The Tour's Podium Girls

It certainly is an outdated practice that is a throwback to the days of even greater gender inequality. As another poster has said, imagine how absurd it would be to have 2 half naked men presenting women cyclists with their prizes?! Hopefully it won't put any young women off getting involved in the sport.

Signed

Do the women's races have buffed-up blokes on the podium? (perhaps with bow ties but no shirts...)

The number of riders who look simply uncomfortable being synchro-snogged by two women is increasing, too.  Whether that's because they're uncomfortable with the objectification, or just worry that they might inadvertently 'do a Sagan', I can't say.

And it's always funny when two statuesque models have to crouch down to kiss some tiny climber.

The Tour is France though - they still do things a bit differently over there.

Do you not think the racing would suffer if competitors were no longer enticed by the prospect of winning two mute women with rictus grins? 

(that was sarcasm for those who are beginning to froth at the mouth)

Of course it was never justifiable, but even harder to conscience now, with womens racing going from strength to strength

It's a disgrace.  What is shocking is the number of people and decisions that have to be taken to lead to it happening.

Equally cringeworthy has been the bit in the TV coverage of the Giro where they cut from the racing to a scene of 4 skinny models walking down the finishing line wearing the classification jerseys and then just gawp at them.

In a recent stage the poor Eurosport commentator was trying to keep things cycling related by talking about Andre Greipl, the actual jersey wearer and not the young ladies boobs, which is what the camera was focused on.

Yes it's massively cringe. Though when they're  riding for hours in colourful lyrca staring at each other's arses there's a need to compensate so I can't imagine podium girls getting dropped just yet.

Watching a documentary about Eddy Merckx I noticed that podium presentations were made by the wife of a local digniary, usually the mayor of the finish town.

Are podium girls a recent innovation?

BTW, I agree with the sentiments expressed above.