2013 97th Ronde van Vlaanderen, 257km, Sunday 31th March

[The Hitch]

People sound genuinly offended here, go ask that girl what she thinks.

I'd ask her more than that

Seriously though, it doesn't matter if she says she didn't mind. First of all she might be embarrassed to say it in public (and yes I have seen girls I know, not willing to make a big deal in public, be very upset about it after the fact in private)

And secondly some women might not mind, but some women do. If she says she doesn't mind does that mean its ok to go up to the next podium girl and do the same?
joke deliberate to show where the line is.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Just to clarify, I don't under-estimate the seriousness of a sexual assault...which is what it was. There are a number of high profile cases in the UK at the moment involving former/current television/radio personalities.

Yep, he's basically a paedophile.

I really can't stand people lazily, or intentionally, using blanket terms to subtly conflate things of an entirely different nature. It seems to be an entirely standard part of political discourse nowadays to find ways of describing policy proposals as child abuse, or sexual assault, to make use of the existing disgust around these terms, even if the thing it is appended to is entirely different.

Sagan's a tool, but trying to pair him up with Jimmy Saville & Ralf Harris is a bit much.

 

[The Hitch]

It's just a disrespectful thing to do. A podium girl isn't a wh.re. And even a wh.re you have to pay to do this.

As you dutchies know oh so well

/ACF mode.

 

[HiCadence]

Pretty sure she didn't ask him to do that.

He's a cool guy on the bike but seems kind of a 'jock' guy off it.

The sport shouldn't have podium girls anyway. Would be way cooler to have old riders or just have the organisers/mayor/sponsors do it instead like Formula 1 does.

Yes because tradition means nothing All that is needed is for pro's to show a little respect.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

No,it isnt...Im just saying that americans are obsessed with sexual harresment bull**** and I still dont know why...
Sorry,if I took offence against u.

Try grabbing a woman's *** every now and then and see how long it takes until you get sued for sexual harrasment. It's not just America.

I generally don't mind Sagan being arrogant, playful and a clown, but what he did today was just stupid and immoral.

 

[hiero2]

They hate Budhism in Slovakia?

Don't be disingenuous. We all know the swastika has a longer history than just the past 80 years, but it has been tainted, and will remain so for some time to come. Probably a length of time greater than our lifespans. Going to this direction in a topic is also reason to close a thread entirely.

Just to clarify, I don't under-estimate the seriousness of a sexual assault...which is what it was. There are a number of high profile cases in the UK at the moment involving former/current television/radio personalities.

She did have a choice though: not applying for a job consisting of showing her pretty body to the world and kissing the winner of a bike race.

It's not as if Sagan had run after the first woman he saw and touched her ****.

Sagan is an immature brat, yes, but let's have some perspective.

I would say, rather, that Sagan is a young star. He is beginning to realize that he can do things that most people can't. I would guess from his quick apology that he will not repeat such a joke. The ladies hire on to stand there and be seen, and perhaps to give the riders a smooch on the cheek. Most of them like being in the spotlight also - but they aren't hired or paid for more than that. One of the reasons we can have such displays of sexuality openly is because we respect its limits.

Sagan made a mistake - and he has apologized. Ok, incident over. The t-shirt bit is his private life, not his public one, so no business of mine. I think the champagne spray is completely different - there is no touching involved, and I've also often seen the champagne get sprayed on other riders, on fans, on coaches and support team, etc.

 

[El Pistolero]

Don't be disingenuous. We all know the swastika has a longer history than just the past 80 years, but it has been tainted, and will remain so for some time to come. Probably a length of time greater than our lifespans. Going to this direction in a topic is also reason to close a thread entirely.

You've never been to East-Asia I see. Has only been tainted in some Western countries with double standards.

 

[luckyboy]

Yes because tradition means nothing

It's a pretty embarrassing 'tradition'/it's not the 70s anymore.

 

[hiero2]

Ok - I'm as much at fault as the rest of you - this thread has jumped the rails. Now, discuss today's RACE or watch your posts disappear.

Cheers!

 

[Descender]

That sounds dangerously close to "she was wearing a miniskirt, she was asking for it". Or to "she actually enjoyed it".

Far from it.

Sagan deserves to be criticised for being a childish ***, but I keep reading things like "If some dude pinched a woman's **** in an office environment that would be terms of sexual harassment, But it's ok for Sagan to do it because he's a famous cyclist.". Except this did not take place in an office environment. A woman in an office works filing documents, a podium girl works dressing fancily, smiling, posing and kissing a guy's cheek for the camera.

That doesn't make what Sagan did appropiate, but it doesn't make it comparable to an office worker grabbing his female co-worker's buttocks in the coffee room.

