up in and before me wasn't allowed to compete at a national level due to the colour of our skin. Lastly no one is forcing you to watch it, like most people here in Australia, once a European race is over they will usually go to bed out of shear exhaustion of trying to stay awake for the past three to four hours.
Tony M
Guest
Well done kazblah ! Some post bag you got there.It rivals some of those inspired by writings on cycling's favourite subject over the last couple of years ,lets not mention his name eh. I agree with your feelings about the podium girls. I watch cycling on TV when ever I can , but the podium ceremonies do not inspire me.
Mark
Guest
What a stupid idea. Any energy given to this is energy that could be put to a good cause that helps create a better world.
Edward
Guest
Can I suggest, before you start your petition, that you stop, and ask some of the women that do it. They may not want protection from it. They may enjoy it, and they may make good money from it. Hell, if you could see France and get paid for it while at a super event. I'd do it, wouldn't you too?
Kathleen Casey
Guest
Thanks for the clarification . I do not want to change everything.. just the ceremony and have cycling be viewed as clean sport.
Edward
Guest
Actually that wasn't directed at you, it was directed at everyone that wants to change things for change sake. If you feel it was an attack on you, then I apologize, but maybe there is some truth in what I have said. try not to take offense and read what I am saying.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
"Err I think you really miss the point it is not about what they do being their free will" I didn't miss the point but was simply making the point that these girls want to do this - maybe you missed that point..... "but how it reflects on the sport which is already coming under disrepute" cycling is not coming under disprepute for this - it is under direpute for the use of drugs which stopping podium girls won't fix. If podium girls are bringing the sport into disrepute as you say then surely the same would go for car racing but you are not speaking out against podium girls in that sport just cycling - what do you see as the difference between cycling using them and car racing?
Kathleen Casey
Guest
Rude, sarcastic and not respecting of my opinion as a woman, cycling enthusiast. You extrapolated way to much from what I was saying. Hope you do work out how to turn off the alerts.
David Thomas
Guest
How do you stand on 'Podium Boys" for the girls? Equality is what I say.
Edward
Guest
OK, I get it now. Cycling is disgusting and has such a low reputation we need to protect ourselves from ourselves by cleaning up every bit of it. So lets start with the celebration of completing 200kms in heat, cold or over hills.Let's remove the flowers for the wives and girlfriends of the competitors. The champagne encourages drink driving obviously, so lets dump that. The team is usually too damn tired to join them on the podium, and if you actually ever bothered to go back stage of an event - most of the riders are in ice baths before the first speech has started, but lets run them out on to the stage. As for the soft toys (like the ones Cadel gave to his kid) lets remove them too, cause they must mean nothing to anyone because we don't know where they go to after the race. I know, lets change the end of the race to a spectacular that disrupts everything because we have absolutely no idea what goes on. Lets ensure that the few people that are paid to be there are removed, we dont need them and it must be all about sexualising the sport. My God, you sound like we should be racing Sarcastaball version of cycling, reduce the race lengths so they arent so tired, then the team can join them on the podium, we can then widen the roads and remove the spectators to reduce crashes, remove the motorbikes and chase cars so no one gets hurt. Seriously... Leave the sport alone, there is nothing wrong with it. Can someone tell me how to stop the alerts, this thread is depressing my enjoyment of the race which starts from the Live broadcast start till the last comment on the broadcast.
Kathleen Casey
Guest
Err I think you really miss the point it is not about what they do being their free will but how it reflects on the sport which is already coming under disrepute. Let us out it this way I want to watch award ceremonies but I am confronted with anachronistic display that make me as a sportswoman and psychologist cringe. Sure I can choose not to watch the award ceremonies but I want to watch them without this display. I also maintain that these ceremonies should be focussed on the sport - would you say that time suggestion of having aspiring young cyclists from local clubs present an award or the team on the podium may provide a more meaningful ceremony and provide a a good image for a sport sorely tarnished in many eyes. Enough said. My rights and wishes should also be respected. I also like to have fun... and celebrate just no in this way.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
And the women involved are doing it of their own free will - its their choice not yours as men doing mindless things are doing it of their own free will and I have no issues with that People thinking for themselves is not an issue
Baz
Guest
No, no we can't.
AT
Guest
So it's wrong that I find Peter Sagan's larrikin antics funny? BTW, I'd be happy to get on the podium and give Anna a great big kiss, I'm 55 and overweight, but if she was OK with it I'm pretty certain my wife would let me do it. No mankini though. I like the girls on the podium, It gives the podium a bit of glamour. I don't understand why we need to give these athletes a bunch of flowers at the end of each stage but hey why do they need pink pillows and plush toys as well. Why do we give someone that's just cycle hundreds of kilometers alcohol, surely that's not right. Or just maybe its a celebration and all that glitz and glamour is part of the whole deal. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Jack Gibson
Tim Renowden
Expert
My reply was to SuperEel, but yours snuck in while I was typing it!
Kathleen Casey
Guest
You are correct I will petition each of the major tours Tim not UCI. Though UCI should also take a stand. I did not mean to imply that cycling could not deal with several issues simultaneously, especially as this one which is probably relatively easy to change. I was simply responding to the author of the remark that seemed to imply this was a non issue in the face of more serious issues - he in fact seemed to think that cycling could only manage those.
damo
Guest
So the women we mostly get to see in cycling are not actual cyclists, but models there for the gratification of the male competitors & viewing public ? Maybe we'd get a chance to see more womens cycling, if cycling promoted that aspect of womens participation, as opposed to the congratulatory kiss & spray on the boobs with champagne each stage. Just saying....