The UCI has handed out a positive of 200 Swiss Francs to Julien Bernard (Lidl-Trek) after the French rider stopped to embrace his spouse and rejoice together with his followers on residence roads throughout stage 7 of the Tour de France.
Bernard loved a “dream second” on the uphill a part of the time trial course which was half an hour from his residence, with family and friends lining each inch of the roads cheering ‘Julien!’ and holding indicators that mentioned ‘Allez JB’ as he got here previous.
“I used to be actually wanting ahead to this present day. I knew my spouse and my pals did one thing on the climb,” mentioned Bernard.
“I began fairly quick within the TT, after which I wished to get pleasure from each second on this climb with, as you see, my pals and all my household. It was was a dream second for me.”
However the jubilation was apparently an excessive amount of for biking’s governing physique, who punished the Frenchman after the stage for “unseemly or inappropriate behaviour through the race and harm to the picture of the game”, in keeping with the jury’s report.
This was the identical rule cited for Davide Ballerini’s positive on stage 5 after he stopped on the roadside to watch teammate Mark Cavendish dash to a historic victory.
Repetitions of Bernard’s initials lined the roads as he raced to 61st on the day, pushing exhausting on the opening part to make sure he might have the second to cease together with his household.
“I pushed respectable energy in the beginning to have the time to get pleasure from this climb. I need to say I’d go fairly conservative on the TT, however at this time I made a decision to push extra in the beginning after which, I might have the time on the highest,” mentioned Bernard on the end.
“Ultimately, I noticed I used to be not thus far behind. So it was OK. An ideal day for me.”
A day so good, that Bernard was prepared to do it precisely the identical regardless of the UCI assessing that he was in want of a positive for such a heartwarming second.
“Sorry, however what was that? I really like you a lot,” mentioned Bernard in an preliminary tweet, earlier than responding sarcastically to the governing physique. “And sorry UCI Biking for having broken the picture of Sport. However I’m prepared to pay 200CHF daily and relive this second.”
Lidl-Trek teammate Toms Skujins responded to the incident as properly with related confusion, merely with a screenshot of the positive together with the phrases “UCI doing UCI issues”.
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