The bikes that won the 2014 Tour de France

The fastest bikes on earth

It took us three weeks to learn their jerseys and faces, their dossards and their names (or rather how to pronounce their names), and now on the day after the 2014 Tour de France finished in Paris it is time to look at the road bikes that carried the men of the peloton to victory.

Vincenzo Nibali's two road bikes - shark model and final yellow winners model of the Specialized S-Works Tarmac.

A list of the STAGES and the BIKES that won the 2014 Tour de France

Stage 1  GIANT  Marcel Kittel (Giant)
Stage 2  SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) 
Stage 3  GIANT  Marcel Kittel (Giant)
Stage 4  GIANT  Marcel Kittel (Giant)
Stage 5  BIANCHI Lars Boom (Belkin)
Stage 6  RIDLEY André Greipel (Lotto-Belisol)
Stage 7  SPECIALIZED Matteo Trentin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
Stage 8  FOCUS Blel Kadri (Ag2r-La Mondiale)
Stage 9  SPECIALIZED Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
Stage 10 SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) 
Stage 11 RIDLEY Tony Gallopin (Lotto-Belisol)
Stage 12 CANYON Alexander Kristoff (Katusha)
Stage 13 SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) 
Stage 14 SPECIALIZED Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo)
Stage 15 CANYON Alexander Kristoff (Katusha)
Stage 16 SPECIALIZED Michael Rogers (Tinkoff-Saxo)
Stage 17 SPECIALIZED Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo)
Stage 18 SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) 
Stage 19 CERVELO Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Sharp)
Stage 20 SPECIALIZED Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quickstep)
Stage 21 GIANT Marcel Kittel (Giant)

*10 stage wins on Specialized bikes, although they did sponsor three teams at Le Tour. 

The BIKES of the overall classification jerseys of the 2014 Tour de France

Yellow jersey: SPECIALIZED Vincenzo Nibali (Astana)
Green jersey: CANNONDALE Peter Sagan (Cannondale)
Polda-dot jersey: SPECIALIZED Rafal Majka (Tinkoff-Saxo)
White jersey: LAPIERRE Thibaut Pinot (FDR.fr)

All the bike reviews from the 2014 Tour de France:

I know that I personally got so wrapped up in daily race tactics and news during the 2014 Tour de France, that I skipped over these Tech reports. They are certainly worth a read, for each year manufacturers and mechanics use the Tour as a launch pad for some of the latest technology.

The Tour de France and Grand Tours bring out the best of the tech writers in cycling. They happily gather around the latest greatest equipment with unprecedented access and the excitement of kids in a candy store. Here is an extensive list of many of the bike reviews completed in the past three months.

If you are interested in a specific bike manufacturer, a rider's frame, want to learn more before buying a new bike yourself, want a sneak peek at the 2015 road bike frames, or simply like to drool over really cool bikes - this list is for you.

Art and custom bikes 2014
One-of-a-kind graphics - 21 Days of Tour Tech, Ben Delaney, Bike Radar
Top 5 - Custom Pro Frames of the Tour de France 2014, (video) Bike Radar
Custom Painted Specialized Shiv by Kristian Von Hornsleth, Oli Woodman, Bike Radar
Custom US$18,000 Cipollini RB1K, Ben Delaney, Bike Radar
Cannondale lets animals loose on the Tour, Ben Delaney, Cycling News
Ridley's new retro paint scheme for Lotto-Belisol, Cycling News
Creating Custom Bikes at the Tour, (video) Bicycling

General road reviews
Best New Bikes And Tech - Tour De France 2014, (video) Global Cycling Network
Road Bikes of the 2014 Tour de France, Bicycling

Time Trial bike reviews 2014
Time trial gear, part 1 - 21 Days of Tour Tech, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Top five TT bikes, (video) Bike Radar

The bikes of the cobbles
The Bikes For The Cobbles | Tour De France 2014, (video) Global Cycling Network
What Will Teams Ride for the Tour's Stage 5 Cobbles? (video) Bicycling

