An American Podium Girl in France, 4th of July Edition

Today is the 2nd day of the Tour de  France and the Fourth of July.  To honor our country I'd like to tell you about Laura Antoine  from St. Louis, Missouri.  She's the only American girl I know of to be a podium girl/hostess for the Tour.  She was also a sexy dancer at some of those clubs in Paris...actually pretty good credentials.  So yay America!... Representing at the 2009 TDF, and other Grand Tours, with our very own podium girl.  Truly a great American. I applaud her for not having fake tits.  Way to represent with a little class & natural beauty!

The above picture is not of her, but it's an example of what can happpen to podium girls. That's not the typical scenario, but I  just love the picture.  The composition, the action, the way she's off balance.  It just has everything.  Like Football in the Groin.

My favorite stage ceremony this year is King of the Mountain based on the haute couture dresses the podium girls are wearing.  It's also the polka dot jersey, and the dresses are also polka dot, so of course, I love it.  I'll post a pic of the dress when they start posting them.

I am not the only one who has an interest in podium girls.  Here's a forum from Cycling News devoted to the topic and here's a link to archived podium girl photo galleries.  Great places to check the evolution of the podium girl and the fashion.  There's also a sub group that are the equivalent of booth babes that just take pictures with the products, fans and merchandise.  California is most known in the sub category for the The Specialized Angel.  They mostly look like a better version of the girl next door  with spray tans, wings and blonde hair, so I'm not going to waste a lot of time on this because they have less to do with cycling and more to do with jerking off & advertising.  There are different iterations of the Specialized Angel. 

Update:  Laura Antoine is also a podium girl in the 2010 Tour.  Just saw her presenting the Best Young Rider (yummers!) jersey to Andy Schleck (also Yummers) in Stage 7.  This is also not the only time she's presented Best Young Rider to Andy Schleck.  If I were her, I'd try like hell to tap that. 

Here's the best pic I could find of this year's KOM dresses.  Note the matching espedrilles.  Ooh La La.