“If I had to point to one rider who’d get caught drink-driving…” – Gaviria’s former DS slams “laziest rider I’ve ever met” after he’s found five times over legal limit

Fernando Gaviria’s drink-driving conviction has drawn a blunt and brutally honest reaction from someone who knows him well: his former Soudal - Quick-Step sports director Brian Holm.

Speaking on the Café Eddy podcast, the Dane admitted he was disappointed by the news — but far from surprised.

Holm, who worked with the Colombian between 2016 and 2018, did not hold back when asked about Gaviria’s arrest in Monaco for driving with a blood-alcohol level of 2.40, five times above the legal limit.

“If I had to point to one rider who’d get caught for drink-driving in Monaco, I’d probably have said Gaviria," notes the 63-year-old.

The reaction from Holm went beyond the incident itself, touching on the contradictions that defined Gaviria’s early career — a generational talent, but one he often struggled to motivate.

"Why doesn’t it surprise me that much?" Holm asks rhetorically. “Without doubt one of the biggest talents I’ve ever worked with: God’s gift on a bike, and also the laziest rider I’ve ever met. I really like him, but for hell’s sake, Fernando, is it necessary?”

Holm’s comments underline the frustration felt by those who saw Gaviria at his explosive best: Tour de France stages, Giro wins, and the kind of finishing speed that once made him the most feared sprinter in the world. But they also highlight the inconsistency that has shadowed the 31-year-old’s career ever since leaving Quick-Step.

The incident itself occurred on 22 October, shortly after the end of Gaviria’s difficult 2025 season with Movistar. Police in Monaco stopped him following reckless driving and several traffic violations, later measuring a blood alcohol level far above the permitted threshold.

In court, Gaviria reportedly admitted the mistake: “I slept for a couple of hours before going out. I felt that I could take the car. Looking back, that wasn’t the case. It was a mistake on my part, I won’t do it again,” Monaco-Matin quoted him as saying.

He was handed a two-month suspended prison sentence, a €5,000 fine, a two-year driving ban in Monaco, and three additional minor fines.

Holm’s reaction comes at a delicate moment. Just as Gaviria was preparing to relaunch his career at Caja Rural – Seguros RGA after three seasons with Movistar, the off-bike controversy has overshadowed a transfer that was supposed to represent a fresh start.

The Colombian is coming off the worst year of his career, scoring just 125 UCI points, and will race outside the WorldTour for the first time since 2015.