BMC
Van Garderen's BMC SLR01, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Tejay van Garderen’s BMC TeamMachine SLR 01, David Arthur, Road.cc
Tejay van Garderen’s BMC Teammachine SLR01, Caley Fretz, VeloNews 
Tejay van Garderen’s BMC Team Machine SLR01, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Tejay van Garderen's BMC Teammachine SLR01 (video) Global Cycling Network

Bianchi
Bianchi Infinito CV, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Bianchi launch Aquila CV time trial bike, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Bianchi’s new Aquila CV time trial bike, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Bianchi Aquila CV launched (time trial bike), Robin Willmott, Cycling News

Cannondale
Cannondale Supersix Sagan LE, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Peter Sagan’s ‘Green Machine’ Cannondale SuperSix Evo, David Arthur, Road.cc
Peter Sagan’s Cannondale SuperSix EVO, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Peter Sagan’s Cannondale Synapse Evo Hi-Mod, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews 
Peter Sagan’s Cannondale SuperSix EVO Hi-Mod Peter Sumner, Road Bike Review

Canyon
Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 9.0 Pro long-term, James Huang, Bike Radar
New Canyon aero road bike, Sam Dansie, Bike Radar
Canyon Aeroad CF SLX (video) Bicycling
Katusha’s Canyon quiver, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Luca Paolini's Canyon Ultimate CF SLX, Cycling News
Alexander Kristoff’s Canyon CF SLX 9.0, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Alexander Kristoff’s brand new Canyon Aeroad CF SLX, David Arthur, Road.cc
Alejandro Valverde’s Canyon Ultimate CF SLX for the classics, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Alejandro Valverde's Canyon Ultimate CF SLX (video) Global Cycling Network

Cervelo
Cervelo R5, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Andrew Talansky's Cervelo R5 Pro Bike, (video) Global Cycling Network
Johan Vansummeren's Cervelo R5, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Daniel Martin’s Cervelo S3, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Colnago
Colnago V1-r aero road bike launched, James Huang, Bike Radar
First Ride: Colnago V1-r  Matt Phillips, Bicycling
Yukiya Arashiro’s Colnago C60, David Arthur, Road.cc
Bryan Coquard’s Europcar Colnago V1-r aero race bike, David Arthur, Road.cc
Colnago C59 Italia review, CyclingNews

Felt
Felt road and cyclocross bikes for 2015, James Huang, Bike Radar

Focus
Focus Izalco Max AG2R, Warren Rossiter, Bike Radar
Christophe Riblon’s AG2R Focus Izalco Max, Caley Fretz, VeloNews 

Fondriest
Fondriest 2015 road range launched, Warren Rossiter, Bike Radar

Fuji
Fuji Altamira SL, Warren Rossiter, Bike Radar
Netapp-Endura’s new Fuji Transonic aero road bike, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Fuji Introduces New Aero Road Bike, Joe Lindsey, Bicycling

Giant
Marcel Kittel’s Giant Propel Advanced SL aero bike, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Marcel Kittel’s yellow Giant Propel Advanced SL, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Marcel Kittel's Giant Propel, (video) Global Cycling Network
Lawson Craddock’s Giant TCR Advanced SL, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
John Degenkolb’s Giant Propel Advanced SL 0, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Giant performance road, mountain and cyclocross 2015, David Rome, Bike Radar

Kemo
Kemo's big debut, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar

Lapierre
Nacer Bouhanni’s Lapierre Aircode, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Sneak peek: Lapierre 2015, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Lapierre Aircode aero road bike, Mat Brett, Road.cc

Look
Look 695 Aerolight, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Look launch 795 aero road bike, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Daniel Navarro's Look 695, Mat Brett, Road.cc
First Look: Look 795 Aerolight Frame, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Merida
New Merida Reacto KOM, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Rui Costa’s world champ Merida Reacto KOM, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Orbea
Orbea 2015 road range - first look, Simon Greenacre, Bike Radar

Pinarello
Pinarello Dogma F8 launched - Chris Froome’s new Tour de France bike, Sam Dansie, Bike Radar
Chris Froome’s Pinarello F8, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Chris Froome's Pinarello F8 photos, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Chris Froome's Pinarello F8 Tour de France 2014, (video) Global Cycling Network
Bradley Wiggins’ Pinarello Bolide, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Ian Stannard’s Pinarello Dogma 65.1 Think2, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews

