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news
Jan Bakelants (source AG2R-La Mondiale, cropped).JPGJan Bakelants apologises for podium hostess comments
AG2R-La Mondiale rider Jan Bakelants has apologised for "inappropriate" remarks he made about Tour de France podium hostesses in an interview with Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, but says they were made in a light-hearted way.
As we reported yesterday, the 31-year-old, who wore the yellow jersey of Tour de France leader after winning Stage 2 of the 2013 race on Corsica, was asked what he planned to take along for his free moments during this year's race.
> Porn and podium hostesses - former yellow jersey reveals Tour de France survival strategy
In reply, he said: “A packet of condoms, for sure. You never know where those podiummissen [podium hostesses] hang out!”
His comments led to Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme asking that the Belgian rider say sorry.
He said: "We will contact his team so that he makes an apology.”
Prior to Bakelants excusing himself on Twitter this morning, his AG2R-La Mondiale team told Reuters: "We have seen this interview and the answers of Jan Bakelants, who certainly wanted to be humorous, but in the present case it was very bad taste.
"We apologise to the organisers and to those who may have been offended by this remark.”
My sincerest apologies to all those offended by my words in a so called humouristic itw. My words have been inappropriate.
— Jan Bakelants (@Jan_Bakelants) June 29, 2017
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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7 comments
I can't wait for this story to reach the editorial offices of the reactionary hate rags...
Reporter: There's this story that's been on the Internet for a day or two. An athlete has been castigated for unpolitically-correct comments.
Editor: The man's a hero!
Reporter: Oh, but he is a cyclist.
Editor: Quick, hack his phone, we've got muck to rake!
Reporter: Hold on, he has annoyed some feminists.
Editor: Get him in, we'll do a puff piece!
Reporter: He's foreign.
Editor: Oh well, we tried.
RESULT! Another one in the eye for the anti-PC Brigade!
Typical sexist nonsense. If he's have said something about men, there would have been no apology....
Typical sexist nonsense.
Typical sexist nonsense.
OMG. We're in some Faustian existentialist time-slip loop. See what those wo/men have done now!
At least he didn't say anything really offensive - like he was going to use disc brakes.
not another helmet debate...