Global (Commonwealth) _The Tour de France’s governing board sentenced French rider Julien Bernard to pay 200 Swiss francs (US$223) for stopping during the race’s time trial on Friday to give his wife a kiss, according to international media sources.
The sanction was imposed for “unseemly or inappropriate behavior during the race and damage to the image of the sport,” according to the International Cycling Union (UCI).
The Lidl-Trek team’s racer Bernard apologized to the UCI on social media, adding that the kiss made the fine worthwhile. In a subsequent television interview, the 32-year-old said, “It’s these moments that keep me going and cycling.”
The romantic scene happened in the vicinity of Bernard’s Burgundy home on stage seven of the Tour de France, one of the race’s two time trials.
Upon summiting an ascent, Bernard was greeted by a group of friends, among them his spouse, who moved forward to plant a kiss on the cyclist while still clutching their child. Bernard subsequently recalled, “It was really incredible.” He responded, “My wife did a really, really good job organizing this with some friends for a few weeks now.” “You have time to have fun during a time trial. These are the times that sustain me and my cycling.
“What a joke,” said Danish rider Magnus Cort in response to Bernard’s tweet, which included a video of him kissing his wife. I suppose it was fortunate that they didn’t see me a few days ago.
During Friday’s stage in Burgundy, French rider Julien Bernard’s family and friends gathered on a hillside to meet him, providing an overly enthusiastic greeting that the officials deemed appropriate. The International Cycling Union (UCI) race commissaries, who are in charge of enforcing general regulations during races, felt that the festivities had gone too far.
He stopped to give his wife Margot, who was holding their son Charles, a hug and a kiss as a sizable gathering outside Nuits-Saint-Georges chanted Bernard’s name.
He told the local daily Le Bien Public, “I’d been patiently awaiting for this moment since the route was revealed last October.” This type of event only happens once in a lifetime, therefore it doesn’t matter whether I get punished.
The UCI fined the athlete 200 Swiss francs ($330) “for behavior damaging to the image of the sport.” “My wife arranged for everyone to come and watch me at that point of the race and I decided to show my gratitude and thank her for that,” said the 32-year-old.
The way his pals stirred up the large masses that threatened the security barrier and pushed forward while the people cheered “Lalalala Julien Bernard” more disturbed the police. With three minutes and eleven seconds less than the winner, Remco Evenepoel, Bernard finished 61st on the day. The Tour de France of this year began on June 29 in Florence, Italy. On July 21, it comes to an end in Nice, France. An annual multi-stage men’s cycling competition, the Tour de France is mostly conducted in France. It is often regarded as the most prestigious of the three Grand Tours and the oldest.
With the exception of the two World Wars, when it was halted, the race has been staged yearly since it was initially planned in 1903 to boost newspaper sales. The event was extended and attracted more participants from abroad as the Tour rose in stature and popularity. Except for the teams that the organizers invite, all of the teams who compete in the race are UCI World Teams because the Tour is a UCI World Tour event.
The majority of the race usually takes place in July. The race’s structure remains constant despite the yearly changes to the route, which includes time trials, travel through the Alps and Pyrenees mountain ranges, and—aside until 2024—a finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The Tour de France is currently held in 21-day stages over 23 or 24 days, covering a total distance of around 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles).Circuits that run clockwise and counterclockwise alternate during the race.
Typically, twenty to twenty-two teams consisting of eight riders compete. The riders’ timings are added to their previous stage times, and each stage is timed to the finish. The rider who wears the yellow jersey and leads the race is the one with the lowest total time.