Ridley
Ridley Helium SL, Robin Wilmott, Bike Radar
Andre Greipel’s Ridley Noah Fast and Helium SL, David Arthur
Tony Gallopin’s yellow Ridley Helium SL, David Arthur, Road.cc

Scott
Sylvain Chavanel's Scott Addict, Ben Delaney, Cycling News
Sylvain Chavanel’s IAM Cycling Scott Foil, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Svein Tuft’s pink Scott Foil, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Specialized
Vincenzo Nibali’s yellow Specialized S-Works Tarmac, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Vincenzo Nibali’s shark Tarmac, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Vincenzo Nibali's Specialized Tarmac Bike, (video) Global Cycling Network
Vincenzo Nibali’s Specialized Tarmac & the McLaren Tarmac, Cycling Tips
Specialized's 2015 Tarmac Race Bike, (video) Bicycling
Alberto Contador's Specialized S-Work Tarmac, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Mark Cavendish’s custom S-Works Venge CVNDSH, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Mark Cavendish’s custom painted Specialized S-Works Venge, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Mark Cavendish's New Specialized S-Works Venge (video) Global Cycling Network
Tony Martin’s stage-winning Specialized S-Works Shiv, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
The £16,000 Specialized McLaren S-Works Tarmac revealed, Cycling News
$20,000 Specialized S-Works McLaren Tarmac, Jason Sumner, Road Bike Review
Alessandro Petacchi's S-Works Tarmac, Ben Delaney, Cycling News
Rigoberto Uran’s Specialized Shiv TT bike, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Tom Boonen’s limited edition S-Works Venge, Logan VonBokel, VeloNews
Tom Boonen’s Specialized Roubaix SL4, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
First Ride: 2015 Specialized Tarmac, Mike Yozell, Bicycling

Trek
Trek 2015 road range - an overview, Matthew Allen, Bike Radar
Trek Émonda SLR, Mat Brett, Road.cc
Test riding the new Trek Émonda, Cycling Tips
Trek Emonda - Lightest Production Road Bike, (video) Global Cycling Network
2015 Trek Emonda (video) Bicycling
Fabian Cancellara’s Trek Domane for Paris-Roubaix, Caley Fretz, VeloNews
Trek Speed Concept 9 Series, Ben Delaney, Cycling News
Trek World 2014 - Lots of shiny 2015 bikes, Dave Atkinson, Road.cc

Wilier
Martijn Maaskant’s UnitedHealthcare Wilier Triestina Zero.7, Caley Fretz, VeloNews

Special interest topics:
Pro Mechanics' Top Tips - Tour De France 2014, (video) Global Cycling Network
Team Sky's Custom Jaguar F-Type Coupé, (video) Global Cycling Network
Team Sky Mechanics' Truck Tour | Tour De France 2014 (video) Global Cycling Network
So what really happened to Alberto Contador's Specialized Tarmac yesterday at the Tour de France? David Arthur, Road.cc
That's Not How Carbon Fiber Works, Matt Phillips, Bicycling
Road disc brakes will be "race legal by 2016" - industry executive, Sam Dansie, Bike Radar
Shaving your legs makes you faster, Jeff Jones, Bike Radar
Specialized test aerodynamics of a beard (video), Bike Radar

Pedal Dancer - A look back at the bikes of 2013:  All the Road Bike Reviews of the 2013 Tour de France

Pedal Dancer Top 5 posts of 2012

What were you interested in?

The top 5 posts in 2012 indicated that you were interested in making it happen for yourself!  You wanted to know what events you could ride, you wanted to know what races you could attend, you wanted to know what bikes you could ride. And you wanted beautiful women.

