Peter Sagan Ignites Then Quells a Firestorm

Standout Slovak cyclist Peter Sagan had another terrific Tour de France this year, nabbing the green jersey once again for the most consistently high performing rider over three grueling weeks of racing.  But in Googling him, I stumbled on an incident at the Tour of Flanders last year.

Naughty Sagan...#rvv #sagan #player pic.twitter.com/RVY5gIrFt4
— Ronde Van Vlaanderen (@RondeVlaanderen) March 31, 2013

@RondeVlaanderen yup...that photo is not funny to female cycling fans! I found the ass grab disrespectful to the young woman!!
— Stephanie Gutowski (@hapagal) March 31, 2013

@RondeVlaanderen I totally get him, like, c'mon...he's just a young lad...he can't really do anything about it #sagan #asspinch #cheeky
— Andrea Lodder (@andrealodder) March 31, 2013

@RondeVlaanderen it is just as sexist an action as the concept of podium girls.
— Gerard Murphy (@Gerard_Murphy) March 31, 2013

In Cyclist Rising Star Peter Sagan Grabs Woman's Ass, but Who Really Cares? Laura Beck offered the following cautionary lessons:

Even if a woman's job is to wear a short dress and hand out shiny awards to men, it doesn't mean anyone has a right to anything else from her. Sagan crossed the line, a line that should be VERY clear, and his ass should be punished. In a world that wasn't the sexist worst, this shit would be handled with a team suspension and extensive training for Sagan on how to be a human being. Instead he'll probably be high-fived by a bunch of his pals for violating a woman, and th-th-that's all, folks. 

A cyclist friend of mine tweeted that while Sagan's actions are entirely ridiculous and he needs to be reprimanded, the whole culture of cycling is sexist. I think a bike is just a shitty car, but it's obvious to me that women's only involvement in the men's side of the sport shouldn't be as scantily-clad podium girls. When the only women involved are simply for sexual objectification, how can the sport's culture not support bullshit like this? As long as these men think a woman is part of their prize for winning — or even for not winning, as is the case with loser Peter Sagan — nothing will change.

23 years old at the time, Sagan was, and still is, definitely young and apparently immature.  While Beck and her cyclist friend tied an entire sport's sexism on him, unfairly so I believe, I do think Sagan needed some basic lessons on professional, respectful behavior.

In The takeaway from Peter Sagan's Tour of Flanders bum-pinching outrage, Matt Seaton echoed Beck and  put some perspective on the sport:

But perhaps the controversy lifts the lid on an issue cycling needs to look at anew: is the use of models as some kind of uncomfortable hybrid of hostess and shamelessly exploitative "eye candy" now outmoded and inappropriate to the modern sport? 

In amateur races, it's not unusual for a woman to award the trophies to winners in men's races, but she will often be a local dignitary of the host town. The clue is in the word "dignitary". So does professional cycling really need to award winners kisses from "trophy" females?

I love cycling, but I don't have a chance to watch it much, simply because it isn't on TV very much.  The yearly Tour de France is basically it, as it now has full, daily coverage from NBC Sports Network.  Interestingly, to Seaton's point, the dignitaries, usually men, stand off to the side of the podium and let two attractive ladies do the showcasing.  The winning celebration is certainly a lovely sight with these ladies.  But I agree that this little celebration is much more meaningful with the dignitaries handing out the spoils of victory and posing proudly with the victors.

Maja Leye is the young lady, age 25, whom Sagan disrespected, and she worked for the Flanders Classics Organization.  Thankfully we heard her reactions, in Podium girl Maja Leye says she fought to keep calm as Peter Sagan pinched her behind:

I felt this hand. I hadn’t seen it coming because I had my back to him. I understood quickly what had happened. I was frozen to the spot.” 

Leye admitted that she fleetingly considered slapping the Cannondale rider, but believes that had she reacted, the situation would have gone from bad to worse. 

“I really thought about it,” she revealed, adding: “I had to stay professional. If I had reacted, the incident would have escalated. There were millions of TV viewers in front of their screens.” 

She told the newspaper that her boyfriend was none too pleased when he heard what had happened. “He didn’t appreciate it,” she said. “After the race, he received loads of text messages. Luckily, he stayed calm.”

To his credit, Sagan was prompt with his apologies, in public with Leye and also on Twitter and YouTube:

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Was not my intention to disrespect women today on the podium. Just a joke, sorry if someone was disturbed about it.
— Peter Sagan (@petosagan) March 31, 2013

I sincerely apologize to Maja for what I did on the podium yesterday after the race. 

Because, it was wrong of me, and I wasn't thinking what I was doing when I was on the podium. 

I never should have done it. 

I'm so sorry and I hope that Maya and anyone else I have offended knows how sorry I am and accept my apology. 

I promise to act more respectfully in the future.

Not everyone who transgresses is so ready with an apology.  No, it does not remedy a culture of sexism, not just cycling, but more broadly in society.  But I'd like to believe that this incident and its resolution are one small step in that respect.