The organizers of the Vuelta a España cycling race have "broken ranks with the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia in announcing that the prizes in the event starting next month will not be awarded by beauty queens in figure-hugging costumes, with the traditional kisses for the stage winner on the podium also likely to be stopped," according to James Badcock of the London TELEGRAPH. Instead, male and female stewardesses will perform the ceremonies dressed "elegantly," according to La Vuelta Owner Unipublic Dir General Javier Guillén. Controversy "surrounded the continued use of skimpily dressed models at motor-racing events in Spain," with a left-wing council in Jerez attempting to ban the presence of so-called "paddock girls" at this year’s Spanish MotoGP. Race organizers ignored the council (TELEGRAPH, 7/18). The BBC reported the ceremonies "will now include male assistants." Unipublic representative Laura Cueto Morillo said, "We are not eliminating the hostesses altogether. We are not getting rid of those jobs. ... What we don't want is the usual photo of a winner getting a kiss on each cheek." Spanish sports journalist Lola Hernánde shared the news with a female colleague on Twitter, writing: "Moving forward, little by little." Unipublic pointed out that it is "not prohibiting kisses." Morillo said, "Kisses are a typical greeting here. If the hostesses or the local mayor or whoever else [involved in the ceremony] wants to give kisses, that's fine" (BBC, 7/18).