Top 5 posts read by viewers on PedalDancer.com in 2012:

1. 2012 Colorado Bike Events
2. 2012 Race Dates and Routes Professional road races 
3. Pinarello Dogma2 
4. Colnago bikes 
5. The fans want Podium Girls? Beautiful Joanna and Allison at the Tour of California

Some of the most popular posts in the past two years have included more bikes and pedals:

• 2011 ProTeam Bikes 
• Specialized bikes 
• What pedals do the pros use? 
• BMC bikes 
• Image of the Day: Specialized Venge

Most visitors to PedalDancer.com were from:

1. United States
2. United Kingdom
3. France
4. Australia
5. Germany 

My most popular searched for keyword was: "specialized venge".
Most of you came straight from google.com, used Internet Explorer, and Windows computers.

All this despite my website being non-searchable by google for 4 months from August to December - oops! Don't worry I think I figured it out finally, so I am back to blogging again.

I do have photos of this wonderful bike to share with you - one of the yellow models of the Pinarello 65.1 Think2 that Bradley Wiggins rode on the last stage of the 2012 Tour de France.

A yellow Pinarello Dogma 65.1 Think2 at Interbike 2012   
Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

Just like the Pinarello bike frame Bradley Wiggins rode onto the Champs-Élysées 
Photo by Karen at PedalDancer.com

2012 Time Trial Bikes

Images of time trial bikes

The Individual Time Trial of the 2012 Critérium du Dauphiné is tomorrow June 7th. Currently Bradley Wiggins is in in the lead in overall GC by only 1 second over Cadel Evans. The top 10 in standings are separated by only 7 seconds. Tomorrow's time trial is very important and should determine not only the new overall standings, but the race winner. The time trial (Stage 4 of 7 stages) will take place 50 km north of Lyon on a rolling route from Villié-Morgon to Bourg-en-Bresse.

Steephill.TV watch the ITT live online

The last 10 riders to start will ride 3 Pinarello, 3 Specialized, 2 Giant, 1 BMC, and 1 Time bike:

163. Richie Porte, SKY, Pinarello bike
164. Andrev Amador, Movistar, Pinarello bike
165. Jerome Coppel, Saur-Sojasun, Time bike
166. Sylvain Chavanel, Omega Pharma-Quickstep, Specialized bike
167. Paul Martens, Rabobank, Giant bike
168. Tony Martin, Omega Pharma-Quickstep, Specialized bike
169. Carlos Barredo, Rabobank, Giant bike
170. Andriv Grivko, Astana, Specialized bike
171. Cadel Evans, BMC, BMC bike
172. Bradley Wiggins, Sky, Pinarello bike

There is something magical about an individual racing the clock, to see the concentration on their faces as they step onto the start ramp, to see the care given their bikes as they are lifted and put in place, the air thick with anticipation and unknown outcome. When the rider glides down the ramp, the atmosphere is charged with excitement. Go Go Go!  All Photos © PedalDancer.com/Karen

Peter Sagan takes off at the start of the ITT   Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

To get you in the mood, I gathered some recent photos of time trial bikes from ATOC, taken last month, May 2012: click any image to enlarge

Argon E-118 time trial bike

Argon 18   Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

BMC Timemachine TM01 time trial bike

BMC time machine   Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

George Hincapie and his time machine  Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Cannondale time trial bike (read about the Cannondale Slice)

Cannondale   Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Cervelo P4 time trial bike (read about the new Cervelo P5 bike)

Cevelo P4 Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Heinrich Haussler and his P4   Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Felt DA time trial bike

Felt DA   Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Giant Trinity Advanced SL O time trial bike

Giant Trinity   Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Orbea Ordu time trial bike

Orbea Ordu  Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Pinarello Graal Carbon 60HM1K Monocoque

Pinarello   Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Specialized S-Works SHIV time trial bike

S-Works SHIV   Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Trek Speed Concept 9 Series time trial bike

Trek Speed Concept 9  Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

The hope.

Luke Durbridge on his Scott time trial bike  Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

The power.

Peter Sagan (Liquigas)  Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

The heat.

