Simon Gerrans will be the last Santos Tour Down Under rider to be kissed by a podium girl, (Getty)

Simon Gerrans will be the last Santos Tour Down Under rider to be kissed by a podium girl, (Getty) Source: Getty

The day has finally come at the Santos Tour Down Under, with the state announcing its major events will no longer use women as decoration.

The South Australian Sports Minister, Leo Bignell, today announced that it would replace the Santos Tour Down Under podium girls with junior cyclists.

Here at Cycling Central we've long argued for a change of attitude in cycling, as far back as 2013 in fact, preferring to see podium girls as incompatible with a sport striving for genuine gender equity, and preferring to see women deserving of a podium place as athletes not ornaments.

Podium girls must go My love affair with cycling’s podium girls has stretched past 30 years, and to be honest shows no sign of abating. However, the passage of time requires that we put this anachronistic display of femininity and servitude to rest.

"The Government's paying for grid girls at the same time we're putting money into mental health areas to help young women who have body image problems," Bignell told the ABC.

"What we actually want to do is inspire girls and young women who come to the motor racing to be car drivers or to be mechanics or to be engineers."

Now if only he can do something about that "Feel The Rush" TDU theme song...