The UCI has handed out a effective of 200 Swiss Francs to Julien Bernard (Lidl-Trek) after the French rider stopped to embrace his spouse and rejoice together with his followers on residence roads throughout stage 7 of the Tour de France.
Bernard loved a “dream second” on the uphill a part of the time trial course which was half an hour from his residence, with family and friends lining each inch of the roads cheering ‘Julien!’ and holding indicators that mentioned ‘Allez JB’ as he got here previous.
“I used to be actually trying ahead to this present day. I knew my spouse and my buddies did one thing on the climb,” mentioned Bernard.
“I began fairly quick within the TT, after which I wished to take pleasure in each second on this climb with, as you see, my buddies and all my household. It was was a dream second for me.”
However the jubilation was apparently an excessive amount of for biking’s governing physique, who punished the Frenchman after the stage for “unseemly or inappropriate behaviour in the course of the race and harm to the picture of the game”, in accordance with the jury’s report.
This was the identical rule cited for Davide Ballerini’s effective on stage 5 after he stopped on the roadside to watch teammate Mark Cavendish dash to a historic victory.
Repetitions of Bernard’s initials lined the roads as he raced to 61st on the day, pushing exhausting on the opening part to make sure he might have the second to cease together with his household.
“I pushed respectable energy in the beginning to have the time to take pleasure in this climb. I need to say I might go fairly conservative on the TT, however right now I made a decision to push extra in the beginning after which, I might have the time on the highest,” mentioned Bernard on the end.
“Ultimately, I noticed I used to be not thus far behind. So it was OK. An ideal day for me.”
A day so good, that Bernard was prepared to do it precisely the identical regardless of the UCI assessing that he was in want of a effective for such a heartwarming second.
“Sorry, however what was that? I like you a lot,” mentioned Bernard in an preliminary tweet, earlier than responding sarcastically to the governing physique. “And sorry UCI Biking for having broken the picture of Sport. However I’m prepared to pay 200CHF each day and relive this second.”
Lidl-Trek teammate Toms Skujins responded to the incident as properly with related confusion, merely with a screenshot of the effective together with the phrases “UCI doing UCI issues”.
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