"It was never our intention to harm anybody" - Madis Mihkels and Gerben Thijssen share apology message after Tour of Guangxi incident

A day before the Tour of Guangxi Intermarché-Circus-Wanty sidelined it's two main figures, Gerben Thijssen and Madis Mihkels, following a social media post where the Estonian did a stlanted-eyes gesture. Now, the duo apologize.

"We felt honoured to be invited to participate in the Tour of Guangxi. We feel really sorry for what happened yesterday morning, we realize that our social media publication was offensive and wrong," Thijssen and Mihkels shared in a message together. "We feel really good in a multicultural environment, so it was never our intention to harm anybody."

Whilst in a joking mood, the video was not well received, quickly receiving backlash. Shortly after the Belgian team issued a statement removing Mihkels from the race - and later on Thijssen who was the team leader for the week. Performance-wise a devastating blow for the team's ambitions in China, but the correct move according to the majority of fans. This morning the duo have shared a message written together apologizing for the incident.

"We want to apologize for our behaviour and our lack of education about the Asian culture to all people who felt offended, especially the Chinese fans and all parties involved in the organization of the Tour of Guangxi," the message continued. "We accept our withdrawal from the race. This error is an important life lesson for us both, which will definitely guide us to adopt a more humble attitude in the future."