Vuelta a España: Meet cycling's podium girls -- and men
Vuelta a España: Meet cycling's podium girls -- and men
Chris
Froome being kissed by two hostesses on the podium of the Tour de
Romandie cycling race in Belgium in 2013. Branded sexist by some, could
these podium girls soon become a thing of the past?
Story highlights
- Vuelta first of Grand Tours to end tradition of podium girls
- Custom branded sexist by some
- Vuelta winners will be sharing podium with women and men
It's a
change organizers of the three-week race, which started August 19, have
made after much discussion in Spain about all-female podiums in sports
including cycling and motor racing, which is increasingly seen as
old-fashioned and sexist.
"We
couldn't stay out of the debate because we are using all girls on the
podium," Vuelta race director Javier Guillen told CNN by phone.
"But the first thing we want to keep is those jobs for those professional people who are doing very well," he said.
"We
are not removing the ladies from the podium, but what we are doing is
introducing a male host, we will combine a man and woman in an
alternative way."
Belgium cyclist Yves Lampaert celebrates on the podium after winning La Vuelta's second stage.
Ground-breaking
Although
Guillen stressed the move was a "small change," the Vuelta is in fact
the first of the so-called Grand Tours of cycling to end the decade-long
tradition.
The Tour de
France and the Giro d'Italia continue using female hostesses to give the
riders their prizes and flowers -- and often a peck on the cheek -- at
the end of each stage.
But
at the start of the season, the UCI World Tour opener in Adelaide,
Australia replaced its podium girls with junior cyclists on the request
of the South Australian government, which partially paid for the race,
Cycling Weekly reported at the time.
Cycling races in Mallorca, Catalunya and Valencia have since followed suit and also abandoned the podium girls.
The
Vuelta podium girls at work during last year's trophy ceremony with
overall winner Nairo Quintana (middle), Chris Froome (left) and Esteban
Chaves.
'Treating women as objects'
The
move was welcomed by some riders, including Team Sky's Mikel Landa of
Spain, who told the country's El Correo newspaper the tradition was
sexist.
"That is the line
that we should go to. Podium girls presenting the prizes is an old
tradition, it's like treating the women as objects, and undervaluing
them."
Landa added: "This is a deeply rooted custom and nobody dares question it.
"And
you have to admit that the women who go up on the podium are there
because they are beautiful and have nice figures, and that's not the
image you'd want to project," he said.
Vuelta a España illustration.
'Elegant podium'
Although
Guillen emphasized the Vuelta podium is "very elegant" and has
"absolute dignity" he said he didn't hesitate to make the change.
"When
they say you have to introduce some men together with the women, it's
something that we say, ok, no problem," said Guillen said.
"Because
we have a stage for everybody. And this is something that is not bad
for the race, I don't see anything bad to introduce these changes, so
that's what we're doing, that's all."
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