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Claude Hermann, Maillot Blanc à Pois Rouges Podium Girl

20 July 2006

A Champion Representative

 

Everyday in the Tour de France the organizers award the riders who have flown higher than the rest of their colleagues. The Tour is blessed with lovely podium girls to present these awards, and we had the chance to speak with one of them to better understand their duties. Claude Hermann, a representative of Champion and the presenter of the Maillot Blanc à Pois Rouges for best climber, shared with us the inside scoop of her work and views on La Grand Boucle.

A Luxembourg Life

BiciRace.com:  Moien Claude. How are you doing today [stage 17]?
Claude Hermann:  Oh, nice. You know it is so hot here today in Maurienne.
BR:  It has been a hot July. So tell us, how old are you?
CH:  I am 22 years-old.
BR:  You said last week that you grew up in Luxembourg City?
CH:  Yes.
BR:  As a country, Luxembourg is so small. Describe for us the city and country.
CH:  Yes, it is small and very quiet. It was a good place to grow up and live because there is a lot a nature and not many people. It is very tranquil and beautiful.
BR:  But you are living and studying in Paris.
CH:  Yes. I am away from my home and my sister.
BR:  What are you studying?
CH:  Translations. I hope to be a translator working in France. I am studying German, French, Czech and a little bit of Italian, and ah... oh, English. But my favorite language is Luxemburgish.
BR:  What?
CH:  Luxemburgish. We have our own language in Luxembourg. I had already taught you "Moien" and "Eddi", which means "hello" and "goodbye." It is the best language for me because I am able to express what is really on my mind, where as with the other languages I feel like there are always some thoughts that do not get expressed.
BR:  Confirm to us that Luxembourg girls are better than French girls. Do you smoke?
CH:  Nope. Everyone smokes here in France, but I don't.
BR:  Do you miss your boyfriend during the three weeks of the Tour?
CH:  He does not live in Paris; he is in another part of France right now. He works in cycling with a women's cycling team, Vienne Futuroscope.

Schleck and Voeckler

BR:  Who do you think will win the Tour de France?
CH:  Oh, I like Leipheimer and Valverde. Wait. Valverde already crashed out. Ah, that was unfortunate.
BR:  Do you mean Landis and not Leipheimer?
CH:  Umm...
BR:  Leipheimer lost six minutes in the first time trial. Who is your favorite rider?
CH:  Thomas Voeckler. I like him because I know him personally and he is a friend of mine. But there is a Luxembourg rider in the Tour.
BR:  What do you think of Fränk Schleck?
CH:  A climber. His win on Alpe d'Huez was very impressive.
BR:  Do you think he is attractive?
CH:  [Claude pauses and smiles] Oh, I don't know.

The Race Action

BR:  Is your sister also a podium girl?
CH:  No, she is a hostess and is not a podium girl.
BR:  How did you get selected to be a hostess and podium girl?
CH:  In the last years I already worked for Champion as hostess on the Tour. Often Champion will ask modeling agencies or hostess agencies for girls for casting. I interviewed for the Tour and this is how I got my start. It was last year when they asked my sister if she would like to join the Tour this year.
BR:  So, this is this not your first Tour?
CH:  No. In 2004 I was part of the publicity caravan, and then last year, and this year I made the jump up to be a podium girl.
BR:  Oh, you were also a podium girl last year?
CH:  Yeah.
BR:  Do you normally follow cycling?
CH:  Yes. Actually when I was younger I rode. I was a big fan and so was my father. We would go and spend the weekend in the camper on the Galibier, seeing the riders on the beautiful climb. So I was always into cycling.
BR:  Have you ridden up Col du Galibier?
CH:  No. No. [laughs]
BR:  But you have been there to see races pass?
CH:  Yes. We went to see past editions of the Tour de France pass.
BR:  Do you continue to ride a bike?
CH:  No, no, no, no. [laughs] Just to go and get the bread, but that is about it. I live in Paris, so it is very convenient to use the bicycle for this.
BR:  For you, what is the coolest aspect of professional cycling?
CH:  You meet a lot of cool and interesting people. There are always new people, like you, and that is fun. But then there are some people that are not so "cool." But overall there are great personal interactions through the world of cycling.
BR:  Is it difficult to travel in the Tour de France and be a vegetarian?
CH:  Yes. You know at first they did not have any vegetarian food? We had told the company that supplies the Tour with food in advance but they did not get my request correct. Once the Tour started they were not very helpful and said "oh, we will get your food soon." They were being lazy, and they never came through. So then my boss had a talk with them, and now, two weeks later, I get my vegetarian food. So it is all straightened out.
BR:  Do you receive something similar to a feed-bag?
CH:  [laughs] Yes. They give us our food at the Village Départ.
BR:  Do you stop in the countryside and have lunch?
CH:  No. We eat while driving.
BR:  From waking up to falling asleep, what is a typical day like for a podium girl?
CH:  We wake up early and come to the Village Départ. Here we have many clients from Champion who usually arrive. We make sure that their needs are met. Then we take the Hors Course, going to the arrival, and there we have another Champion tent where we do the same, with drinks and food. From there some of us will work the podium. And then we all drive to find the hotel, and in the late, late evening we go to bed.
BR:  And how are the hotels in France?
CH:  I would say that they are at a medium level. No, I don't know. Maybe they are not so good in France. Are they better in Italy?
BR:  Yes, sometimes they are. The food is better. What is your favorite food?
CH:  I like French food and also Italian food.
BR:  Thanks Claude for taking your time to talk with us. Will we see you next year in the Tour de France?
CH:  I really hope so. Eddi!