The 'podium girls' were dressed in these skimpy bikinis. Should the riders have taken a stand and simply refused to take part in the presentation?
At the end of the Flanders Diamond Tour in Belgium on Sunday, Jolien d’Hoore (Wiggle Honda) emerged fastest in the sprint to the line to repeat her victory in the same event 12 months ago.
Coming back from a planned break in racing, she edged Kelly Druyts (Topsport Vlaanderen) and Lisa Brennauer (Velocio-SRAM) into 2nd and 3rd respectively in Nijlen.
But while she was delighted with her victory on what was the penultimate round of the seven-race Lotto Cycling Cup, controversy would follow.
This time it wasn’t a spectator causing a crash or a rider caught on dope that stole the headlines.
Instead it was the bikinis worn by the four models hired to, we assume, ‘decorate’ the podium for the prize presentation at the UCI 1.1 ranked event.
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Dutch rider and journalist Marijn de Vries took to Twitter to describe the podium arrangements as an “utter disgrace”.
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This is the podium of today's Flanders Diamond Tour, a UCI 1.1 women's race. What an utter disgrace @LottoCyclingCup! pic.twitter.com/lVHu8ksqGe
— Marijn de Vries (@marijnfietst) June 14, 2015
The Lotto Cycling Cup apologised for the way the women were dressed, saying the local organisers of the event on the day had put the arrangements in place.
But at a time when women’s racing is trying to build up a head of steam towards better prize money and salaries for female pro riders – most of whom earn nothing or paltry sums; did the leading riders who took part in this podium ceremony set back their own cause?
Should they not all have refused to take part until the bikini-clad women were removed or perhaps put on some clothes?
And surely cycling should ditch the outdated practice of using podium girls? Or maybe it’s all just a bit of fun?
Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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