For the umpteenth time this past weekend I had some bogan driver in a ute yell at me “Fag!“. Over my years of cycling I’ve gotten used to this and I don’t think much of it anymore. I’ve played my fair share of “tough guy” sports in my life and I can tell you that cycling has to be one of the toughest sports of them all. The fact that we all wear lycra, shave our legs, wear rainbow colors, etc doesn’t exactly line-up with a hardman image. Therefore I can cut a little slack on the ignorance when I’m mocked early in the morning by a bunch of drunks driving home from a big night on the piss. I can even see the humor in it.
Last night I was reading on cyclingnews about a suggestion that the winner of the Giro d’Italia prologue in Amsterdam this year should be greeted by podium GUYS.
The thought of this might scare us at first, but I think it’s going to take a lot more than three guys in lycra kissing each other to detract from the public image we’ve created for ourselves.
For example, to us Tom Boonen is considered to be one of the hardman representatives of cycling. Three time winner of Paris Roubaix, Tour of Flanders, World Champion, TdF Green Jersey…the list goes on. They don’t come any tougher. To us, he can pretty much get away with anything and still uphold his brawny image. I’m sure if Tornado Tom somehow won the prologue in the Giro this year and had a couple bearded men kissing him on the podium it would only add to his masculinity. Anyone can kiss two beautiful women – but you gotta be tough as nails to kiss a bloke. Boonen could surely pull this off.
However, I can see how people who outside the cycling fraternity would be, say…confused with our sport, which might lead to various obscenities shouted out at us. Boonan and friends, you are certainly not helping our image. The only thing missing here are the podium blokes!
{ 41 comments }
'I'd do Cancellara!' :)
But seriously, Podium guys should only be allowed in Amsterdam if they give a pat on the back, a “well done mate”, and hand over a blunt or a line, to Boonen of course.
I've just lost my breakfast! Fortunately I have no chance of sanding on any podium, so I'll just stick to kissing the girls :)
There's a whole forum for Podium Girls – http://forums.roadbikereview.com/forumdisplay.p...
But not a single one for Podium Guys.
As friendly as the Italians are – I'd expect that sense will prevail !!!!
Maybe the Giro people are thinking of when Cipollini arrived in his white suit ?
Whilst the thought of podium guys doesn't excite me I do think that the concept of podium girls is a little outdated and sexist.
The dude on the right in the thrid photo (schleck?) looks sick. Someone give him a a sandwhich or three.
I rode on Thursday and Saturday and had on both rides been abused buy guys in utes,I did kickboxing for 6 years and its getting to the point that one of these days they are going to stop and I will teach them a lesson UFC styles.
oh, I'd also be wary of the back stage, pre-podium wipe down and touch-up.
I must say I didn't expect to see the Reids' and Jon show up with those T-shirts on here. I told them those things would come back to haunt them!
Maybe guys for the Giro d’Italia Femminile! That is only fair!
Podium dudes. That's a great idea (no homo). Just imagine the sight of two strapping young fellas slapping a wet sloppy kiss on the cheek of the shaved monkey himself (Cadel Evans) at the end of a gruelling stage victory. Awkwardness doesn't get any more awkward than that. Priceless
I hope Vets doesn't get onto this idea
I think this post should have had a 'not safe for office warning'
While i'm sure they are used to me having some pics of bikes and stuff up, but those could damage my 'image' even more! ;-)
Yeah, I had to do the quick scroll as well. But it was noticed and I had to do some major convincing and explaining of the blog entry. I still don't think they believe me though.
uhhh, no.
Replying to myself after I got distracted by one of those pictures again… I'm with Pierre. I don't get the whole podium girl thing with the kissing and so on. And the flowers! What are they going to do with them? It's all a bit naff to me.
But holy cow, CT. I'd never thought of all those things… legs, lycra, rainbow jerseys etc. Funny post. Well done.
I think there is more sexual tension in a football change room then in a bunch of cyclist. At least we know we look gay.
hahaha Bogans in utes. I love the ones that stick crap all over their vehicle.
Truck bullbar. Check
Truck mudflaps. Check
5 massive Antennas. Check
4 sets of extra driving lights. Check
Rear window completely covered in macho bumper stickers. Check.
Someones trying very hard to prove their masculinity?
What are they so insecure about that they feel the need to dress their ute up like a giant pair of testicles?
OK, there's the funny side to this, but there's also a couple of serious points to think about here.
(a) Are podium girls still appropriate today?
(b) How accepting is cycling in general, and pro cycling in particular, of out-of-the-closet homosexuality?
For what it's worth, I reckon the answer to (a) is no. As far as (b) goes, I suspect the answer is “not as much as it could or should be”.
Don't tell me those “I'd do Boonen” guys are Canadians!?
The irony is cyclists are some of the hardest mutha's around…
I've personally played Aussie Rules footy in my younger years (NTFL Level) and when I made the transition to cycling – I'd comically reflect on the training regimen (or lack thereof) I used to do as a footy player.
Footy pales in comparison compared to the level of training and commitment required to succeed in cycling.
I even used to smoke a packet of winnie blues a day. Yikes.
Male Podium girls for Mens Elite events!?!… Whats the world coming to!
Haha classic call…
Yes that would be very nice and fair, podium guys for all women races. :)
We're talking Beach road here I reckon MM.
The Ute driving moron I'm thinking of is your all too common SS Holden species, bright green with alloys, $40k spent to get a $20k resale value. Personalised number plate ie. “Frangers”, and driver has the left side lean (so he is sitting almost in the middle) with the lazy one (right) arm straight out on the top of the wheel.
