From Newsgroup: uk.rec.cycling

"UCI doing UCI things": Disbelief as Tour de France pro fined for "inappropriate behaviour" after stopping to kiss wife during time trial

Julien Bernard was accused of "damaging the image of the sport" by the UCI,
the Frenchman saying he would be "willing to pay 200 Swiss francs every
day" to "experience this moment again"...

by DAN ALEXANDER
SAT, JUL 06, 2024 12:54

It was one of the most colourful moments of the Tour de France so far,
Julien Bernard living the dream and getting to greet family and friends as
the stage seven time trial passed through his home region of Burgundy. Bernard's vocal supporters lined the climb, the Frenchman spurring the
crowd on, before he stopped near the top to kiss his wife and child.
Brilliant scenes that would bring a smile to even the most cynical cycling fan's face, a moment universally enjoyed by all who saw it.

As far as party-pooping goes, the UCI subsequently releasing a statement to fine the Lidl-Trek rider 200 Swiss francs for "unseemly or inappropriate behaviour during the race and damage to the image of the sport" is right up there, even by the governing body's often-strict standards.

Bernard promptly took to social media and apologised but maintained he
would be "willing to pay 200 Swiss francs every day" to "experience this
moment again".

There has been much derision online about the UCI's fine, Bernard's
Lidl-Trek teammate Toms Skuji+a+i saying it is "UCI doing UCI things". Others questioned how it "damaged the image of the sport", many arguing quite the opposite, that it actually enhanced the image of the race.

One fan wrote: "This is ridiculousrCa his interaction with the crowd today
was the best part. Just had a conversation with my wife about today's stage
and this is the one thing she mentioned @UCI_cycling out of touch with reality."

Uno-X rider and two-time Tour stage winner Magnus Cort, meanwhile,
described the fine as a rCLjokerCY, and said he was rCLluckyrCY to escape a fine
when he stopped at the top of the Col du Galibier on stage four to kiss his wife.

Some noted that the fine could represent a bid by the UCI to clamp down on similar incidents in the future, especially during time trials, pointing
out that the crowds who came to greet Bernard could have impeded another
rider, who started a minute after the Frenchman.

However, the 32-year-old said that he took that potential issue into
account, and started the time trial rCLhardrCY to ensure that Warren Barguil, who told Bernard that he wasnrCOt targeting a result in the time trial in any case, would not be halted by the in-race celebrations.

Speaking to the TV cameras after the stage, Bernard recalled his
"incredible" day.

"It was really incredible," he said. "My wife has been organising this with some friends for a few weeks now and she did a really, really good job. On
a time trial, you have time to enjoy yourself. It's these moments that keep
me going and cycling."

It's not the first bizarre fine to be handed out this Tour, Mark
Cavendish's Astana teammate Davide Ballerini picking up the same 200 Swiss-franc punishment as Bernard for stopping by the roadside to watch the Manx Missile's history-making stage five sprint on a big screen, as he
rolled to the finish post-leadout. Again, the UCI argued it was behaviour contrary to the image of cycling.

Cavendish himself has also been on the receiving end of the UCI's daily
fines, and accused a Tour de France TV motorbike rider of interfering with
his chase back to the peloton following a mechanical during stage six of
the race to Dijon, a prolonged and controversial return to the bunch that ultimately saw the Astana sprinter fined for drafting behind his team car.

"A TV camera is there to capture images and not to influence the race," he later complained.

Bernard's fine comes as Lidl-Trek were dealt another blow ahead of
Saturday's eighth stage, former world champion Mads Pedersen rCo who would
have eyed up this weekend's stages as opportunities for victory rCo
abandoning the race due to his injuries from a heavy crash during the
sprint on Wednesday.

A team statement communicated the news: "While the initial X-rays showed no sign of a fracture, together with the Team, the decision was made that it
was in Mads' best interest to stop racing in order to undergo more detailed examinations to assess his injuries further and give him the proper rest
and recovery needed to focus on his remaining goals this summer and the
final part of the season."

Pedersen later confirmed that he will now focus on getting back to top form
for the Olympic Games in Paris.

<https://road.cc/content/news/disbelief-tour-de-france-pro-fined-309289>
--
Spike
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2