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news
Sagan bum pinchingPeter Sagan under fire for pinching podium girl's bottom
Peter Sagan has been criticised for a photograph that shows him pinching the bottom of a podium girl after he was placed second in the Tour of Flanders yesterday.
As the winner Fabian Cancellara was given the customary kiss on the cheek by a blonde hostess, Sagan turned and 'goosed' her on the backside.
Social media immediately exploded, with thousands registering their unease at Sagan's act - and he was eventually forced to apologise.
Michael Hutchinson, 2012 Irish Time Trial National Champion, tweeted: “Shame that Peter Sagan has so much class on a bike and so very little off it.”
Irish Paracycling Team member Colin Lynch wrote: “Despite the symbolism of being kissed by scantily-clad women & then spraying champagne all over the place, groping them before is [off] limits.
“The podium move by Sagan was like school on Sunday. No class.”
Cycling writer and broadcaster Ned Boulting told The Independent: “To say it’s OK for winners to celebrate in these ridiculous clinches with these poorly paid, barely dressed and no doubt freezing cold women – I think it looks bad and pretty repressive.
“It’s seen as completely normal to have podium girls but it doesn’t need to be. If they ceased to exist [in the sport] overnight, no one would miss them.”
Jane Aubrey, editor of Australian cyclingnews.com, tweeted: “Anyone excusing Sagan's behaviour due to his age, needs to think again. In the workplace, it's called harassment.”
Adam Tranter, editor of website Cyclosport, retweeted the picture and wrote: “The moment you realise Sagan is actually just a bit of an idiot.”
Sagan's apology - via Twitter - was short and sullen. “Was not my intention to disrespect women today on the podium. Just a joke, sorry if someone was disturbed about it,” he wrote.
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70 comments
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In other news... amnesty international are still campaigning hard against the political and social discrimination shown to women and girls in Oman, meanwhile in qatar (the second most strict muslim nation) where many women are forced to wear Abaya, are not allowed to be accompanied at all times and generally repressed..there were no scantily clad
Some Fella - your argument holds very little water!!!
Oh and isn't that a slightly antiquated, naive view - all sports persons are thick or else they would be heart surgeons - Emma Pooley will have to quit her phd before someone figures out what a thicko she is, oh and I bet David Beckham wishes he had worked at becoming a heart surgeon, cause he's on the bones of his ar$e doing the job he does right now!!!
You lot of do- gooders who feel so wronged by this bit of clowning around make me sick,get a life,lets do away with them all togeather then!! Cyclings been through enough bad press without you lot off TOSSERS all banging on ur righteous drums
North Korea has declared war on the world
Meanwhile Sagan makes inconsequential schoolboy error after 120 mile plus ride in freezing conditions.
Lighten up! IMHO.
Imagine Marianne Vos pitching the butt of the podium boys
Oh, wait there are no podium boys for her
Personally I think it was a bit naughty. Maybe that is why the models are always happy that I have both hands on the camera
at least no complains in the interview:
http://innercitymobility.blogspot.de/2013/03/preview-april-in-cities.html
I'd happily be a podium boy for Marianne Vos!
And I wouldn't be mad at all (!) if she pinched my butt. In fact why wuld I be there if I didn't enjoy the attention?
All in fun, no offense taken... Sagan was just a silly immature boy... He should just be taken to the side by his manager or his parents and told to behave...
His agent should say, look, you've got an image to protect, a marketability you could ruin with these stunts... Just think about it, apologize to the girl, pay for dinner for her and a companion at a fine restaurant, buy Cancellara a bouquet of flowers and get on with it!
no, aslongasicycle, i'll take the lycra clad podium girls anyday - they are all good sports, at least the ones I have met were
Perhaps adding humour and fun to prize presentations would be better served by adding clowns and a stand-up set rather than ladies in tight outfits getting felt up?
He is a King
at least it brings some humour to the sport when a lot of riders and teams seem boring with no personality. Hence why Orica Green Edge are so great 
Podium girls are great,
people are taking this too seriously - sexism? get real. Its sport, its fun and Sagan is a funny guy - certainly got a laugh from me. Lighten up Dudes.
'Social media immediately exploded' if only
What a pillock.
Podium girls and bum pinching in 2013? When women's cycling is struggling for recognition and respect, not to mention funding.. Gross.
Amen brother/sister.
why would anyone even want to try to defend or laugh away Sagan's action - it's plainly wrong. If in doubt, why don't you step out into your local high street and try to do the same, obviously while smiling to your mate's camera.
Huge fan of Sagan the racing cyclist but he looks pathetic here. I don't agree with the concept of podium girls but saying its ok to pinch them is like saying a women in a mini skirt is asking for it.
About podium girls. And boys: http://www.vulpine.cc/Blog/road/podium-boys-oily-pozatto-and-the-inequal...
Has anyone bothered to ask the girl how she feels about all this I wonder?
Who knows, maybe Peter Sagan is some kind of subversive who knew deep down his actions were the only way to provoke a balanced debate about the role of podium girls in cyclo-sport and also to draw attention to the lack of coverage of the women's race. and provoke various house-bound middle-aged men into fulminating tweet tirades about sexual assault.
or he's just a knob ?
...
I've suspected Sagan is a bit of a kno b, this just confirms it.
bollocks.
He was having a laugh.
If she complained then he could apologise.
As for the rest of the world. Its none of their sodding business.
Storm. Teacup.
Quite clearly - given he was doing it in front of a live audience - a very poorly thought out joke. Right to be pulled up for it but to say he should face criminal action is ridiculous.
Clearly he is doing it as a joke as he's looking forward and smiling. People should just have a giggle at it and move on.
...and those girls look properly dressed to me!
Remember you said that when someone does it to your partner or mum.
true and Fair.. but then I wouldn't expecting my wife to be stood on a podium, handing out flowers and kissing other guys!!!
Sexual assault is not a joke.
'guy made a joke that wasn't funny.'
sexual assault is a joke??
Man, guy made a joke that wasn't funny. Now everyone has gone nuts. Usain Bolt would have got away with it. So would Cipo.
Sexual assault is not a joke.
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