Now, we can then talk about the anachronism that is having podium girls in this day and age. I'm all for getting rid of it altogether.

 

[Jelantik]

She did have a choice though: not applying for a job consisting of showing her pretty body to the world and kissing the winner of a bike race.

It's not as if Sagan had run after the first woman he saw and touched her ****.

Sagan is an immature brat, yes, but let's have some perspective.

yeah she did. She could have, after kissing cancellara, "slap" sagan on his face and whisper to his ear 'to never to do that again'. If he can embarrassed her in front of the public, she can too you know. If no one, make that move, he will do it again. There's nothing more embarrassing for a man if a girl put a fight and slap him back in the public. Getting sprayed with champagne is one thing, but getting grope your *** is another thing.

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

You've never been to East-Asia I see. Has only been tainted in some Western countries with double standards.

my sides

8910

 

[Descender]

Let's see it from a male perspective (it's the only thing some men can do): what if you were her boyfriend? Would you like this?

It's just a disrespectful thing to do. A podium girl isn't a wh.re. And even a wh.re you have to pay to do this.

If I was her boyfriend, I would have tried to dissuade her from applying for a job as a podium girl.

I would also hate what Sagan did, but I'd view it as what it is: a direct consequence of my girlfriend working as a bimbo.

 

[The Hitch]

t. A woman in an office works filing documents, .

What? why can't she be the manager?

 

[SKSemtex]

Haters gonna hate. Unfortunately, they have now something to back up their hate. No matter what he will do from now on, his “blue T-shirt” and “sexual harassment” will be always the answer.

However can you imagine today´s race without him? Can you imagine this spring classics or Tour green jersey fight without him?

 

[roundabout]

who will have the cheek to pinch their bosses ***?

 

[Descender]

What? why can't she be the manager?

Because I'm a sexist *** who sees women as objectively inferior to men and incapable of performing any task other than cooking, cleaning and doing what their husbands tell them to do.

 

[spalco]

If I was her boyfriend, I would have tried to dissuade her from applying for a job as a podium girl.

I would also hate what Sagan did, but I'd view it as what it is: a direct consequence of my girlfriend working as a bimbo.

What the **** kind of argument is that? Getting molested comes with the job of being a model?

I knew I didn't like Sagan before, but I didn't know quite how much of a scumbag he was.

 

[Pippo_San]

 

[hrotha]

Far from it.

Sagan deserves to be criticised for being a childish ***, but I keep reading things like "If some dude pinched a woman's **** in an office environment that would be terms of sexual harassment, But it's ok for Sagan to do it because he's a famous cyclist.". Except this did not take place in an office environment. A woman in an office works filing documents, a podium girl works dressing fancily, smiling, posing and kissing a guy's cheek for the camera.

That doesn't make what Sagan did appropiate, but it doesn't make it comparable to an office worker grabbing his female co-worker's buttocks in the coffee room.

Now, we can then talk about the anachronism that is having podium girls in this day and age. I'm all for getting rid of it altogether.

I don't think this kind of thing comes with the job. Just like no one's supposed to grope a model, or a hostess at a convention.

 

[Descender]

What the **** kind of argument is that? Getting molested comes with the job of being a model?

I knew I didn't like Sagan before, but I didn't know quite how much of a scumbag he was.

That is not what I said.

What I said is getting your **** groped is more likely to happen to you if you're a podium girl than if you work, say, handing out credentials.

 

[gthx_gthx_]

What a guy

I love the face Sagan does on this one Apparently his hat is having an erection too.

 

[roundabout]

that would depend on Sagan's proximity to the credentials

 

[armchairclimber]

Yep, he's basically a paedophile.

I really can't stand people lazily, or intentionally, using blanket terms to subtly conflate things of an entirely different nature. It seems to be an entirely standard part of political discourse nowadays to find ways of describing policy proposals as child abuse, or sexual assault, to make use of the existing disgust around these terms, even if the thing it is appended to is entirely different.

Sagan's a tool, but trying to pair him up with Jimmy Saville & Ralf Harris is a bit much.

You're the one being lazy. I didn't mention, and nor was I referring to, sexual harassment of children...a good number of the complaints being investigated are from adult women who were groped by celebrities who were abusing their position. Get it?

 

[Descender]

I don't think this kind of thing comes with the job. Just like no one's supposed to grope a model, or a hostess at a convention.

I never said it comes with the job, nor that podium girls are supposed to be groped. See my response to spalco.

I don't think model or hostess at a convention are quite the same as podium girl, however. A model works showing the newest fashion trends. A hostess receives guests, helps them, serves them, etc.

Their being good-looking girls plays a role, certainly, but their job is not showing their pretty selves to the world for the sake of showing their pretty selves to the world, which is precisely the definition of a podium girl.