🤩 @JulienBernard17 on home roads! 🤩 @JulienBernard17 à la maison ! #TDF2024
Cycling world unites against UCI in criticism for fining Julien Bernard at Tour de France - "They have no clue"
CyclingSaturday, 06 July 2024 at 12:00
Close to home roads, stage 7's time-trial at the Tour de France was a very special day for Lidl-Trek's Julien Bernard. The French rider had a TV bike with him throughout his effort as in the day's climb there was a large fan group awaiting him including his wife and child - which he stopped to kiss. He was fined at the end of the day by the UCI, which has triggered many fans and fellow riders.
"Unseemly or inappropriate behaviour during the race and damage to the image of sport. 200CHF fine," the race's jury report for the day said. Whilst just being formal language, many took the 'damage to the image of sport' term without a grain of salt and have taken the opportunity to criticize the UCI. Bernard himself wrote on Twitter "and sorry UCI Cycling for damaging the image of the sport. But I'm willing to pay 200CHF every day and relive this moment." Naturally, this expanded the incident even further in terms of exposure, and soon enough X (formerly known as Twitter) to be packed with criticism, as well as support for Bernard.
Magnus Cort Nielsen of Uno-X Mobility showed a video of him stopping on the Col du Galibier to kiss his partner with the caption "What a joke. I guess I was lucky when they missed me a couple of days ago". Most likely the fine from the UCI came as a result of Bernard and his convoy blocking the road on the climb, but this ultimately did not affect other riders.
Former Paracycling Olympic Champion Colyn Lynch wrote: "Dear UCI Cycling, as one of the elected Athlete Representatives, I just want to express my shame at seeing fines like this, instead of celebrating these beautiful displays of athletes being human beings. Please revoke these fines immediately and restore the image of OUR sport.
Cyclist journalist Robyn Davidson summed up the point of the criticism quite well: "The UCI meanwhile thinks this “damages the image” of cycling and fined Julien Bernard. They have no clue."
Former pro Colin Sturgess: "Julian Bernard finishes 61st on the stage (out of 174) but is fined/penalised by the UCI for “bringing the sport into disrepute (or some such shit)” coz he stopped to embrace his wife and child… FML. Seriously… take a long hard look at yourselves UCI."
Prominent cycling pundit Benji Naesen: " The UCI is a fucking joke, man. They fined Bernard for damaging the image of the sport because he was enthusiastically celebrating with fans on the climb, doing the opposite of damaging the image of the sport."
Read also
claps 0visitors 4481
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- “During a TT, I am basically blind”. That was his quote after crashing into the barriers in a TT. The problem isn’t the UCI, radios or air bags. The problem is the riders and their teams.JoeyB22-12-2024
- I think you overestimate scientific knowledge and for sure the spreading of it. There are huge numbers of people in similar situations, if there were an easy solution somebody would be making big money out of it. Nerve pain can have many complex origins or be due to complex combinations of reasons. Even if you discover a reason there is not always a solution. Migraines haven’t been solved either. I have had lower back/hip nerve pains on and off for over 30 years, no kind of doctor has ever found a way to reduce, prevent or solve the problem. It may just be that some people are born with nerves that are too short or get twisted out of position during certain movements.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- Amazing ride by her and very promising for her future. On a side note, it’s a bit worrying all these wins riders have after emotional moments in their lives, someone will come up with emotional doping at some point. Maybe give them fake news just before a big race to get hormones pumping.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- I doubt he will have the energy to do that if he continues to do leadout for Phillipsenabstractengineer22-12-2024
- I know several people who’ve tried contacting sport airbag manufacturers and none of them ever got a reply. Might be hard to organise anything with such attitudes.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- It's the BBC. Who cares outside of little Britain.leodis22-12-2024
- Crawl back under your stone.leodis22-12-2024
- Thanks Dadmobk22-12-2024
- Hard to believe with the advancment of modern medicine he can not find a cause for this.frieders321-12-2024
- You continue to platform these two cheats. With that in mind I can no longer use your site. I know my leaving means little, but, sometimes you have to take a stand. See ya!DJ21-12-2024