George Hincapie cools off after his ITT  Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

The glory.
It was the day Jens Voigt stood on the podium (read more about that day - with photos! Jens Voigt on the Podium)

Tejay van Garderen, Dave Zabriskie, Jens Voigt   Photo ©by PedalDancer.com/Karen

Related Pedal Dancer posts: Time Trial legs and 2012 ProTeam Bikes

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There's no crying in cycling

Oh my heart was broken

My best companion is no longer able to go out on rides with me. A week and a half ago, my bike was benched permanently. A longtime faithful companion across many miles fell victim to one too many traveling trips. It's fragile bent rear aluminum derailleur hanger now hanging off center from it's carbon frame, signaled that my beautiful bike would no longer be able to join me on bike rides. One too many bends, and replacement gets tricky for an old Scott frame model with a non-replaceable hanger. It is never a good time to loose a bike, but I have a trip to France planned in 5-weeks and I miss getting out for a spin 3-4 times a week. Oh my bike! I was so attached to you.

Please make it better

I sat on my living room floor last week, as if coddling my frame, snapping pictures of it's ripped derailleur and bent stripped hanger, the only signs that it's future could only be that of a single-speed. Dash, a good friend talked me through the diagnosis, and the next logical steps, discouraging the sounds of whimpers coming from my end of the line. "There's no crying in cycling," he said. Yes I allowed those weary thoughts to creep into my mind - maybe it is time to give up cycling. This sport is so expensive, a new bike is so costly. "No" was the firm response from another dear friend Monica, "No," she made it clear to me, giving up is not an option.

Parting is such sweet sorrow

Carbon repair

More emails and photos sent to my brother Mike in France, and contacts sent from Dash, set me on the right course of action. My whimpers lessened slightly, I had a plan. Contact Calfee Designs (www.Calfeedesign.com) in California to see if the aluminum/carbon juncture was repairable. Yes it would be fixable at approximately $700 and 3-4 weeks of repair time, (frightfully close in timing to my departure to France). For carbon repairs keep Calfee in mind, they offered excellent customer service. Brady Kappius is another resource and possibility for carbon repairs. A Colorado bike racer with a Bachelors of Science in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a Masters of Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder, his company brokencarbon.com is a good resource to remember if you ever have a damaged carbon bike frame that needs repair.

Can manufacturers help

I sent off inquiries to Scott USA and a local Scott Rep - no responses yet. I also learned about crash replacement on frames - basically a lot of paperwork for the bike shop, time waiting for a low priority shipping, and in the end maybe 10-20% off the retail price of the frame. Although BMC offers up to 40% off replacement of their recent frames if you register your BMC bike within 30 days of purchase and then proceed to crash it. But I don't own a BMC road bike. I also learned that Specialized will offer crash replacements on frames other than their own - Specialized is smart - they want your new business. I also learned much from another friend Mike, who educated me on which bike frames where manufactured in which factories.

Building a new partnership

I visited local bike shops in Denver to "test drive" bike frames and components (Turin - very helpful with good brands, Giant - great customer service and knowledge, and Big Ring - expensive with high-end brands). I had fun and learned so much. Lots has changed in bikes and components over the past 6 years. I had a Campy Record/Chorus mix on my old lightweight carbon bike, going down in quality is a hard pill to swallow. I wanted to find value for my dollar.

I never expected my bike to run a parallel scenario to aging. I suspect why people spend a lot of money to buy faster cars and faster bikes as they age might do with overcompensation. Good hardware might ward off relinquishing to a downward slope. My simple formula is more age = better bike. I am not into appearances, I do not care to impress, I want ride quality/fun quality, and most important, as I conveyed to Scott at Big Ring Cycles in Golden, "I know you have lots of racers come in here, my only goal is to not fall over when I climb a steep mountain in France, can you get me there - not falling over?" I gestured as he followed my hands to the ground and then smiled.

What kind should I get?

One thing is clear - buying a new bike takes more than money - it takes hours of time. It took hours to investigate and shop for what is next. It doesn't help that I have a very tricky fit, and can tell instantly when a bike is off even 3mm. My old bike was into it's 6th season. Should I keep the old components and move them onto a new frameset only? Or is it time to buy a complete new bike and sell off what is leftover?

Inventory is low in June, what is in the stores and online shops is there, with little in reserve, 2013 models will be announced and released at Eurobike and Interbike in 2-3 months and appear in the shops shortly after. Some 2013 groupos are already in shops. Prices in local shops seemed to match those online, so why not buy local. Bike shops are in a pinch - wanting to dump 2012 models, but then risking having nothing on the floor to sell - jittery times for bike shops (although very busy times for mechanics).

