a flat stage – for all

There’s no sense in lying to you.

I was asleep for the entirety of Stage 4. I really wanted to watch it, but my headache won over willpower and I’m left in the same boat as you – trawling the various cycling websites for news and reports.

Take home points:

• Petacchi won the sprint finish proving that “old people” are quite capable of many things, thank you very much.
• There were no crashes of note and you can be relieved that the cyclists’ twitter feeds will not be filled with photographic accounts of skinned bums and punctured elbows.
• General classification is static.

Which brings me to something I’ve been thinking about a little of late: the women of the Tour de France. Don’t fret, I haven’t the time to discuss why no women are racing in the Tour; it’s a combination of history, physiology, commerce, prejudice and luck. For this month, I’ll console myself that my little girl can grow up to be the Prime Minister of Australia if not spend twenty years of her life developing haemorrhoids and presumably battling constant thrush from wearing all that lycra.

Instead, a two quick thoughts:

Firstly, the podium girls. Whatever I may think about this as a profession/tradition (and I think plenty), I want to ask one thing – why are their outfits so ill-fitting this year? The grey/yellow pants suits are horrid and should presumably have some darts in them to avoid all that crotch pleating action. Or a fabric with more stretch. In fact, why are they wearing jumpsuits at all? It’s not a Bond movie. The yellow dresses are boxy sacks and those insane umbrella bottom polka dot dresses make no sense to me. This does not say classic French tailoring to me at all. Should I have to beat out 500 hopefuls in order to feel sexist and outdated, I’d at least like a dress that fits.

So, who’s up for re-igniting the suggestion that there be podium blokes?

Secondly, for those who didn’t know – and I certainly didn’t until this heads up – there is a women’s tour going on simultaneously. The Giro Donne. Admittedly, it appears that the tour has had various incarnations and complications but – in any case – they’re racing and there’s good twitter feeds and web coverage following their progress for those prepared to two time to Tour de France.

And while they have podium girls, they seem like perfectly sensible people whose clothes fit them. Even if they seem to be genetically blessed with symmetrical features and flawless skin.

(photo credit: Giro Donne)