If it's a normal morning ride the driver has left his home in Carrum late and driving like a turd, and you're to blame. If it's really early the driver is coming home has just realised he hasn't pulled again (why?!) at the club and you're to blame.
This gorilla gets his behavioural cues from the Footy Show, so it isn't a very deep gene pool we're talking about here.
a.) Cycling has a lot of traditions, podium girls are one. While I understand the argument about objectifying women, and there are worse examples: cheerleaders; ring girls; etc, I don't believe that podium girls have the same salacious goal, nor the same sexualisation. I don't think Podium Girls are a gateway vocation to vice, where the next step is appearing as a round girl in some underground Coq fight in Marseille. Nor do I believe they are the Trojan Horse (careful on the enunciation) of bringing to Cycling the sexualisation that Cheerleaders bring to NRL, NFL, etc.
Call it naive but I think Podium Girls are beauty for beauties sake, a concept that some mightn’t be comfortable with but I hope is not outmoded in the modern era.
b.) I'm not sure that this is a way of garnering acceptance for the gay community. Contrary to my beauty for beauties sake comment above, I understand that some would say having a heterosexual reaffirming as the podium protocol is pushing a concept of sexuality on people. However I don’t think taking the opposite track and having homosexual men kissing other men irrespective of their personal sexuality is going to create positive in roads the other way. Perhaps there can be an opt in for the openly gay? Like a room service card, if it is your preference tick the box for Podium Guys at the start of the Tour.
As a curiosity question do the Women’s races have Podium Guys?
One like this? http://gallery.mtbr.com/showphoto.php/photo/275...
1 – Put some handsome Males on the podium for womens events
2 – Females wearing body paint in the colours of the event classification for mens events
Are we stereotyping ute drivers like the general public stereotype all cyclists as red light crashing, curb hopping idiots? In saying that my bunch had a “P” plater driving a late SS ute overtake the bunch and then swerve across us, to try and give us a scare last Tuesday morning, so perhaps there is something about males in utes!
My standard response to being called a fag by a car full of redecks is 'so your driving around checking out guys in lycra and I'm the one who's gay?'
Um, on what basis do you make that distinction? That the skirts are (marginally) longer? For me, at least, the symbolism of the podium girl is pretty straightforward – the only role that women have in pro cycling is to look pretty and act as a pseudo-prize for the winner.
Maybe you take a different view, but it's at least worth considering whether a tradition is still appropriate.
I'm pretty sure they don't mean it seriously – it's a “modest proposal” to encourage the cycling community to have a serious think about its attitudes to gender and sexuality.
Whoops, clearly “blockquote” doesn't work in these comments. Sorry!
Nor do we all strip naked and jump into a group shower after training!! Such represion surely leads to group sex with your mates… oh, and and there'll be a girl in there somewhere (for hetro confirmation).
Next time you experience abusive behaviour just do the “pinky salute”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2nvAFOk7x0
Gay it up I say! I agree that seeing Cadel getting some man love on the podium of the Giro would be priceless.
I not too worried about what bogans think of us. Irony is that bogans usually love Aussie Rules or Rugby League and its pretty hard to find gayer sports than those… not that there's anything wrong with that. ;)
What motivation is there to win if you can't get a kiss from the chicks?
I rarely get comments about my attire, more often I'll get a racial slur yelled at me, which is always interesting because I'm white. Just yesterday my group of 4 got honked at for being a millisecond too slow at a left hand turn light. Getting honked at is just an excuse for me to take my time and go even slower. So after getting honked at and yelled at, the passenger opens the door and yells at me for being a dumb ass white cracker and to watch out or I'd get my ass kicked (or something along those lines). We easily passed them a block down while they waited for traffic.
The best was when someone told me I was a nusance because I was on a bike “without a license”. This was at a red light so I tried to introduce myself and start a dialog, but the driver wouldn't make eye contact – he was text messaging someone the entire time.
It's camp enough with a pink jersey
Prime Estate kit is pretty gay.
I think part of the distinction is not only the length of the skirt but the presence of one. This, combined with the the lack of strip club inspired dance routines, that would be the basis of my distinction. With regards to symbolism, sure, and brides still wear virgin white, and I don't think anyone would take either of those symbolic gestures have any literal context anymore.
I'm sure they don't mean it seriously, but it only takes a rumour like this before Fox News declares Gay's have won the US election and are legislating all men must kiss.
don't forget the inevitable arseholes yelling “get a car” from their burgandy commodores.
maybe it's the same bloke each time, but they seem to crop up between dromana and sorrento in particular
Yep, the Calgary Bicycle Track League are ardent Tom Boonen fans, myself included.
Wow I was only away for a week and this is what I've been missing??
Firstly, thanks for the pics CT ;-) More of it, I say!
Podium blokes? Well, I dunno about that for the Giro mens race, if they're looking for a big smooch anyway. But then I'd have to wonder how I'd feel about podium girls if (when) I'm up there myself. It's a funny one really. I don't feel bad for the individual chicks who work as podium girls, because if there is any 'objectification' of them, they are bringing it on themselves. That's never going to change, whilst guys still like pretty girls, which I'm fairly sure will be forever. But I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me a bit sad when I am the tired, sweaty, lycra wearing, red faced, bad tan-lined, probably even slightly smelly girl, and the guys I'm riding with are checking out the perfectly dressed, immaculately made-up, smelling like a bottled daisy kind of girls having breakfast at the cafe next to us.
To be perfectly honest, what makes life really hard is the chicks who carry on about being a serious athlete and then all their promo shots are modelling pics with perfect hair and make-up. Don't complain to me about women's sport not being taken seriously and then display yourself as a hot piece of *rse instead of an athlete. …..err sorry….end of rant ;-)
Comments on this entry are closed.