Here - have my bike

It is amazing how friends and family step up to help. Maybe they are simply trying to stop my bursts of crying, but it seems I had instant bike agents scouring the land to find me a replacement or loaner bike. I show up and allen wrenches magically appear trying to fit me onto any possible bike that functions and rolls. I never knew so many, were so handy, with tools.

Oh the joy of a bike

In the end, I bought a new bike. It was a big step. After plotting out the numbers and costs, asking a lot of questions and comparing my options. I decided that if my theory of $1 a mile for excellent fun stood true, than my old bike gave me closer to $0.25 cents on the mile worth of fun. Think about it - when I went out for a 50-mile ride, on average, I paid $12.50 for all that goodness. Cheaper than golf. (okay never mind that $55,000 private medical insurance medical tab I paid for my broken pelvis 1.5 years ago, that doesn't count - that was mountain biking).

I bought more goodness

Now I have many more miles to ride to pay for my wonderful new bike. I also have motivation to get out there and enjoy such a fun riding high quality bike (and an excellent value). Finally we can put away those allen wrenches - come this Saturday - I will be bringing a new bike home from Big Ring Cycles. Anyone want a bunch of bike parts?

look for pictures to come soon after I bring my new beauty home

I will give you a hint ... I named the bike Basso
(Because my brother already named his dog Vincenzo, and someone already named an Airline Ted) 

Update: my new bike.... A Cannondale EVO Supersix

 

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The fans want Podium Girls?

People are just interested in beauty

You can imagine how I felt this morning after spending a week to and from Colorado to California including 4 days traveling around southern California chasing the last hot thirsty sunny stages of the Amgen Tour of California only to discover this morning that fans just want to see beauty. I settled into my website statistics page wondering hm let's see what people were looking for this week - the top 5 search keywords of the week told the story...

• giro d'italia 2012 route map
• mario cipollini
• specialized venge
• tour of california podium girls
• tour of california 2012 podium girls

I guess it was worth adding the "2012" to that last string of keywords to make sure you didn't get a beauty from 2011, but as you can see this top-5 list reads; beauty, beauty, beauty, beauty and I need to make sure I find current beauty. I admit I was not totally surprised to see the search for Podium Girls so I prepared for your curiosity. Images of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California Podium Girls, or for those of you who are politically correct googlers, their official title was Michelob Light Ambassadors.


Meet Joanna and Allison 

Joanna is from Los Angeles and Allison lives in San Diego. They have worked together before, they are both Umbrella Girls (a premier modeling agency catering to executive, sporting and special events). I asked them if they applied for their podium positions, but they said they did not, the modeling agency they work for placed them in the highly visible job. I said, "this is great coverage for you because the race is televised internationally." "We know," they responded, "it will be seen all over the world." They were excited to be selected for the tour. They told me they happily signed for the entire week. They were the only two podium girls for the entire ATOC in 2012. 

Joanna and Allison the 2012 Amgen Tour of California Michelob Light Ambassadors (Podium Girls)
©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®

 They truly are this beautiful. Joanna Zanella and Allison Steinkamp  ©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®

Podium girls in Bakersfield at the ATOC  ©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®

We the fans had gotten used to seeing Jenn, the Podium Girl from the last couple of years, but this year there were suddenly two new faces up on stage. Day after day Joanna and Allison traveled to, and then waited at, the finish area ready to change into their simple black cocktail dresses, hop on stage and begin smiling. Their lipstick application seemed to get heavier as the race proceeded south. Mostly they seemed to manage the flow of presenters and riders on the podium. 

Apparently this is what Podium Girls do after a stage race is over - with Ted King (of I am Ted King) (left) and Peter Sagan (right) enjoying a drink in the L.A. Live Center in Los Angeles after their jobs were complete. Later it appears they scored tickets to the big game.

