This past week's Ronde de l'Oise was brought to the spotlight as for the third time in the space of just over half a year, Jan-Willem van Schip was disqualified after breaking a UCI rule. This time it was because of a bidon placed inside the front of his jersey, which is not allowed. The team worries about keeping the Dutch rider, in a situation where the UCI fines accumulate.
“I was shocked, because I didn’t know either,” Azerion / Villa Valkenburg DS Johan Berghmans told Sporza. “Those are all things we are not focused on as a team. There is no way to resist the UCI, so yes, he had to leave the race, but he didn’t want to. He is a super sweet guy, but he has his edges".
Previously, his handlebar and seatpost size proved to be issues; as did his hand positioning on the bike. In search of further aero gains, the track specialist put a pidon in the inside of the front of his jersey, something which is nto allowed by the rules. "He knows all the rules, so he felt he was acting correctly. According to him, that rule comes into force on July 1. I said 'stop now and leave the race'. You can’t change it anyway, but he stood his ground and kept riding.”
Van Schip was not tackled by the police, DS confirms
After a picture of him on the side of the road laying on the ground with a French policeman next to him emerged on social media, it was rumoured that he had been tackled to the ground. Berghmans confirms this was not the case.
“The police on the motorbike did effectively take him out of the race. But it certainly was not heavy-handed. According to Jan-Willem, the police came to ask him to stop. Maybe that was done in a strict way, but I don’t know. In the end, he did do it voluntarily," he explains.
“So, for the sake of clarity, he was not pulled off his bike by the police in a rough way. They simply did their job. He was in shock afterwards, but that comes from his mindset. He was lying in the grass verge crying and shaking. Everyone was simply worried about him.”
Team cannot afford van Schip's fines
But the Dutch continental team has a big issue, which are the fines that the Dutch rider has been accumulating. "They really are looking at him, and as a team it is genuinely no longer enjoyable. For us, the situation is becoming a bit untenable. We are only a small continental team, you know. We are absolutely not Visma or anything like that. Everywhere Jan-Willem races, it almost always costs us 1,000 Swiss francs in fines. As a team, that is unsustainable.”
Hence, the solution seems clear: “Ultimately, we have to get to work with Jan-Willem. He has to get out of that gray area," he adds. "Nobody becomes better or happier from that. He has to move into the green zone and ride a bike like every other rider, but that is very difficult with him".
"As a sports director, you want to focus on your whole team. In that stage, I ultimately spent half a day dealing with one rider and the jury, and we do not want that anymore," he admits, making it clear that van Schip's position is not above the team's. "It costs too much money and energy, and it brings nothing in return. You always lose against the UCI.”
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
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- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
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