Cycling's governing body decides to keep podium girls

The UCI will not scrap the presence of podium girls. Photo / Getty

Cycling's world governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale, has announced it will introduce new medal ceremony guidelines, but would not be ditching 'podium girls'.

In a separate announcement, timed to coincide with International Women's Day today, organisers of the Women's Tour of Britain will introduce prize money parity with the men's race.

UCI president David Lappartient told the Telegraph that the issue of 'podium girls' had been discussed within the governing body, but that it had been resolved that there was no need to scrap the girls altogether.

Instead, the UCI announced they would introduce new guidelines that would gradually be adopted by all UCI-registered events.

Podium Girls. Photo / Getty

"The UCI is reconsidering its medal award ceremonies to ensure the protocol is respectful of all participants," Lappartient said.

"We will set new guidelines, starting with UCI events such as World Championships, and disseminate them across all UCI registered events."

Lappartient said that the new guidelines would focus on "respect" and would ensure no one felt "exploited".

"The important thing is that it is respectful. I think we can have a mix. Sometimes I think it's nice to have local women or men hand out the jerseys and the flowers in traditional costume from that area. Sometimes children maybe."

Jacob Rathe with two podium girls. Photo / Getty

"What is important, I think, is that the costumes are not degrading in any way, and no one is being exploited."

Earlier this year, Professional Darts bosses axed the presence of 'walk-on girls' in the name of "inclusive family viewing".

Not long after, Formula One announced they would scrap the long-standing tradition of 'grid girls' at all Formula One events.

However, RCS Sport race director Mauro Vegni recently said that he believed the movement would only be a "temporary" trend.

"RCS Sport believe that in this specific moment it is more of a temporary trend to remove podium girls from sport events," Vegni said.

The Women's Tour of Britain, regarded as one of the best races on the women's calendar, has its fifth edition between June 13 and 17. Title sponsors, OVO Engergy, have doubled the pot to match pound for pound the men's Tour of Britain, with both stage prize money and overall general classification paying down to 20th place.