Photo tweeted by @JoannaZanella

First row tickets at the Clippers basketball game, sucks to be beautiful    Photo tweeted by @JoannaZanella

Allison Steinkamp on Twitter: @asteinkamp (All around people person #umbrellagirl #model #athlete)

Joanna Zanella on Twitter: @JoannaZanella (Actress/Model, Miss Mexico Fox Sports, TV Host, love my friends and family!)

Joanna Zanella, Tejay van Garderen, Allison Steinkamp  ©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®

The Winner - Robert Gesink looks to be a happy man   ©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®

Joanna, Peter Sagan, Allison  ©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®

Final 2012 Amgen Tour of California Classifications Podium  ©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®

The glory of being a Podium Girl

For the Tour de France over 500 girls apply every year for the opportunity to be a Podium Girl. Most of them have previous modeling experience but after a tough elimination round with qualifications and interviews, only 4 podium girls are selected to present the maillot jaune (yellow jersey) every year.  It is a tremendous honor and fantastic for the model's resume. Other girls are selected to present the polka-dot, green, and white jerseys.

The Podium Girls in France do far more than direct stage traffic and deliver moist lipstick kisses. They work behind the scenes and along the roads in various roles. The Aquarel sponsored white jersey women can be seen handing bottles of water from the caravan to hot fans waiting along the route. The PMU sponsored green jersey women dance on the moving float during the caravan procession. Can you imagine trying to do your hair and makeup after hanging onto a pole racing along a winding road in the Pyrenees?

The Champion sponsored polka-dot women provide simple meet and greet duties. But it is the crème de la crème - the Credit Lyonnais sponsored yellow jersey women who hang with celebrities, assist with racer sign-in and podium award kisses while managing those high heels across cobbled roads, dirt lots, up steel stairs and on top of wobbly podiums. They also somehow manage to make a large stuffed animal appear to be a totally normal thing to hand to a grown man, let alone smile while being sprayed by champagne. I wait every year to see what those girls will be made to wear by French fashion designers - it can be hard to pull off a red and white polka-dot dress; something I am not ready to try.

*Fan Trivia: George Hincapie met his French wife Melanie Simonneau in 2003 when she was a yellow-jersey Podium Girl for the Tour de France.

California Girls
A couple of beauties outside a restaurant on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills before the start of Stage 8. No need to screen 500 girls, just walk down Rodeo Drive, many wannabe actresses and models are working inside every shop and cafe.

In Beverly HIlls, CA for ATOC 2012  ©Photo by Willie Reichenstein at Pedal Dancer® 

And more beautiful smiles from these young fans in Bakersfield. They were there to learn about cycling!

©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®

I wish I had photos of Mario Cipollini to offer you, but it has been some time since I have laid my eyes upon that beauty at a bike race. For those truly interested in the beauty of Italy: 2012 Giro d'Italia Route Presentation, we still have 1 more week of the Giro left to enjoy. Do you want to see the Specialized Venge? I have photographed and written much about that beauty of a bike. 

Now can I get back to my kind of beauty?

Sorry Bakersfield you did not win the beauty contest ....

This was the riders' first glimpse of the Individual Time Trial course that lay ahead of them on a hot day.  
©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®

Sorry Miss California neither did you ....

Photo © by PedalDancer.com by Willie Reichenstein

Now we're talking beauty. The legs of American National Champion Matthew Busche (L), next to the legs of Peter Sagan (R) the winner of 63% of the 2012 Amgen Tour of California.

Legs of Busche and Sagan   Photo © by PedalDancer.com

And one for the young female fans, imported from Germany - 24-year old Marcel Kittel (Argos Shimano).

©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®

Here I can't decide which one is more beautiful - the man or the cookie. Crowd favorite Jens Voigt with what appears to be his new secret weapon from the shelves of an American super market ...

Jens Voigt powered by Pepperidge Farms Soft Baked Nantucket™ dark chocolate chip cookies   
©Photo by Karen at Pedal Dancer®

If you are wondering what my opinion was over Peter Sagan's offense to the podium girl at the 2013 Tour of Flanders, believe me I had an opinion, read: Beauty is a long tradition. My brother Mike's comments was - "what now we are going to tell a 22-year old bike rider how to behave?"