Funnily enough, I have some not-so-sneaking suspicions about you as well.
Podium Girls
- Thread starter oldroadman
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Funnily enough, I have some not-so-sneaking suspicions about you as well.
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
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- Armonmy Way
Though it's a little clouded by reference to pro-cyclists, oldroadman's post #329 suggests that this may not be the case. Even if it were, I've never heard podium girls' names or palmarès get a mention - they are there as adornments not as cyclists. I only know the name Maja Leye from the press coverage that followed Sagan's antics.
Radchenister
Veteran
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- Avon
You're absolutely right of course theclaud, that's what Mary Whitehouse stood for then.
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User169
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Put it this way. I suspect more people will know the name of the podium girl groped by Sagan than the winner of the women's RVV. I doubt many were even aware that there is a women's race.
Spinney
Bimbleur extraordinaire
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- Back up north
There appear to be three strands to this debate:
1) are the podium girls themselves exploited - the consensus appears to be 'no'
2) the effect that podium girls have on women's cycling - no conclusion as yet
3) the effect that podium girls (and other uses of women as eye candy) have on women at large.
For 3), for any of you who have not read through the whole thread, Ebonywillow's post many pages back is worth repeating here:
1) are the podium girls themselves exploited - the consensus appears to be 'no'
2) the effect that podium girls have on women's cycling - no conclusion as yet
3) the effect that podium girls (and other uses of women as eye candy) have on women at large.
For 3), for any of you who have not read through the whole thread, Ebonywillow's post many pages back is worth repeating here:
srw
It's a bit more complicated than that...
I am now struggling to find the article where I read about the fact that many of the young women who present prizes are themselves cyclists.
There isn't money in women's cycling because professional cycling is stuck in the 1950s - as the use of dolly birds to present prizes proves.
thom
____
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Maja Leye works for the RVV organisation itself, which may be part of the reason Sagan didn't get smacked.
Matt Seaton references this idea amongst others in his blog on the Sagan RVV affair.
Indeed - Marianne Vos took what surprisingly was her first RVV title.
There is no money in womens' cycling because the promoters and advertisers make the assumption that not enough people will watch it to make it viable.
They are right to an extent. There have been many threads in the Pro Race section about women's cycling in general and particular races which very, very few people post on. A large number of those posting on the podium girl thread have little or no interest in it if you use that as an arbitrary judgment.
How many of you can name the women's world road race champion for the last 3 years? Where is Emma Trott plying her trade nowadays? Is Emma Pooley still on the circuit? Does Marianne Vos ride any other disciplines other than track and road?
It's not a criticism, by the way, but shows how little interest even cyclists pay to women's cycling. Some is due to the lack of coverage in the wider media but the information is out there if you really care.
They are right to an extent. There have been many threads in the Pro Race section about women's cycling in general and particular races which very, very few people post on. A large number of those posting on the podium girl thread have little or no interest in it if you use that as an arbitrary judgment.
How many of you can name the women's world road race champion for the last 3 years? Where is Emma Trott plying her trade nowadays? Is Emma Pooley still on the circuit? Does Marianne Vos ride any other disciplines other than track and road?
It's not a criticism, by the way, but shows how little interest even cyclists pay to women's cycling. Some is due to the lack of coverage in the wider media but the information is out there if you really care.
EltonFrog
Legendary Member
Flying_Monkey
Recyclist
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- Odawa
I have tried several times to get discussion going both on women's racing and on the reasons why it isn't taken seriously by the UCI and many fans. There's no intrinsic reason why this should be so - for example, women's tennis is more popular than men's and in some parts of the world, women's football is as or more popular than the men's version. And I don't believe that women's cycling has to be less popular - when women's racing is given coverage as in the Olympic road race, for example, just as many people watched it, and saw some top quality racing that in this case, outstripped the men's race for excitement at least. Given this kind of example, it comes down to commitment and invesment from the UCI to make women's cycling visible, to support it and make it seem like they care. And symbolic moves, like getting rid of podium girls, would be one small step in saying that they are committed to equity in cycling and taking women seriously as athletes.
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User482
Guest
In the UK at least, the top women track cyclists are household names, so as you say, there's no intrinsic reason why the same shouldn't also be true on the road. Were podium girls ever used in presentations for the track?
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
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- Manchester
Yes.
Flying_Monkey
Recyclist
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- Odawa
Someone mentioned motor sport earlier, which in general has a far worse attitude to women than cycling, but I am wondering how many of those who are so in favour of podium girls here would agree with Stirling Moss about women lacking 'the mental skills' to compete in motor racing... http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/22083547
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User169
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...and still are at 6 day meets.
I didn't know that. I didn't know Burberry was an Amazingstoker either!
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