"Guess it is better to buy a pair of those ugly out of ear headphones" – Decathlon’s former Giro Next Gen winner fined for using AirPods during training ride in Alicante

Johannes Staune-Mittet drew unexpected attention on Monday after revealing he had been fined while training on the roads around Alicante.

The Decathlon CMA CGM Team rider published a short clip on Strava showing the written sanction issued by the Spanish authorities, accompanied by a caption that quickly caught the eye of fans. “Guess it is better to buy a pair of those ugly out of ear headphones than to get fined for airpods every day.”

The fine, set at €200 but reduced to €100 with early payment, referred to the use of earphones connected to a device while riding — an infringement outlined in the Reglamento General de Circulacion, the legislation enforced by the Spanish traffic directorate, the DGT.

The citation on the document read: “conducir utilizando cascos o auriculares conectados a aparatos receptores o reproductores de sonido” — which translates to “driving while using headphones or earphones connected to devices that receive or play sound.” The wording applies to all vehicles under Spanish traffic law, including bicycles.

Alicante and the wider Costa Blanca region remain one of the busiest winter bases for WorldTour teams, with riders from multiple squads descending each year for endurance blocks and early-season testing. Enforcement of the headphone rule is well established locally but often catches out visiting professionals.

For Staune-Mittet, who completed his first Grand Tour earlier this season and continues to build his stage-race profile after winning the Giro Next Gen at U23 level, the incident amounted to a minor interruption to a standard December training schedule.

His decision to publish the fine openly — paired with his light-hearted caption — generated quick engagement across cycling-focused platforms. While modest in scale, the post resonated widely as both a relatable moment and a reminder of the strict approach Spanish authorities take regarding audio devices on the bike.

The sanction will have no sporting impact, but it reinforces the regulations that many professionals navigate when training in Spain each winter. Staune-Mittet’s post, however brief, ensured the message travelled quickly: in Spain, riding with earphones remains firmly prohibited.